It was a packed house at ECU Health’s Monroe Conference Center on Oct. 1, as ECU Health and Pitt County Department of Social Services (DSS) welcomed dozens of community-based health partners for a conference designed to help tackle a complex challenge: reducing unnecessary emergency department utilization to ensure enhanced access for those needing emergency care.
It is no secret that overcrowding in emergency departments is a challenge facing hospitals across the country. ECU Health Medical Center, the only Level I Trauma Center in ECU Health’s 29 county service area, is no exception. The medical center serves a largely underserved rural region where access to care is difficult for many. That includes primary care, behavioral health care and other services best rendered in outpatient settings. Combined with a disproportionate number of uninsured community members, this lack of access to care means patients often times end up at hospital emergency departments.
Dr. Leigh Patterson, chief of services for emergency medicine at ECU Health Medical Center and chair of emergency medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, said ECU Health’s nine hospitals will see nearly 250,000 visits to the emergency department this year, with more than half of those occurring at the medical center. She said conversations with key community health leaders, like the one hosted by ECU Health and Pitt County DSS, can help ensure community members are aware of, and have access to, non-emergent health care resources outside the emergency department setting.
“When I look at what happens inside the emergency department, I see the opportunity for us to help fill the care gaps that exist outside of it,” Dr. Patterson told the group, noting that she sees about 225 adult patients per day in the medical center ED, about 40% of whom could be more appropriately served in an outpatient setting. “When it comes to addressing this problem, it will take all of us as a health care community to make meaningful change. That’s why I’m heartened that so many of you have joined us today to work together toward solutions that make an impact in our community.”
The conference represented true regional community collaboration. Health care partners present at the conference included ECU Health, DSS Directors from across eastern North Carolina, Juvenile Justice, Trillium Health Services, Public School leaders, NC DHHS, payors and other eastern North Carolina hospitals and key stakeholders.
“The ECU Health/Pitt County DSS ED conference was an excellent example of cross system collaboration,” said conference co-sponsor Sharon Rochelle, director, Pitt County DSS. “This was a day to build mutually beneficial partnerships that have common goals to better serve the children and adults of the community.”
The conversation focused on both adult and pediatric/adolescent patient populations and heavily examined the challenges that behavioral health patients face accessing care. Despite the new inpatient behavioral health hospital slated to open in Greenville in 2025, those in attendance agreed that the issue needed immediate attention which involves creating increased interconnectedness among those providing care both in the community and in the hospital setting.
“We are grateful for all agencies involved in this important and challenging work,” said Jacob Parrish, vice president of capacity and throughput at ECU Health. “We know that the complex challenges we face cannot be solved at emergency departments alone. We are fortunate to have so many committed partners who share our vision for continuous improvement through strong relationships and close collaboration. Together, we can ensure the highest quality of care for communities across the East.”
The recent meeting was the first day of the two-day conference, largely centered around examining the issues through open and honest conversations. Those in attendance will reconvene later in the month for the second meeting to develop an action plan with concrete steps and strategies for improving access to care and reducing unnecessary ED utilization in eastern North Carolina.
“This is a complex set of issues, but I am confident we have the right people in our community committed to finding the solutions,” said Brian Floyd, ECU Health chief operating officer. “While these challenges are not exclusive to our health system or region, I know that together we can help support our emergency departments and improve the experience for those needing access to high-quality emergency care which is rendered at our hospitals every single day.”
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Dr. James Speicher, a thoracic surgeon at ECU Health Medical Center and director of the Thoracic Surgery residency program, and his team are working to improve pain management in patients after their surgery.
After meeting with other thoracic surgeons outside of the ECU Health system and hearing a presentation on non-opioid pain management, Dr. Speicher knew it was something he wanted to bring to his thoracic surgery patients in eastern North Carolina.
“I said, ‘That’s a great idea.’ I came back from the meeting and said to the team, ‘Hey, let’s try to do this.’ It took us some time to get access to one of the medications we would use in the pain management protocol, but we started with our protocol multimodal pain management while avoiding narcotics in 2019.”
Dr. Speicher said the new pain management protocol includes a long-acting local anesthetic for nerve blocks, along with a muscle relaxer, nerve pain medication, acetaminophen and anti-inflammatories.
The goal of the program was to send fewer patients home with prescription narcotics while limiting the use of patient-controlled analgesia pumps for patients in the hospital after surgery.
As the team looked at surgical data from 2016-19 and compared it to the study, running from 2019 to today, he said the team found even better results than they were expecting.
“What we found with our study was we had really significant reductions in the uses of opioids. It was around an 85 to 90 percent reduction in our opioid use inpatient and around 60 percent of patients weren’t going home with any sort of narcotic prescriptions,” Dr. Speicher said. “The other thing that was really impressive to me in the study was that our average pain score was actually better for our patients on the non-narcotic protocol. We were reducing the use of narcotics on the floor, sending people home with less prescriptions and introducing fewer opioids into the community, all while actually doing a better job controlling their pain.”
The opioid-free pain management program is part of a larger enhanced recovery after surgery protocol, which Dr. Speicher and his team has been working on over the last few years. He said the team has put in place walking protocols and pre-operative carbohydrate loading along with other changes that have been shown to improve outcomes for patients.
This program is active for thoracic surgeries at ECU Health Medical Center.
“This is exciting work for us because we’re really focusing on helping make patients comfortable, controlling their pain post-surgery and getting them home more quickly,” Dr. Speicher said. “If we can do all of that without a narcotic prescription, that’s a really big win for the patients we serve and the community as a whole.”
When Dr. Tate Holbrook, a pediatric hematologist, founded the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program at East Carolina University in 1979, he was inspired by the need for basic health care services specifically designed to meet the unique needs of sickle cell patients.
Now, 45 years later, the program stands proudly as a leader in North Carolina at providing state-of-the-art medical care for those living with sickle cell disease, and its founder credits the annual Tate Holbrook Annual Sickle Cell Disease Update conference as a key component of that success.
“ECU has a reputation as being a hands-on, compassionate and people-centered organization,” said Dr. Holbrook, who the conference was named after following his retirement in 2022. “The care at ECU Health Medical Center is exceptional and it’s because of the people who really care. This conference is a big cooperative effort that brings like-minded people together such as researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and others who are helping create advancements in treatment for sickle cell patients.”
The Tate Holbrook Annual Sickle Cell Disease Update is hosted by East Carolina University’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program and the Department of Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology, in collaboration with Eastern AHEC. The goal of the conference is to bring together medical professionals and patients to bridge the gap of communication and to improve treatment for patients with sickle cell disease.
To meet this goal, professionals with knowledge and recognition in the sickle cell community discuss the latest advances in treatment of sickle cell disease, cutting edge research, established and new medications and therapies, as well as psychosocial interventions. Conference organizers aim to encourage further discussion between providers and patients to create an environment focused on patient needs.
The most recent conference was hosted at Eastern AHEC on Sept. 6 and brought together medical professionals with 25 patients and six community-based vendors together to learn in a collaborative environment and provide resources to those living with sickle cell disease.
“I’ve come to this conference every year since 2009 when I retired and moved down here,” said Stephanie King, 70, who lives with sickle cell disease. “I think people with the disease should come to these types of events because there’s so much to learn about sickle cell. I go places and I speak about my experience and I have young people that come up to me and say ‘Oh my gosh, you can live this long with sickle cell disease?’ and I always say ‘Yes!’ With medical enhancements and the resources available, we can make it to 70 and beyond.”
Patients like King are at the heart of the conference. The concept of collaborative comprehensive care helps provide state of the art medical care for patients, including education of families and health care providers, psychosocial support to patients, families and community groups, and access to new and innovative therapies. It also emphasizes a close working relationship with other agencies involved in the care of individuals with hemoglobinopathies, including medical centers, community-based sickle cell programs, and the NC Sickle Cell Syndrome Program.
The collaborative approach is what drives progress forward for those living with sickle cell disease, according to Dr. Beng Fuh, current program director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program at ECU.
“One of the most important parts of this conference is that it brings patients with sickle cell together with medical providers,” said Dr. Fuh. “We get to facilitate that exchange between patients and providers to learn how we can improve things and how we can get better. Sickle cell functions best when we take that collaborative approach. When we can hear from each other, we make our providers better and we improve understanding of the disease for patients. When we’re here together we gain a greater appreciation for the fact that we’re all on the same team.”
The Great 100 Nurses in North Carolina honors the nursing profession by recognizing nurses around the state for their commitment to excellence. The recipients are distinguished for their outstanding professional ability as well as their contributions to improving health care services in their communities. This year, 19 ECU Health nurses were recognized as honorees, including Dennis Campbell, II, Myra Thomson, Alex Gilbert, Gina Coldwell and Lou Ann Proctor.
Dennis Campbell, II
Although he is now the president of ECU Health Beaufort Hospital and the interim president at ECU Health North Hospital, Dennis Campbell, II began his career in 2004 as a nurse in the medical/surgical intensive care unit. Over time, he spent his early career in the emergency department, the burn center and the telemetry floor, and he was a staff nurse educator and a clinical educator for local nursing schools in his home state of Indiana.
However, a job opportunity brought him to eastern North Carolina, and he’s since navigated his way into quality leadership, corporate compliance, behavioral health and nursing leadership.
Dennis said finding his path to nursing was a winding road. “I was looking for something I could do that would provide a secure job,” he shared. “I shadowed a nurse in the local community as well as a respiratory therapist. What attracted me to nursing was how polished that nurse was. She was neatly dressed in white scrubs and a hat. The way she presented herself to her patients made me say, ‘I can do that.’” What kept Dennis coming back day after day was the difference he was making every day. “It’s the connection with people at the most vulnerable times of their lives,” he said. “I get to make the ordinary extraordinary, and if there’s something I can do to put a smile on your face, that also fills my cup.” That hasn’t changed since Dennis found his way into leadership roles. “It’s a platform that impacts healthcare and people in a larger way.”
Still, Dennis was surprised that “little old me” was nominated for and selected as a Great 100 Nurse. “It says a lot about what my colleagues think about me, and I’m grateful,” he said. “And it’s good for all Great 100 nurses, because it’s often the case that we are the unsung heroes. It means people are taking notice and want to recognize those who give their heart and soul.” Dennis said the honor is also a legacy for his family. “They don’t get to go to work with me every day and see what I do, and my work is hard to quantify. To have that recognition is impactful to my family.”
Myra Thomson
Myra Thomson, a nurse manager in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and the Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy program at ECU Health Medical Center, decided to be a nurse because her mother was a nurse. “It was all I knew; I was raised in a medical profession home. It fit me and my personality,” Myra said.
The East Carolina University graduate began her career with ECU Health right after graduation. During her clinical rotation on the medical intermediate unit, she had the opportunity to shadow in the MICU. This confirmed Myra’s conviction to work with the critically ill patient population. “I love that there’s a complexity, with more than one thing to treat,” Myra said. She also enjoys the MICU team. “It’s the place to be,” she said. “I love my team at work and outside of work. They call me if they need something, and I check in on them. They’re my people.”
Myra said it was amazing to find out she was named a Great 100 Nurse. “It’s an honor for me that the people I work with think enough of me to say what they did about me. It shows they’re exactly why I do what I do.” It’s also special that so many ECU Health nurses are recognized this year. “The nurses here work very hard across the system, and they deserve to be recognized. It makes you proud to work at ECU Health,” Myra said.
Alex Gilbert
Alex Gilbert, a staff nurse III in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU), calls himself a “second generation nurse,” because both of his parents were also nurses. “Mom works in the ECU Health Cancer Center,” Alex said. “Dad was a flight nurse with EastCare. That’s how my parents met.”
Alex used to watch his father on the helipad and wait for him to get off work, which sparked his own interest in a health care profession. That spark was reignited when his grandmother got sick during his senior year of high school. “That renewed my interest and showed me I could care for people. I knew I had a calling.”
After graduating from East Carolina University with his BSN, Alex split his time between the SICU and the ECU Health EastCare Transport Team as a flight RN. He also serves as an EMT-B in the community. Alex said he was surprised when he discovered he was a Great 100 Nurse honoree. “I can think of so many others who deserve this award,” he said. “We don’t do the job for recognition; we do what we do to care for people.” Alex did cite his passion for his work as a key factor in his success, as well as the support from his family and his co-workers. “It’s not just a nine to five job; it’s someone’s life. It’s an honor and a pleasure to care for someone. But I can’t take all the credit. My faith, my family and my co-workers all play a part. I’d put my team up against any in the country, and I wouldn’t be getting this award if not for them. I’m just a piece of the puzzle.”
ECU Health’s representation in the Great 100 Nurses is a testament to the care our nurses provide, and the education and support ECU Health provides its nurses, Alex said. “We’re the biggest level one trauma center East of I-95,” he said. “Our patients are the sickest of the sick, and our nurses are on the top of their game.”
Gina Coldwell
A Newport News, Virginia, native, Gina Coldwell knew she had an interest in nursing early-on, but she couldn’t go to school while caring for her four small children. “I was a stay-at-home mom for 15 years,” she said. “But then I got divorced and was working two minimum-wage jobs and I wanted to do something I enjoyed.” That’s when Gina went back to school and received her associate degree in nursing from Edgecombe Community College in 2019. “I started working at ECU Health that following summer,” Gina said. She began on the Neuroscience Intermediate Unit, but she also continued her education to complete her BSN from East Carolina University in 2021, followed by enrolling in a master’s program at Carson Newman University, with plans to graduate in 2025.
Gina said she didn’t know what specialty she wanted after initially graduating from nursing school. For her, the team on 3 North drew her to the neuroscience unit. It was a challenging first year, but Gina said she has grown to love the challenge. “It’s hard to not take the work home with me,” she said. “But it’s so fascinating. You get such a diverse group of people, from someone who fell and broke their back to someone who had a stroke. It’s not an easy fix, but you have the benefit of seeing the fruits of your labor and how your patients improve. It’s so rewarding and fulfilling.”
That passion is one reason Gina was nominated for and recognized as a Great 100 Nurse. “I was shocked when I found out,” Gina said. “I was proud because I still consider myself a baby nurse. And we have amazing nurses at ECU Health. We’re a Level I Trauma hospital, and everything we deal with is big. You must have your heart in it, and you must have good leadership that recognizes that heart.” Gina also works with new graduates and new hires. “I love to teach and train,” she said. “And if I don’t know something, I ask someone who does. We’ll find out the answer together.”
Lou Ann Proctor
Lou Ann Proctor, a staff nurse IV in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), calls herself a legacy Great 100 Nurse. “My mother, Janice Proctor, was in the first group selected to be a Great 100 Nurse in 1989, the year I graduated from nursing school at ECU,” Lou Ann said. “My Aunt Lucy Weaver and Aunt Becky Lewis were also chosen in 1994 and 1993. Sadly, I just lost my mother last year, and she would have loved this.”
It was her mother’s work that inspired Lou Ann to become a nurse in the first place. “My father was a farmer, so when I turned 15, I wanted to get out of the tobacco fields and I went to work with my mother at Edgecombe General Hospital in Tarboro. I got to work beside her and see how amazing she was at her job,” she said.
Lou Ann has continued that legacy by being nominated as a Great 100 Nurse several times before being an honoree this year, although she remains humble about the work she does every day. “I’ve been a bedside nurse for 35 years and have been involved in Nurse Congress, Quality/EBP Council and my unit council, but there are so many nurses I would nominate for this award. That recognition is overdue and well deserved for them.” When she found out she has won the award this year, the moment was bittersweet. “My co-workers nominated me this time and I was both thrilled and heartbroken to be selected,” she said. “It would have meant so much if my mother was still here. But my Aunt Lucy and family plan to attend the Gala with me and that will make it special.”
The recipients will be honored at a statewide gala in September, to be held in Concord.
Greenville, N.C. – The Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP) at ECU Health Medical Center was awarded the Safe States Injury and Violence Prevention Achievement Award at the Safe States 2024 Injury and Violence Prevention (IVP) Professionals Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon on Aug. 20-22. Safe States recognizes the outstanding achievements of members and partners annually through peer-nominated awards.
“We are incredibly proud of the recognition ECIPP’s initiatives have received,” said Sue Anne Pilgreen, manager, ECIPP, ECU Health. “This award highlights our team’s leadership and expertise in injury prevention and advancing safety practices locally and nationally. While this recognition is encouraging, what truly motivates the ECIPP team is getting to see the impact that this work has on the members of our community as we remain dedicated to promoting safety, encouraging healthy behaviors and reducing injuries.”
Established in 1995, ECIPP is a collaborative prevention focused health program at ECU Health Medical Center. Partnering with the ECU Health Trauma Center, the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital and the Brody School of Medicine‘s Department of Emergency Medicine, ECIPP is dedicated to improving the health of eastern North Carolina by reducing the incidence and impact of injuries. The American College of Surgeons noted the value of ECIPP’s work in the verification of Maynard Children’s Hospital as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.
ECIPP has been instrumental in the development, implementation and interdisciplinary adoption of injury prevention practices for children and adults across eastern North Carolina. ECIPP offers a wide range of prevention programs aimed at addressing the most pressing injury concerns in the region. These programs include education on child safety, teen safe driving, hot car safety, firearm safety, suicide prevention, traffic safety and poison prevention. ECIPP also partners with Greenville Police Department on the Greenville Traffic Safety Task Force, which earned a national achievement award in 2023.
By building innovative partnerships, ECIPP has successfully promoted the adoption of injury prevention practices across various industries. For instance, the firearm safety program collaborates with wildlife organizations and pawn shops to provide education and gunlocks, while partnerships with Community Health Workers help deliver bike safety education and helmets. ECIPP also created an LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention documentary that has been integrated into college curricula and hospital onboarding processes. From 2020 to 2023, ECIPP reached 86,333 individuals, distributing 2,405 gun locks, 256 medication lock boxes, 3,204 bike helmets and 259 child car seats.
“ECIPP’s strategies and partnerships have been crucial in expanding education and resource access in rural eastern North Carolina communities,” said Catherine Nelson, senior administrator of Community Health Programs, ECU Health. “This award is a testament to our commitment to injury prevention and the positive impact we’ve made for children and families across the region. By collaborating with local organizations and leveraging innovative approaches, we’ve been able to address critical issues, ultimately advancing the health and safety of our communities.”
To learn more about ECIPP, visit the webpage.
ECU Health Medical Center is excited to welcome the newest class of Project SEARCH students. The one-year internship program is designed for high school students with developmental and intellectual disabilities in their final year of their high school education. Through Project SEARCH, these students gain valuable real-world skills, enhancing their employability, confidence and independence.
The Project SEARCH Class of 2024 includes: Cameron McKenna, Daniel Sparrow, Keon Cox, Mariah Locklear, Kalasiah Forbes-Paige, Kenny Lucas, John Walker-Aytch and Nasir Gardner.
“We’re honored that ECU Health Medical Center continues to host Project SEARCH expanding educational opportunities for our students,” said Doris Hill, workforce development coordinator at ECU Health. “This program empowers students with essential job skills they can carry into their careers, while also enhancing diversity within our organization and the local workforce. We’re eager to witness the growth and new experiences our incoming students will gain throughout their journey with us.”
During the program, students participate in internships across various departments at ECU Health Medical Center, including in hospitality, cafeterias, housekeeping and some clinical spaces. These hands-on experiences help students transition from classroom learning to professional environments, bridging the gap between education and the workplace.
The employment rate for youth with disabilities is about 60 to 70 percent less than youth without disabilities, according to the Office of Disability Employment Policy. Project SEARCH has proven results with a 65 percent employment and 90 percent retention rate nationally. Students who participate in the program are enrolled at various Pitt County high schools.
The Project SEARCH program at ECU Health Medical Center began in 2015 through partnerships with Pitt County Schools, RHA Health Services and the North Carolina Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities. The program has become a beacon of hope and opportunity for the students while also making significant contributions to the local community. Project SEARCH is instrumental in cultivating our ECU Health community into one that embraces diversity, inclusivity and shared success.
ECU Health serves a vast rural region and understands the critical need for accessible health care in these communities. The demand for health services is exceptionally high, and many residents face significant barriers to receiving the care they need. ECU Health launched the Health Hub initiative in May 2023 as a strategic effort to bridge these gaps and help meet patients where they are. These Health Hubs are designed to improve access to vital health care and community resources, specifically targeting underserved areas.
“These hubs are strategically placed based on data indicating regions of high social vulnerability,” said Kasey Perkins, community health engagement coordinator, ECU Health. “Oftentimes, these areas have limited access to primary care services and individuals have difficulty seeing a doctor for those unexpected acute illnesses we all get.”
Health Hubs are currently located in four counties: Pitt, Martin, Edgecombe and Beaufort.
The hubs serve dual purposes. First, they provide access to virtual care, which is particularly vital in areas where individuals might otherwise visit emergency departments for non-urgent issues. By educating the community about virtual care options, Health Hubs help people get appropriate care quickly and more efficiently. Second, Health Hubs offer a gateway to community resources, addressing social determinants of health such as food insecurity, housing and employment.
“Each hub features a community resource guidebook, organized into tabs for different social needs, filled with contact information and details on various agencies and services available in the area,” said Perkins.
Health Hubs are located at local churches, businesses and organizations, and a designated Health Hub ambassador serves as the community’s point of contact. These ambassadors help residents connect with virtual care services and navigate the resources available to them. The hubs are equipped with necessary devices, including a computer with a webcam and microphone, and vital sign monitors like blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters and thermometers. This equipment allows individuals to have virtual visits on-site if they don’t have access to the technology at home.
Three new locations were added in July 2024, bringing the total amount of Health Hubs to 21. Health Hubs are open to everyone in the community. Residents can walk in during designated hours to learn more about virtual care or access community resources. The virtual care service, ECU Health Now, is available for anyone throughout eastern North Carolina and can be accessed on a computer or mobile phone. It is free to register and make an account, and it only costs $55 per visit when you speak with a provider, which is often less than a typical insurance co-pay or Emergency Department visit.
“The Health Hub initiative represents a significant step toward making health care more accessible and addressing broader social needs,” said Perkins. “By partnering with local organizations and connecting individuals with vital resources, Health Hubs are making a real difference in the communities they serve.”
As ECU Health continues in its journey toward leading positive changes in support of the health and well-being in the communities it proudly serves, its impact can be seen – and tasted – in the health system’s nine hospital cafeterias where Food and Nutrition team members create delicious and healthy food options for patients and visitors.
With a focus on plant-forward meals that support health, well-being and a healing experience, the Food and Nutrition team has been instrumental in ECU Health’s team member and community-focused Blue Zones initiatives, which recently won the North Carolina Hospital Association’s 2024 Highsmith Award for Innovation.
The four Blue Zones initiatives implemented by ECU Health include the Team Member Blue Zones Challenge, Plant-Forward Meals for patients and team members, Wellness Center Blue Zones, and targeted initiatives in Bertie, Chowan and Dare County. ECU Health is prioritizing the community and engaging in partnerships with local foodbanks and churches to spread the word of the initiative – and make sure the community knows that healthy, plant-forward food is not only nutrient-dense, but also delicious.
None of it would be possible without the expertise of the Food and Nutrition team. With nearly 300 Food and Nutrition team members helping prepare nearly three and a half million healthy and delicious meals at ECU Health locations across the region, this team is making healthy food accessible to patients, families and team members. On any given day, the ECU Health Food and Nutrition team prepares a menu inspired by international cuisines which heavily feature plant-based ingredients: Tandoori chicken, chipotle chicken tacos, sushi, to name just a few.
“It’s hard to describe how fortunate we are at ECU Health to have such an incredible Food and Nutrition team, which is truly at the heart of our work to encourage healthier lifestyles through the Blue Zones initiatives,” said ECU Health Chief Well-being Officer Dr. Christina Bowen. “Our team members and communities benefit from the amazing work they do. Their passion for creating meals that not only taste good, but are also good for you, is a critically important part of the positive change we are leading in eastern North Carolina.”
Greenville, N.C. – The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has awarded all nine ECU Health hospitals Get With the Guidelines® achievement awards for their work in treating stroke, diabetes, cardiac arrest, heart attack and heart failure. These awards recognize the health system’s commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
“ECU Health is honored to receive national recognition from the American Heart Association for our unwavering commitment to providing top-tier care to eastern North Carolina,” said Teresa Anderson, PhD, RN, NE-BC, senior vice president of quality at ECU Health. “These achievements reflect the dedication and expertise of our teams who work tirelessly every day to deliver the best possible care to our patients across the health system. By adhering to the latest research-based guidelines, we are not only improving patient outcomes but also advancing our mission to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”
ECU Health recognitions include:
ECU Health Beaufort Hospital – A Campus of ECU Health Medical Center
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze
ECU Health Bertie Hospital
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Bronze
ECU Health Chowan Hospital
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver
ECU Health Duplin Hospital
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze
ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Center Bronze
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
ECU Health Medical Center
- Get With the Guidelines – Resuscitation Gold Neonate/Infant
- Get With the Guidelines – Resuscitation Gold Pediatric
- Get With the Guidelines – Resuscitation Bronze Newly Born
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
ECU Health North Hospital
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Rural Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze
ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital
- Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze
Outer Banks Health Hospital
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
- Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze
“Providing high-quality care close to home is essential, especially in regions like eastern North Carolina, where rates of stroke, diabetes and heart disease are significantly higher,” said Dr. Niti Armistead, chief quality officer at ECU Health. “Having access to specialized treatment and adhering to evidence-based guidelines locally ensures that patients receive the best possible care without the added stress of traveling long distances, which can make a critical difference in recovery and overall health outcomes. Get With the Guidelines programs align with our mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina by putting proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis. Patients across our region can take heart knowing that all our hospitals are available to provide them with exceptional care.”
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, cardiovascular disease and stroke are the leading and fifth leading causes of death in the United States, respectively. On average, someone in the U.S. experiences a stroke every 40 seconds, with nearly 795,000 new or recurrent strokes occurring annually. Stroke claims approximately 140,000 lives each year, accounting for one out of every twenty deaths. The stroke death rate is even higher in eastern North Carolina, underscoring the critical need for preventive measures and rapid treatment. The state also faces a higher prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Research indicates that patients experience better recovery outcomes when health care providers consistently adhere to treatment guidelines and programs like Get With the Guidelines.
“These awards show ECU Health’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, ECU Health can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
The summer break was no break for more than two dozen East Carolina University College of Nursing students who got to see what their post-graduation life could be like with a new student nurse extern program sponsored by ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.
In the summer of 2023, shortly after an expansive academic-practice partnership agreement was signed between ECU Health and the College of Nursing, leaders from both organizations explored options to help expand the number of new graduates who could fill vacant nursing ranks across eastern North Carolina.
One of the initiatives the group quickly agreed on was an extern program: nursing students would be certified as nursing assistants and then work in a variety of care settings across the health system to gain practical experience before starting their final semesters of nursing school.
To be eligible for the extern program, student nurses would be required to complete Nurse Aide II certification, which all nursing students are eligible for, but not all take advantage of. Nurse Assistants are allowed to perform limited patient care activities as well as assist licensed health care workers with taking notes and uncomplicated wound care.
Dr. Jeanne Martin, chair of the baccalaureate nursing program, said the certification gave ECU Health leaders the confidence that the nursing students could “function within the scope of an NA II all the while learning the RN role with their preceptor.”
“During clinical experiences, students function under the licensure of their faculty and may administer meds or other skills not part of NA II certification,” Martin said.
While their practical role was limited, Martin stressed that the intangible skills the students learned – like how to comfort a patient and translate complex medical terminology and procedures to a patient’s families, was invaluable.
On July 9, the graduates of the first extern program gathered at the Monroe Center on the ECU Health campus to celebrate their accomplishments with their preceptors and the leaders who originated the program.
“I’m so grateful that you took this journey with us and congratulations. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with you on your professional journey,” Dr. Trish Baise, ECU Health’s chief nursing executive, said to the graduates during the ceremony. “Our goal is for you to be as prepared as you possibly can be as you transition into practice.”
Baise said she plans to expand and evolve the program so that more nursing students have an opportunity to gain valuable experience while still in school because nursing care is increasingly complicated and challenging.
Dr. Bim Akintade, dean of the College of Nursing, was an early proponent of the academic-practice partnership and said he is thrilled at the results the inaugural cohort of externs achieved during their eight-week experience.
“We are very thankful for ECU Health’s efforts to give our students a chance to learn some of the inner workings of their profession now, before they graduate. Once they are licensed and at the bedside, their nurse managers, and more importantly their patients, will rely on them to be ready on day one, and this experience puts them in an excellent position to be ready,” Akintade said.
Tracy Langston, ECU Health’s director of nursing professional development and innovation, was the medical center’s lead for the extern program and responsible for placing the students in their roles. She is most proud of the growth the student nurses achieved with developing their time management and communication skills.
“It’s been a phenomenal experience for our externs. They really increased their confidence as nurses, they are excited about the skills they were able to achieve and experience, and they’ll use that as they finish nursing school,” Langston said. “They spoke about how this program helped them work on their time management skills and prioritization as they prepare to hopefully join us as new graduate nurses after graduation.”
During the ceremony, students recounted their experiences during the extern program.
Blair Beaulieu, a nursing student from Greenville, said working alongside the family medicine team gave her insights into the working life of a nurse that she just couldn’t get from textbooks and classroom lectures.
“This program allowed me to explore the various opportunities and interdisciplinary communication, walking information down to the laboratory, transferring patients who needed higher acuity needs of various floors — just seeing those inner workings of a hospital,” Beaulieu said.
Kiley Fisher almost missed the graduation ceremony and was dressed in grey scrubs, rather than Pirate nurse purple, having raced over from the hospital after helping with a birth.
Fisher credits her experience with reinforcing foundational skills — like drawing blood and placing Foley catheters — which gave her space to work on critical thinking and communication with all members of the care team.
“I can now not freak out when a patient asks a question that I don’t know the answer to and how to continue to look professional while saying I don’t know, let me find out for you,” Fisher said. “It’s reaffirmed that nursing is where I’m meant to be.”
Emma Campbell, a nursing student who worked in the ambulatory clinics, found her footing, and her voice, while working directly with patients.
“I was challenged to develop my interprofessional communication, my confidence in my interactions with patients,” Campbell said. “Working with family medicine clinics, I was able to improve in these areas substantially.”
Kinsey Cook, one of the student nurses, said the extern program forced her to gain new levels of self-confidence, largely because she wasn’t given a choice.
“I was shy and nervous around other team members, but I gained confidence throughout this program by answering the phone and assessing the plan of care with doctors. I was able to talk to pathology, labs, pharmacy, nutrition services, and I got to see more than just the nursing aspect of patient care,” Cook said.
Cook spoke with pride at learning to believe in herself in the clinical role, as well as advocating for the patients she interacted with, a skill fostered by spending time with a charge nurse in the unit to which she was assigned.
Ankita Das said her experience working with palliative care teams helped her to develop a set of skills that can’t be learned in the classroom — one-on-one interactions with patients and the loved ones in the room with them.
“During this externship I realized I needed to further develop, and learn more about, comforting patients, family members and what to say when their loved ones passed,” Das said. “I observed the chaplains’ interactions with the families — they were empathetic and always offered to talk about memories with family. They lent a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear, this helped me learn what to do and what to say when a patient passes.”
The program’s success has given its leaders hope for future iterations, and opportunities to expand student participation in the future across the health system’s locations in eastern North Carolina.
“One of the reasons for implementing a student nurse extern program is that it’s an excellent recruitment and retention tool,” Langston said. “This is just the start. We are looking forward to continuing our student nurse extern program in 2025, so students — get ready to apply in December.”