As an academic health system, ECU Health serves as both a rural care delivery organization and a training ground for health care providers and support services team members.
While resident physicians and nurses come to mind as the most obvious roles that blend the clinical and academic environments, a new resident track is helping bridge an important need for patients across eastern North Carolina who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: the ECU Health American Sign Language (ASL) Residency program.
Launched in April, the ASL Interpreter Residency program was born from the demand for more skilled ASL medical interpreters. The program is designed to help increase the number of ASL interpreters available to patients across ECU Health’s system, in both hospitals and clinics, as well as train the next generation of interpreters for a career in the medical field.
More than 500,000 people throughout the United States use ASL to communicate as their native language, making ASL the third most common language in the United States, after English and Spanish, according to the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
“There is a massive need for ASL interpreters in health care both nationally and locally,” said ECU Health ASL coordinator Reid Barnes, who designed the program. “When we looked at this need in the lens of our role as an academic health system, it made sense to model something similar to the physician resident experience.”
Residents in the program join with a two-year commitment where they focus on skill development and clinical interpreting during their first year, with close supervision in the clinical setting. The second year of the program incorporates both hospital and clinical work while also assisting with ongoing educational efforts.
Barnes, ECU Health’s only full-time ASL interpreter, works with up to 6 or 7 patients on any given day, often times spread across the health system’s 29 county service area, so the demand is obvious. What is less obvious, however, is the process behind becoming a skilled medical ASL interpreter.
A licensed or certified ASL interpreter does not receive a specialized certificate in medicine. ASL interpreters undergo rigorous testing to ensure they have generalized competencies for a multitude of interpreting settings. However, the decision to specialize in any setting is left to the individual interpreter. Specialization often involves an extensive combination of targeted workshops and firsthand experience. As a result, it is often difficult for newer interpreters to safely gain firsthand experience.
All of these factors, Barnes said, inspired the creation of the ECU Health ASL Interpreter Residency program.
“Health care should always be provided in a patient’s native language,” said Barnes. “Imagine what your health care experience would feel like if you couldn’t communicate with your doctors and nurses in your primary language? For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, that is a very real reality. We can now expand our services, improve patient experiences and be a true training ground for skilled medical ASL interpreters.”
Jordan Satchell is the first ever resident in the ECU Health ASL Interpreter Residency program. Having served as an experience coordinator in ECU Health Medical Center’s emergency department, she has a close understanding of the important role ECU Health serves as the flagship health system in eastern North Carolina.
“Returning to ECU Health as the first ASL Interpreter Resident has been a rewarding experience in many different ways,” said Satchell. “You never truly ‘arrive’ when it comes to interpreting, so this program has allowed me to build my skills and improve my knowledge about health care. The patients I work with have already helped me become a better interpreter, and I can only hope to continue serving them, learning their needs, breaking down communication barriers, while also being a resource to the next incoming resident.”
Barnes said Satchell will help chart the future of the program, as the two work together to closely examine the needs of the patient population while tailoring the program’s design to ensure it provides the best resident experience possible.
OUTER BANKS, N.C., July 24, 2024 — Outer Banks Health and Dare County Department of Health & Human Services have joined forces with Blue Zones, the global leader in longevity research and community well-being transformation, to launch Blue Zones Ignite™ Outer Banks.
Blue Zones uses an evidence-based, environmental approach to making healthy choices easier where they live and spend most of their time. Blue Zones will work with Outer Banks Health, the County, and other community leaders to conduct an in-depth feasibility assessment to determine how to make it a healthier place to live, work, and thrive. Together with the community, the Blue Zones team will assess readiness and build a plan for change.
The launch of Blue Zones Ignite is a dream come true for Christina Bowen, MD, Outer Banks Health Center for Healthy Living Medical Director, and ECU Health Chief Well-being Officer.
“We know that 20% of health and longevity is tied to genetics; while 80% is tied to where and how we live. Blue Zones Ignite Outer Banks is going to inspire us to celebrate and promote our strong sense of community while we find ways to make it even easier to eat healthy foods, move naturally and connect with our purpose – just a few of the ways we’ll continue to enhance our well-being and make this an even better place to live and work,” shared Dr. Bowen.
The Blue Zones Approach
Blue Zones employs a proven solution in collaboration with communities to help people live better and longer lives. The company’s work is based on research and principles developed by National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestselling author Dan Buettner, who identified the cultures of the world – or blue zones regions – with the healthiest, longest-living populations.
The Blue Zones approach focuses on the single largest determinant of health: the place we live. Instead of focusing solely on individual behavior change, Blue Zones helps communities make permanent and semi-permanent changes to policies, systems, streets, surroundings, and social networks so it’s easier for residents to eat wisely, move naturally, and connect more with others as they move throughout their day. By improving the Life Radius®—the area close to home where most Americans spend 90% of their lives—Blue Zones transformations have been able to move the needle dramatically in improving overall population health and well-being. Communities that have participated in the Blue Zone’s Ignite project have seen double-digit drops in obesity and smoking rates, economic investment in downtown corridors, grant funding awards to support policies and programs to improve health equity, and measurable savings in healthcare costs.
“Together, Outer Banks Health and Dare County Health and Human Services are steadfast in our shared mission to enhance the health and well-being of all residents, so that they can live a happy, healthy and long life,” said Dr. Sheila Davies, Director Health & Human Services.
Ben Leedle, CEO of Blue Zones and Co-founder of Blue Zones Project, said: “We are excited to partner with forward-thinking leaders in the joint effort of improving well-being in the Outer Banks. That improvement, at the community level, leads to healthier and happier residents, better and more productive workforces and student bodies, and a more vibrant economy. We are excited to collaborate to create a transformation plan that can generate lasting positive change and ignite a community-wide movement towards sustained well-being.”
The Blue Zones expert team will connect with Outer Banks leaders and organizations to begin immediate work assessing the strengths, needs, and challenges that residents are facing today. Blue Zones will then create a policy-focused transformation plan that, once implemented, can drive widespread improvements in well-being, reductions in healthcare costs, and improve economic vitality in the region.
Greenville, NC — Andy Zukowski, ECU Health chief financial officer, was recently honored by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of 36 Rural Hospital CFOs to Know. Zukowski has served as CFO since 2022 and oversees the financial operations at both ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
Andy Zukowski, ECU Health chief financial officer
“It’s an honor to be nationally recognized for the work we do here at ECU Health,” said Zukowski. “Our goal at ECU Health is to build the national model for high-quality rural academic health care and being good stewards with our resources is a key component of that. I am proud to work alongside mission-driven individuals who commit their time, expertise and energy to serving the people of rural eastern North Carolina.”
Rural hospitals are an essential component of today’s health care environment, dedicated to serving populations that often encounter obstacles to convenient, quality and affordable care. These institutions play a critical role in ensuring healthcare access for underserved communities. The CFOs highlighted on the list are instrumental in ensuring the financial health of their organizations. Applying their expertise in financial planning, these executives help bring cost effective, innovative, up-to-date and accessible healthcare to their communities.
“Andy’s passion for serving others and mission-focused mindset align with ECU Health’s mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and Dean of the Brody School of Medicine. “As the largest health care provider, employer and medical educator in the region, ECU Health has a unique role to play in the communities we serve – and Andy recognizes that this depends on the organization’s sustainability. ECU Health is proud to help lead the way in creating jobs and encouraging economic growth to help improve the rural communities we serve, many of which experience socioeconomic distress and health disparities.”
Becker’s is delighted to feature these accomplished leaders, who are critical to the successes of their respective organizations. The Becker’s Hospital Review editorial team accepted nominations for this list and curated it to highlight the fantastic accomplishments of rural hospital CFOs.
Chris Smith, the vice president of finance and operations for the ECU Health Foundation, was working out at the ECU Health Wellness Center when the director pulled him aside and told him about the Rock Steady Boxing program – a non-contact, boxing-inspired fitness routine specifically created for patients with Parkinson’s disease and similar movement disorders.
“They were looking for help with starting up the program – equipment, training for a few coaches, that sort of thing,” Smith said. “I told him we’d take a look at how the Foundation could help, and as it turned out, we were able to provide them the funds they needed to get the program started.”
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness and difficulty with balance and coordination. Symptoms worsen over time, causing difficulty with walking, talking or other daily activities. While there is no cure, physical activity can improve many symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, slow the progression of the disease process and improve patients’ quality of life.
First created in Indianapolis in 2006, Rock Steady Boxing is now an international nonprofit program with more than 840 certified affiliates. Now, ECU Health’s Wellness Center counts itself among those numbers because of the Foundation’s support.
Smith said it was gratifying to know that money given by donors was used in such a meaningful way.
“This demonstrates the impact of what our donors do for their friends and families in the region. It showed the tangible impact philanthropy has on the lives of people in eastern North Carolina.” Smith also had a personal connection to the program; his father had Parkinson’s. “He passed away right before the pandemic. He was doing rehab, but he could never get back on his feet.”
With those donor-provided funds, which covered the cost of coach training in Indianapolis and the necessary equipment, the ECU Health Wellness Center was able to establish a Rock Steady Boxing program in 2023. Two of the coaches trained for the program were Kiara Robins, the lead exercise specialist, and Cas Costa, an exercise physiologist II. More than 36,000 people live with Parkinson’s disease in North and South Carolina, and Costa highlighted the value of having this program in the area.
“I didn’t realize at first the impact it would have, and I didn’t know how few locations offered the class.” That’s true; the ECU Health Wellness Center is currently only one of three locations to offer the program in eastern North Carolina. As a result, Robins said that their class has grown quickly: “We started with just three or four members but now we’re up to ten or twelve. We have people come from Rocky Mount, Kinston, Grimesland, Snow Hill and Ayden looking to do the program. We’re steadily growing, and we’re seeing great results.”
Those results are measured through balance and gait tests, such as the Berg Balance test and the Get up and Go test. “Our first four participants have gone from high fall risks to medium or low risks,” Robins said. “Some couldn’t even complete components of the tests, but they now can.”
Justin Mendoza, one of the participants in the class and its youngest member, attested to the program’s positive effects. “They [the coaches] really put their heart into thinking of exercises. You have someone who has studied this and knows what you’re going through. I’ve improved in my strength and walking, and I don’t fall as often,” he said.
While some clients, like Mendoza, heard about the Greenville class when theirs shut down, others received referrals from their physical therapists or physicians. Dr. Temitope Lawal, an ECU Health movement disorder neurologist, is one of those doctors to refer patients to the program.
“Exercise slows the progression of Parkinson’s,” he said. “It’s an extrapolation of the saying, ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it.’ This program makes you accountable and asks you to move your muscles as much as you can.” Dr. Lawal also noted the social value of the program. “It’s an avenue for interaction with others who have Parkinson’s, so it’s like an informal support group.” Costa agreed: “The biggest benefit is the sense of community. It’s hard to go to a regular gym and know what to do. But here, everyone has Parkinson’s so there’s a level of comfort with the activities.”
That accessibility to specialized exercise programs is just one of the things that sets apart the ECU Health Wellness Center.
“The Wellness Center is more than a gym,” Robins said. “You have trained staff here, all with a degree in exercise and certified in one or more areas to better serve the population.” Costa also emphasized the value of specialty-trained staff. “We’re a wellness center, which is different from a gym. In a gym you can’t see a dietician or a lifestyle coach or go next door for a physical therapy appointment. We have a full-circle of wellness with staff trained to help patients with Parkinson’s, arthritis, orthopedic needs, cancer and other diagnoses.”
Both coaches acknowledged that collaboration is required to make Rock Steady Boxing and other programs successful.
“I’m working towards a Ph.D. in kinesiology, and in school we’re learning about the relationship between physicians and exercise physiologists,” said Costa. “Rock Steady Boxing is an example of that collaboration. ECU Health supporting this program helps us build relationships with the doctors and specialists in the network.”
This partnership provides access to valuable resources and complements the medications patients with Parkinson’s must take to combat the symptoms.
Membership is not required to participate in Rock Steady Boxing. “90 percent of our participants are non-members,” Robins said. Participants pay for eight sessions per month, but there’s also a drop-in rate for those who have less predictable schedules. Those who are unsure if they want to join can observe a class for free, and they can participate in the class on a month-to-month basis with no obligation.
Robins said the program has plans to continue its growth so it can better serve the region, and both she and Costa shared their appreciation to the Foundation for supporting the program.
“We’re grateful to have this program here in Greenville,” Robins said. “We’re still in the beginning stages, but we want to expand as much as we can and get more members. We want to encourage everyone with Parkinson’s to participate and to let them know we’re here to help as much as we can.” Mendoza championed the program and the coaches for their hard work: “I love the class. We have fun, and the coaches know what they’re doing. You don’t feel intimidated or self-conscious, and it gives you a sense of pride.”
Cheryl Hooks, a family nurse practitioner (FNP), is a Rose Hill native who started her career cutting hair. “For a very long time, about 20 years, I worked as a cosmetologist and I owned my own beauty salon,” Cheryl said.
Things changed for her and her close-knit family when they learned her oldest niece, nine years old at the time, had juvenile, or Type 1, diabetes.
“She got sick and had to go to the hospital, and that’s how they found out she was diabetic,” Cheryl said. “It was very scary because no one really knew what to do or how to help her.”
Cheryl wanted to learn all she could about the illness, including about medications and diet, so she could better support her niece; but in the process, she realized she wanted to advocate for all individuals with health problems. That’s when she decided to become a nurse.
Making the shift to nursing wasn’t easy. “I was older and trying to manage my time. You go from a point where you are your own boss to not having that freedom because you’re in school,” she said.
Still, her desire to take care of people inspired her to keep going. After graduating with her RN from Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, Hooks worked at ECU Health Duplin Hospital while pursuing her BSN from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Wilmington. She started her health care career in behavioral health, and later worked in the emergency department, where she realized the need in her community for primary care services. As a result, she went back to school to pursue her doctor of nursing practice degree in family medicine from UNC Chapel Hill, from which she graduated in 2022.
While she sometimes misses her work as a cosmetologist, Cheryl said many of the skills she used in her salon inform the way she works with her patients today.
“Owning a business gave me confidence. I was introverted, but taking care of my clients gave me self-assurance,” Cheryl said. “I treasure the trust between me and my patients, and the skills I used behind the chair trickled down to patient care.”
Cheryl now practices at ECU Health Family Medicine – Kenansville, a multi-specialty family medicine clinic, and she loves her team.
“I am thankful for the people I work with and for the opportunity to work in a rural setting,” she said. “A lot of people have the misconception that in rural areas you don’t get to see as much as in other places, but we do. We get to see many things nurses don’t often get to experience – we have family medicine, orthopedics and cardiology all in the same place. We learn so much because the resources aren’t as vast.” Cheryl also enjoys working near her hometown. “I am not a city girl, and I knew I wanted to work closer to home. Now I get to take care of people in my own community,” she said. “I still get to take care of the ladies who sat in my salon chair; now I make sure they’re healthy.”
For those considering a career change to health care, Cheryl has a few words of wisdom. “I say go for it. If you’re not on the path that’s fulfilling you, take that first step. It’s never too late to do what you are meant to do; there’s no expiration date on your dreams.”
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health Medical Center Electrophysiology Lab is the first hospital lab in North Carolina to earn accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Cardiac Electrophysiology in the areas of Testing and Ablation, Device Implantation and Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion. IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Accreditation by the IAC means that ECU Health Medical Center Electrophysiology Lab has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with published standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the operational and technical components of the facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.
“ECU Health is dedicated to setting a national standard for rural health care and high-quality cardiovascular care,” said Jay Briley, president, ECU Health Medical Center. “Achieving IAC accreditation for the ECU Health Medical Center Electrophysiology Lab not only underscores our commitment to excellence but also highlights the unique advantage of offering advanced care in a rural setting. This milestone reaffirms our mission to enhance the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina by providing the latest technology and medical services close to home.”
Each year, more than one million cardiac device and ablation procedures are performed for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders worldwide. Cardiac electrophysiology procedures are performed by facilities that specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders to relieve symptoms or regulate heart rate and rhythm. Cardiac electrophysiology is comprised of specialized diagnostic testing and therapeutic procedures performed by highly skilled health care professionals. The training and experience of the cardiac electrophysiology specialist performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure, all contribute to a positive patient outcome.
“As a cardiologist and electrophysiologist, I know first-hand the importance of having high-quality cardiovascular services close to home for those who live in eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. John Catanzaro, professor and chief, Division of Cardiology, the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, director of East Carolina Heart Institute, ECU Health Medical Center. “This new accreditation underscores our dedication to delivering exceptional patient care through adherence to the highest standards of quality and safety. Patients across eastern North Carolina can take heart knowing the ECU Health Medical Center Electrophysiology Lab has the highest-quality expertise and personnel available to care for them.”
ECU Health recently joined Pitt Community College and NC East Alliance to host teachers from across eastern North Carolina as part of the NC East Alliance STEM East Summer Teacher Leadership Institute series. The initiative, designed to deepen teachers’ understanding of the health science industry, featured interactive sessions and site visits aimed at showcasing diverse career opportunities and educational pathways within health care.
Teachers started the day by attending learning sessions at Pitt Community College, where they heard from ECU Health experts about a variety of health care and health sciences topics. Following the sessions, the teachers took a tour of ECU Health Medical Center where they learned about the region’s only Level I academic medical center.
Jacqueline Thompson, a CTE teacher at Bertie Middle School, wanted to find interactive educational opportunities so her students have the chance to learn about different health care careers.
“During our information sessions, they not only talked about health care careers for people like me who teach health sciences and career exploratory, but also for math teachers and science teachers or English teachers,” said Thompson. “It helps teach us, ‘How can I collaborate with other teachers and work with them on reinforcing what we’re teaching to students?’”
As the largest employer in eastern North Carolina’s 29-county region, ECU Health has an interest in inspiring the next generation of health care workers and these partnerships help drive the health system’s ability to ensure future generations have access to high-quality care.
“ECU Health was eager to participate in this event because teachers play a crucial role in shaping a student’s understanding of career opportunities in health care,” said Lisa Lassiter, director of Workforce Development, ECU Health. “The more the teachers know and understand about health care themselves, the more they can inspire and educate the students. In addition to exposing the teachers to careers in health care, we had the opportunity to ensure teachers have an awareness of the values and professional skills needed so they can also incorporate the learning of those skills in the classroom.”
Another benefit of the collaboration is the opportunity to expand students’ knowledge on different health care careers, both in and outside of their community
“From a rural perspective, our students often only think of jobs of what they see in the community,” said Thompson. “There are more careers outside the community and we can give them exposure to different careers they’ve never dreamt of doing because they didn’t know it exists. We are seeing these careers and learning about their educational paths so we can teach our kids that they don’t have to go to a four-year college. You could get a two-year degree or a certification and stay in eastern North Carolina.”
Melissa Decarlo, physical therapist IV, Rehab Neurosciences Program, ECU Health Medical Center, regularly gives tours to students, and she was excited to be able to provide education to teachers in the community on this tour.
“For me, I enjoy what I do as a physical therapist here, touching the patients’ lives and their families’ lives,” said Decarlo. “I also think it’s our responsibility to spread the knowledge about what we do into the community. I think by doing the tours I am lighting a spark of interest and excitement within the students and showing the teachers what we do so they are better equipped to teach their students about our careers.
The collaboration between ECU Health, Pitt Community College and NC East Alliance not only supports professional development for educators but also aims to foster a new generation of healthcare professionals in eastern North Carolina.
Greenville, N.C. – Michael Waldrum, MD, MSc, MBA, ECU Health chief executive officer and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, has been named chair-elect of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) 2024-25 Board of Directors. The incoming board’s term begins Nov. 12, 2024, and will end November 2025, after which Dr. Waldrum will assume the role of board chair.
Dr. Michael Waldrum
Dr. Waldrum was named chief executive officer of ECU Health in 2015 and named dean of Brody in 2021. He previously served as president and CEO of The University of Arizona Health Network and as CEO of the University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham. Dr. Waldrum is a specialist in critical care medicine and pulmonology and is trained in internal medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Dr. Waldrum has served as chair of the AAMC’s Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems (now called the Council of Academic Health System Executives) since 2022, where his unique rural health care perspective helped shape discussions around the complex issues facing rural communities across the nation and how academic medicine can help solve those challenges.
“I am extremely honored to serve as chair-elect of the prestigious AAMC Board of Directors, which has long been a powerful voice in academic medicine,” said Dr. Waldrum. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with highly respected academic health leaders from across the nation who are passionate about ensuring quality health care is available to all, including those living in rural communities. While there are certainly complex challenges facing health care nationally, the AAMC’s collective expertise helps chart new paths forward that improve the lives of many. It is humbling to be a part of this important work.”
The AAMC is a nonprofit association dedicated to improving the health of people everywhere through medical education, health care, medical research, and community collaborations. Its members are all 158 U.S. medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education; 13 accredited Canadian medical schools; approximately 400 teaching hospitals and health systems, including Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and more than 70 academic societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC leads and serves America’s medical schools and teaching hospitals and the millions of individuals across academic medicine, including more than 193,000 full-time faculty members, 96,000 medical students, 153,000 resident physicians, and 60,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical sciences. Following a 2022 merger, the Alliance of Academic Health Centers and the Alliance of Academic Health Centers International broadened the AAMC’s U.S. membership and expanded its reach to international academic health centers.
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University celebrated the graduation of the first ever cohort of resident physicians in the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program on June 30, before officially welcoming the latest class of resident physicians into the newly expanded program July 1, marking two important milestones in a program uniquely designed to help meet the academic rural health mission.
Launched in 2021, the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program provides recent medical school graduates interested in serving as family medicine physicians in rural communities first-hand experience in caring for patients in the kind of under-served settings they plan to practice in upon completion of their residency training.
The inaugural class of Rural Family Medicine Residency Program graduates and their plans for practicing are as follows:
- Dr. Jim Jaralene Porquez will start a new family medicine outpatient practice located in the ECU Health Multispecialty Clinic – Kenansville and provide hospitalist coverage at ECU Health Duplin Hospital.
- Dr. Zeel Shah will serve as a hospitalist at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital and will also provide precepting to resident physicians at Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center.
- Dr. Raza Syed will join a sports medicine fellowship program in Spokane, Washington, with plans to return to North Carolina after his one-year fellowship commitment to start practice.
- Dr. Amy White Jones will move to rural western Minnesota to practice outpatient medicine at Sanford Health System.
“I could not be more proud of the four inaugural graduates from the ECU Health Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, who have all embraced the rural mission and helped pioneer this important program,” said Dr. Audy Whitman, program director of the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program. “Each of these physicians have a passion for serving rural communities and have embraced the challenge of providing care in areas where their services are critically needed. Their unique training has given them a unique understanding of how to deliver high-quality primary care in rural environments and I take immense pride in knowing they will have an incredible impact in the communities in which they will soon practice.”
Despite rural communities representing nearly 20% of the U.S. population, only 10% of U.S. physicians practice in rural areas. The ECU Health Rural Family Medicine Residency Program aims to increase the number of physicians practicing in rural America, especially eastern North Carolina. Studies show that family medicine resident physicians who spent 50% or more of their training time in rural settings were at least five times more likely than resident physicians with no rural training to practice in a rural setting.
The program exposes resident physicians to the breadth of family medicine — in both an academic medical center environment and in rural environments — so they are well-prepared to provide comprehensive care in a variety of practice settings. The resident physicians spend a majority of their first year of training at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville before spending the next two years training at a regional location where they build connections with their patients and become integrated into the communities they serve.
The Rural Family Medicine Residency Program also received recent approval from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to expand its class size and add an additional training site location, bringing the program to nine residents per class across three sites: in Ahoskie at the Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center and ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital; in Duplin County at Goshen Medical Center in Beulaville and ECU Health Duplin Hospital in Kenansville; and in Roanoke Rapids at Rural Health Group Halifax Medical Specialists and ECU Health North Hospital, which is the newest training site in the program.
The newest Rural Family Medicine Residency Program class includes:
- Dr. Flora Danquah, Ahoskie Site
- Dr. Danh Pham, Ahoskie Site
- Dr. Saima Shawl, Ahoskie Site
- Dr. Andre Mancheno-Rubio, Duplin Site
- Dr. Shelley Matthews, Duplin Site
- Dr. Jaya Purathur, Duplin site
- Dr. Tanweer Hoosen, Roanoke Rapids Site
- Dr. Tobi Okafor, Roanoke Rapids Site
- Dr. Joy Onyeanuna, Roanoke Rapids Site
“This is an exciting time at ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine as we are truly charting the future of rural academic health care in the spirit of the shared mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of Brody. “When resident physicians practice and train in rural communities, they develop an intimate appreciation for the importance of rural health care. The program’s continued growth is a testament to all who have worked hard to make the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program a reality and it is humbling to know our organization is making a profound impact on rural communities through these innovative efforts.”
Greenville, N.C. – The 2024 ECU Health Board Quality Leadership Award winners were recognized by the ECU Health Board of Directors June 25, 2024. These winning teams are a representation of excellent work across the system that drives the quality goal of zero harm, creates exceptional experiences and improves patient outcomes. Numerous nominations were reviewed by the committee, and the winning team are as follows:
ECU Health Medical Center – Cutting CAUTIs in the Neurosciences ICU: A Collaborative Approach. The project leaders were: Natasha Drake, BSN, RN, CCRN – NSICU Nurse Manager, Vikram Bhinder, MD – NSICU Medical Director and Aimee Dunn, BSN, RN, CCRN, SCRN – NSICU Staff Nurse IV. The team members were: Sarah James, BSN, RN, CCRN – NSICU Assistant Nurse Manager, Morgan McGraw, BSN, RN – NSICU CAUTI Representative and Erin Pearson, BSN, RN – ECU Health Medical Center Office of Quality.
ECU Health Chowan Hospital – Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) Prevention in the Inpatient Setting. The project leaders were: Courtnay Hale, BSN, RN – Manager of ICU/MedSurge, Dana Byrum, DNP – Vice President, Patient Care Services and Matthew Rapp, MD – Hospitalist Director and Beverly Venters, MSN – Quality Director. The team members were: Brittany Proctor, BSN, RN, Pam Ward, ICP, Katie Hall, QNSIII.
ECU Health Ambulatory – ECU Health Bertie – Family Medicine, Windsor – Improving Diabetes Management in the Ambulatory Setting. The project leaders were: Kristin Woodard, MSN, RN – Education Nurse Specialist, Phillip Harris, MD and Kelsey Gurganus, MSN, RN – Manager of Family Medicine, Windsor. The team members were: Erica Ford, PA, Teddie Gore, NP, Jesse Ann Hamilton, NP and all staff of Family Medicine, Windsor.
To receive this honor, team members submitted projects that demonstrated at least two of the following requirements:
- Quantifiable improvement in an organizational quality priority with sustained excellence over time
- Demonstration of empathy and compassion in patient care
- Implementation of innovative solutions to patient care problems
- Community outreach that addresses the social determinants of health in a meaningful way
“We are proud of our teams who dedicate themselves to improving patient care in eastern North Carolina,” said Robert Greczyn, chair, ECU Health Board of Directors. “The Board Quality Leadership Awards symbolize the excellence and compassion our team members demonstrate every single day as they care for our patients across our region. On behalf of the Board, we are grateful to all ECU Health team members for their tireless efforts in delivering excellence in rural care and helping us meet our mission to improve the health and well-being of the region.”