In 1984, Jaimie Yahnker faced a decision: move to North Carolina with his parents or stay in Long Island, New York.
“Here I was fresh out of high school,” Jaimie recalled. “I went to a school for individuals with cerebral palsy, which incorporated physical therapy and the like into your education, so I graduated when I was 20. After graduation, I decided to move with my parents to North Carolina, which was the best decision I could have made.”
Jaimie was one of seven children, and three of his other siblings also lived in North Carolina. In November of that year, Jaimie was hired by ECU Health Medical Center, then Pitt County Memorial Hospital, and he’s never looked back.
Jaimie’s first job with the system was at the Information Desk, but when that didn’t work out, his connection to what was then called the Education Department through his sister, who also worked at the hospital, landed him a position putting together orientation packets for new team members on a part time basis.
“That went well, and I stayed in that role until I lived in North Carolina for a year and achieved my residency,” he said. At that point, Jaimie knew he wanted to go to school, so he attended Pitt Community College in the morning while working in the education department during the afternoons. “That’s how I got my degree in human services,” Jaimie said.
After graduation, Jaimie applied and interviewed for several different jobs. “No one was hiring,” he said. It was about that time, also, that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, something ECU Health’s then human resources (HR) director Charles Fennessy and the hospital’s HR department knew about and supported.
“He [Charles] was determined to help me all he could,” Jaimie said. “He saw the fire in me. He knew I was trying hard to find work and not getting offers, so he found a full-time position in the Insurance Department under Financial Services, and I worked in that department for nine or 10 years.” During this time, Jaimie also went back to Pitt Community College to get his degree in human resources.
Jaimie enjoyed his work, but he didn’t enjoy being in a cubicle all day. “I’m a people person,” he said. At the same time, Jaimie tore both of his rotator cuffs after walking with forearm crutches for years, an injury that required surgery to repair the damage.
“I knew Dave McRae [the chief executive officer at the time], and I told him I wasn’t sure how my recuperation would go, but that if I could return to work, I didn’t want to be in a cubicle,” he said. After Jaimie’s surgery, McRae helped him find a clinical support position at the front desk in the Rehabilitation department, where he worked first under Martha Dixon, and later with Wanda Bennett.
“Later I worked in hospitality (now called experience) where I stayed for a few years and through COVID,” Jaimie said. “The new rehab director, Dr. Felicia Collins, asked me to come back to their department and I’ve been here ever since.”
While he’s served in several positions across the hospital, Jaimie said he likes his current role because, “I am a good role model for the patients and their family members. They see me do what I am doing, and they think they can also be successful.”
Jaimie also enjoys the people he works with. “They are a great team, very supportive,” he said. “I saw one of our recreational therapists here as a patient, when she had Guillain Barre, and just like me, she had therapy here and was inspired to come back and work. I’m very happy in rehab.”
While he gets asked from time to time when he plans to retire, he has no intentions to leave anytime soon. “Working gives me a reason to get out of bed. I have responsibilities, and I’m comfortable here. It’s the best for my personality.”