“Jim will be very humble and tell you he was in the right place at the right time,” Dr. April Quidley, pharmacy supervisor, critical care/emergency medicine and PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program director, said about Dr. Jim Worden’s impact on ECU Health and in his community.
Dr. Worden retired on March 22 after working for ECU Health for 41 years. During his retirement reception, however, he was surprised to learn he’d also won the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, the highest honor North Carolina’s Governor can bestow on a person for their contributions to the state.
Dr. Worden, a Tennessee native, moved to Greenville, North Carolina for his first job out of his pharmacy residency to work as a clinical coordinator. “I’ve been here [at ECU Health] since August of 1983,” Dr. Worden said. During that time, he held a few different roles, including assistant director of clinical services, the director of pharmacy and most recently, the systems service line administrator for pharmacy.
During that time, Dr. Worden was instrumental in setting up ECU Health’s pharmacy services by “working closely with physicians in a direct, bedside patient care role” and by founding the Drug Information Center, which, according to Dr. Worden’s award nomination documents, “served as a resource for all health disciplines in eastern North Carolina in the time that evidence-based medical practice expanded.”
“When we think about pharmacy services at ECU Health, Jim is the guy who gets all the credit,” Dr. Quidley said. “He worked hard to form those interdisciplinary relationships with physicians and to advocate for patients. He is the founding director of our residency program, the Pharmacy Practice Residency, which is one of the oldest in the country at 30 years old.”
He went on to develop additional pharmacy residency training programs for critical care, emergency medicine and infectious diseases. “He’s been on the cutting edge of everything we do in pharmacy,” Dr. Quidley said. “He’s done exceptional things for the department.”
As a result of his dedication, ECU Health’s services represent a leading practice in pharmacy care, especially for a rural region, and he’s helped expand services to improve the medical and pharmacy care across all of eastern North Carolina.
On March 22, a retirement reception was held to celebrate Dr. Worden’s more than four decades of service. Little did he know, however, that there was an ulterior motive to the event. “We surprised him with the Long Leaf Pine award at the event,” Dr. Quidley said. “Dr. Mike Waldrum, Dr. Herb Garrison – also a recipient of the award – and Brian Floyd were there to present the award to Jim, and it was a great surprise.”
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award is among the most prestigious awards conferred by the Governor of North Carolina, and it is awarded to persons for exemplary service to the state and their communities, going above and beyond the call of duty and making a significant impact on and strengthened North Carolina. Nominations can be made for retiring individuals who have 30 or more years of service in North Carolina, and nominations must include documents that attest to the person’s work and service, supported further by letters of recommendation.
Dr. Worden said he knew of the award, but he didn’t think he was the sort of person to win it. “It’s an impressive, austere award, but I didn’t think I’d done anything in my life that was at the level to win it. I was humbled to be considered for something that noble.”
Dr. Quidley and those who wrote supporting letters of recommendation think differently. Dr. Worden has made a significant impact not only at ECU Health, but also in his community. He is on the Board of Directors for the Community Crossroads Center, which is the only emergency homeless shelter in Greenville and Pitt County. He joined the board three years ago after a fellow church member let him know a position was opening.
“I felt like my conscience told me I should apply, that God was calling me to help, so I applied, and they voted me in,” Dr. Worden said.
In the past year, he worked with ECU Brody School of Medicine to restore medical services for residents of the shelter. For his dedication to the board and the shelter, the board elected Dr. Worden to be president next year. He is also actively engaged in Greenville’s First Presbyterian Church, where he has in the past served as the Chair of the Missions Ministry, Chair of the Worship Ministry, a member of the Stewardship committee and twice as an elder on the Session, the church’s governing body.
“I’m very committed to my church,” Dr. Worden said. He plans to continue that service now that he’s retired. “I’m going to enjoy time away from work, but I won’t be sitting around. I will of course be the president of the shelter’s board, and we will have activities that will keep me busy. I will continue to work in my church, and I hope to play some tennis and pickleball.”
Dr. Worden also plans to travel with his wife of 34 years, Tammy, who is also a pharmacist at ECU Health and who helped Dr. Quidley nominate Dr. Worden for the Long Leaf Pine award. “When you’ve been married to someone that long, it is an accomplishment – you need that person and they need you,” he said.
As Dr. Quidley predicted, Dr. Worden remained humble about his contributions to ECU Health and beyond.
“This is not about me,” Dr. Worden said of winning the award. “I’ve started some good things, and I’ve been fortunate to have the resources, teamwork and leadership to do these things, but it really does take a village. I will take credit for some of it, but a leader can only do so much by themselves.”
Tanya Graham, a North Carolina native and Greenville resident, was outside cutting her grass when she started to feel very tired. That night, she experienced what felt like an asthma attack, so the next day she visited an urgent care clinic. “I do have asthma,” Graham shared, “but I’ve never had an attack.” The doctor ran a few more tests, and after an EKG, he decided to send Graham to the hospital.
“The cardiologist at [ECU Health] Medical Center said, ‘You are in heart failure,'” Graham said. “I didn’t know what he was saying, I was so shocked.”
Dr. W. Douglas Boyd, a cardiothoracic surgeon, told Graham she needed surgery, and two weeks later, Graham found herself back in the hospital recovering from a double coronary bypass. She was told later that her initial ejection fraction, which is the amount of blood your heart pumps each time it beats, had been 10 percent. A normal ejection fraction is 50 percent or higher. “After the surgery, they did another echocardiogram, and now it’s up to 35 percent,” Graham said.
Graham knew that once she was strong enough after the surgery, she wanted to participate in cardiac rehabilitation. She had heard about the option from her neighbor, who also had recently suffered a heart attack. “I also have two sisters who are nurses,” Graham shared. “One of them works for a cardiologist, so I talked with her about cardiac rehab, and all of my siblings agreed it was a good idea.”
Cardiac rehabilitation focuses on the “what now” after a cardiac event. Stacey Greenway, the director for cardiovascular disease management services at the Medical Center, hopes that cardiac rehab will become the immediate program associated with cardiac recovery.
“A multidisciplinary team works with the patients to establish and achieve goals to improve their health, quality of life and functional ability,” Greenway said. “We develop individualized treatment plans for each patient that includes exercise, nutrition, medications, stress management and other components.”
For Graham, therapy started slow, but she said she immediately felt comfortable. “The team is so smart, and they are in tune with each individual person,” Graham said. “It made a huge difference because I learned right off that I could trust them. It made me want to go.”
It also helped to have others around her going through the same experience. “It didn’t matter if they were a man or woman or what race they were – we were all there for the same reason. Our bodies had broken in some way, and we were all there together for the same purpose of trying to survive and extend our lives,” Graham said. “I drew strength from them, because when I saw them working hard, it made me want to do the same.”
The experience didn’t just provide Graham with the chance to get stronger after a major surgery. “The one thing I came away with,” Graham said, “is hope. Hope that I’d live a longer life.” Graham said that it wasn’t just the exercise that encouraged her and helped her get better; it was also the classes they offered. “I learned quite a bit from the classes, which covered things like diet and coping with this diagnosis,” she said. Something Graham didn’t expect was having access to support from a therapist. “I’d had a hard experience with my surgery, so they put me in contact with Dr. Kari Kirian, and she worked wonders. I can’t say enough positive things about that experience.” Dr. Kirian is a cardiac psychologist embedded in the heart failure program – a critical member of the care team as it is not uncommon for patients to experience anxiety or depression after a cardiac event.
While she wished she could have participated for longer, Graham graduated from cardiac rehab with the ability to do the things she needs to do. “It allowed me to come home and do the things you take for granted, like clean the house or roll your hair,” Graham said. She also immediately joined a gym and signed up for personal training to continue her progress. “I left cardiac rehab on a Friday, and that following Monday I was at the gym,” Graham said. “It wasn’t mandated, but the cardiac rehab team provided me with information. My sister goes to a gym, so I decided to go there, and now I go every weekday. I will continue to exercise, think positive and eat right.”
Because she’s feeling so much better, Graham said she has plans for the future. “I’m going to work on making one of my bedrooms a storage space, and in the spring, I plan to paint a shed in the back yard,” Graham said. She also hopes to visit her daughter and grandchildren in Phoenix, Arizona next winter. In the meantime, Graham said she’s cleared it with her doctors to serve as a volunteer in the cardiac rehab unit. It’s one way she can share her experience and give back to the amazing Cardiac Rehab team for impacting her life in an incredible way.
“I don’t care what I do. I just didn’t want to leave there,” Graham said. “I love people, and I thought maybe if I was around people going through what I went through, I could tell them my story and help them.”
The Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP) at ECU Health Medical Center partnered with volunteers from Greenville Police Department, ECU Health Police Department, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, ECU Police Department, Pitt County Schools and nurses at ECU Health to fit 100 fourth and fifth graders at South Greenville Elementary School with bicycle helmets to encourage safe biking. Funding for the helmets was provided by Children’s Miracle Network and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
“It is incredibly important for parents to ensure their children know how to safely ride their bikes including wearing a helmet, bright colors and reflectors, riding on the sidewalk or in the same direction as traffic and being aware of their surroundings,” said Ellen Walston, injury prevention coordinator, ECIPP, ECU Health. “Wearing a helmet is the best way to reduce head injuries, and we are incredibly grateful to our community partners including law enforcement officers and physical education teachers that are willing to teach bike safety to their students.”
According to Safe Kids, properly fitted helmets can reduce the risk of head injuries by at least 45 percent, yet less than half of children 14 and under usually wear a bike helmet. In 2020, there were 136,753 emergency department visits from children with bicycle-related injuries across the country. ECIPP aims to reduce the number of children harmed in eastern North Carolina and beyond by encouraging safe bicycling practices and ensuring local children have access to helmets. These partnerships not only facilitate the distribution of helmets but also enable law enforcement officers to engage directly with children, emphasizing the importance of wearing helmets and adhering to traffic regulations while biking.
“While ECIPP may provide the logistical and often the boots-on-the-ground operations, none of our work would be possible without the strong partnerships that we have with our schools, law enforcement and many others throughout the region,” said Sue Anne Pilgreen, manager, ECIPP, ECU Health.
Haley Behm was completing one of her first rotations in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University at an outpatient clinic when Cleve Smith showed up for a routine check-up with his father, Emmett Smith. Cleve, a wheelchair user, has seen his fair share of medical students come through the clinic throughout his visits over the years but this was his first time working with Behm.
As a medical student with limited patient interactions, Behm was nervous about how she would connect with one of her first real patients, let alone her first patient with a disability. But when she met a lighthearted, humorous father-son duo in the patient room, she felt a little more at-ease.
“I was running through a depression and anxiety screening, and I got to a question where it asked ‘Have you ever been so restless you couldn’t sit still?’” Behm recalled. “I felt so bad even having to ask him that question.”
A question that Behm initially dreaded having to ask turned in to the start of a punchline for Cleve and Emmett, and it’s one they’ve practiced more than once.
“Haley has been really sweet, and I haven’t forgotten her since the first time we met,” said Cleve. “I could see that question really bothered her because I laughed and she didn’t immediately. So I wanted to assure her everything was fine.”
Added Emmett, “Through the years we have met many medical students at the clinic, and the one I remember is Haley. She had such a kind, caring demeanor. She really cared about Cleve’s feelings and what she could do to help him.”
Behm’s connection with the Smiths was just one of the powerful stories shared at ECU Health and Brody’s fifth annual Legacy Teachers Celebration on April 5. At the Legacy Teachers Celebration, third-year medical students share their experiences in the forms of short stories, poems or videos that honors patients who taught them valuable lessons – the type that can’t be learned in the classroom but can last a lifetime. The event also provides an opportunity for students to reunite with their Legacy Teachers and honor the special connection.
“The stories we hear at the Legacy Teachers Celebration are really emblematic of the types of experiences our students have here at the Brody School of Medicine and ECU Health,” said Dr. Jason Higginson, executive dean, Brody. “Medical students learn so much important information in the classroom and on clinical rotations, but sometimes the most impactful lessons they learn come from those they have the honor of caring for. It’s so gratifying to see our students reconnect with the patients who left a lasting impact on their journey toward becoming a physician.”
For Behm, her experience with the Cleve and Emmett gave her a different perspective on her role as a patient advocate, especially for patients with disabilities who may face difficulties accessing the care they need.
“Patients with disabilities have various accessibility needs, which may not be evident before a visit. It is important to be flexible and modify plans, exams and surroundings,” said Behm.
In total, 22 medical students shared their stories at the Legacy Teachers Celebration, which featured gift baskets, a photo station, lapel pins and remarks from ECU Health and Brody leaders – all designed to create a memorable experience for students and their legacy teachers.
Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of Brody, provided remarks at the celebration along with Dr. Higginson. Like the students, they shared their deeply personal stories of important lessons they learned as students.
The speakers shared common themes around the importance of positive, trusting relationships between patients and care teams.
“The relationship between a physician and a patient is a sacred one,” said Dr. Waldrum. “Each patient we interact with provides us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and why we do what we do. For these medical students, who are driven by their passion to make a lasting difference in the lives of others, this event provides them with an opportunity to reflect on the legacy teacher that made a difference in their educational experience.”
While Cleve, Behm and Emmett were able to reunite at Legacy Teachers and share their story and learn of other stories, Behm expressed how important the Legacy Teachers Celebration is to reflect on the lessons learned from patients.
“The biggest part of Legacy Teachers is I have something to learn from all of my patients,” Behm said. “And some make the lessons easier than others.”
On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, the skies over eastern North Carolina will offer a spectacular sight: a solar eclipse. However, ECU Health ophthalmologist Dr. Ann Ostrovsky emphasizes a crucial caution: never gaze directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection. Doing so risks severe and potentially irreversible damage to your vision and eyesight, even leading to blindness.
A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks the sun from view over a period of a couple of hours.
According to Dr. Ostrovsky, looking directly at the sun during the eclipse can cause a burn to the retina, even after a few seconds. This damage can cause a range of vision impairments including color distortion and reduced clarity. This risk extends to viewing the sun through any optical aid such as camera lenses, telescopes or binoculars.
“The consequences of retina damage from direct eclipse viewing are often permanent, with symptoms appearing within a 24 hours,” said Dr. Ostrovsky.
However, there are safe methods to watch the eclipse. Specialized eclipse glasses or pinhole cameras provide effective protection. It’s important to note that eclipse glasses differ significantly from standard sunglasses.
Dr. Ostrovsky stresses the importance of using proper eclipse viewing equipment.
“Ensure you have certified solar eclipse glasses with the appropriate grading, and always inspect them for any signs of damage or wear before use,” said Dr. Ostrovsky.
Should you suspect any optical damage following the eclipse, immediately contact your eye care provider.
While the solar eclipse promises a memorable sight, remember to protect your eyesight should remain the foremost priority during this awe-inspiring event.
On April 3, hospitals across the HonorBridge service area participated in a Pause to Give Life event to recognize the importance of organ donation.
A Donate Life flag was flown outside of ECU Health Medical Center to honor donors, their families, those who are waiting, and recipients who received the gift of life. Typically an outdoor ceremony, this year’s event was hosted in the Interfaith Chapel at ECU Health Medical Center due to inclement weather.
A moment of silence was held at 10:08 a.m. to signify that one donor can save eight lives.
Last year, ECU Health Medical Center had 31 organ donors and 75 organs were transplanted while 17 were sent out for research. The Medical Center had 49 tissue donors with 140 tissues recovered. Additionally, there were 80 eye donors with 98 corneas transplanted, 28 placed for research and 16 whole globes were recovered. This marked a record number of transplants performed at ECU Health Medical Center, including 130 kidney and kidney-pancreas transplants and 5 pediatric transplants.
During the event, Jenny Godwin, a former nurse at ECU Health Medical Center, spoke about the importance of organ donation. In February, Godwin donated a kidney to the 3-year-old daughter of a co-worker and said she felt called to step up for a friend.
“We knew I was going to be a match when I went in for testing. It was this feeling that me and my husband had and we felt very passionate about doing this,” Godwin said. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to experience peace throughout the whole experience so it was amazing.”
In her time at ECU Health, Godwin worked on transplant teams and she said it was a full-circle moment to be on the other side as a patient.
She said the opportunity to be an organ donor has given her a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
“People always say it’s better to give than receive and I can tell you it’s been an awesome feeling to know that I have given her life,” Godwin said. “I mean, she’s 3 years old and has her whole life ahead of her. It’s really awesome to know that I was able to be a part of that.”
Godwin said she was tired for the first couple weeks after surgery but a little more than a month removed, she’s feeling great and back to her old self – including running around with children of her own.
Dr. David Leeser, chief of transplantation at ECU Health Medical Center, also spoke during the event and said it’s important to recognize those who have said “Yes” to organ donation, whether it is as a living donor or a donation after a person has passed. He also said with 100,000 patients across the country and 3,000 patients here in North Carolina waiting for a donation, it’s crucial to raise awareness of the need for organ donation.
He said transplantation takes a village and none of what he does as a transplant surgeon is possible without the many teams working to make each surgery possible.
“The transplant team is huge – you have organ procurement organizations like HonorBridge, they spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week ready to come to hospitals, meet with families and get donors,” Dr. Leeser said. “Once they have the donor, they arrange having surgeons available to take out the organs for transplant and figure out who the organ is going to and all the pieces that go into getting the organ to the recipient hospital before the transplant even occurs. Each transplant program has social workers, dietitians, nurses and physicians – everyone is so crucial to make sure a transplant is successful. We stand on the shoulders of so many dedicated professionals that do the hard work of getting our patients ready to go to the operating room.”
At ECU Health, we are grateful for the over five million North Carolinians who have registered as organ, eye and tissue donors. We also appreciate the efforts of our North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles partners, who ask the questions every day as part of their job. Together, we are united in a mission to save and heal lives and create a culture where donation becomes a fundamental human responsibility.
Those interested in learning about organ donations or interested in becoming an organ donor can visit ECU Health’s donor registration portal or the Donate Life website for more.
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Pediatric patients at the Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center had an opportunity to get outside in beautiful spring weather and have a little fun with their care teams during a Jell-O toss event on Tuesday, April 2.
With doctors, nurses, therapists and more Maynard team members lined up in chairs, patients dipped their hands into bowls of Jell-O and tossed the snack onto their care teams.
For patients, it was an opportunity to get out of their rooms, see their providers in a new way and relieve some stress.
One parent, Jillian Berntsen, said the opportunity was invaluable for her daughter Ella. While she was hesitant about participating at first, her care team encouraged her to join the event. Jillian said her daughter was glad she attended – even if she was covered in Jell-O by the end.
“This is incredibly important. For children like Ella who have long stays here in the hospital, it’s really important to get the outside and thinking about something other than their diagnosis so that they can have those moments being a child again,” Jillian said. “She’s just 13 years old so being stuck in a hospital room for most of her day can be tough. Things like this that get her smiling, laughing and around others are really important.”
For Abby Coderre, a pediatric nurse at the Children’s Hospital, the event meant more to her than a few laughs with patients and fellow members of her care team as she was splattered with the green Jell-O.
In 2019, Coderre was a patient herself at ECU Health Medical Center with lymphoma and shared a special relationship with her care team. She said passing on her experience as a patient to those she cares for now is crucial and these events give her a chance to connect with her patients in a different way.
“It’s great to give them an outlet and something fun to do while they’re at the hospital,” Coderre said. “Anything to make them smile, I would do it. It’s just a great opportunity to get to know these kids and continue to build that relationship.”
Ella Berntsen was diagnosed with leukemia in November and recently had an infection which led to eight surgeries. Her mother, Jillian, said the care teams at Maynard Children’s Hospital have been a difference-maker for her daughter and the connection she has to the care team is special.
“We feel so supported by all of the staff here, I can’t compare them with anything,” Jillian said. “The relationships and bonds we have formed with these people throughout this short period of time have been unbelievable – they’re like family to us. Ella has been through an incredible struggle, for me there has been a lot of doubt. To have these moments of happiness, it’s just really important.”
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Watch: Doctor and nurse share unique bond, respect after life-saving encounter
The Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC) recently hosted a regional chemical and radiological tabletop exercise at the ECU Health Monroe Center with local and state partners, including those from hospitals, EMS, EastCare, public health, emergency management, hazmat teams from the Williamston Regional Response Team, and specialists from the 42nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team.
The tabletop exercise – intended to help ensure joint response coordination in response to a large-scale chemical or radiological event – included a brief training session followed by a plausible scenario that led to discussion of possible outcomes and discovery of gaps in preparedness planning.
Following the exercise, an after-action plan will be developed, followed by measures to ensure areas of opportunity are addressed.
The goal, according to event organizers, is to ensure all agencies are best prepared to serve the community.
“The tabletop was a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with partners and learn more about regional capabilities available to respond to a radiological incident,” said Christa Radford, Industrial Hygiene Consultant – Eastern Region at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Preparedness and Response. “EHPC did a great job planning this exercise and bringing the correct response partners together for an extremely successful event.”
EHPC is a multidisciplinary team of medical and nonmedical professionals, established to provide mobile medical support for short and long term disasters or catastrophic events in eastern North Carolina. Roles in which the EHPC can provide support include set up and provision of a mobile field treatment facility, regional and state logistics support, and community alternate care site support.
As the leading health care provider in eastern North Carolina, ECU Health supports EHPC’s mission, in close partnership with other regional and statewide emergency response partners. These partnerships are essential to helping ensure communities across the East have access to high-quality resources and health care, particularly in the event of a disaster situation.
“I feel this exercise was crucial for our disaster preparedness and response,” said Nat Gladding, manager of Hospital Operations at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. “It helped us assess our readiness, opportunities, and improve coordination between emergency response agencies. The exercise simulated a real-life scenario, allowing agencies the opportunity to practice their regional response to a disaster of this nature. Participation in disaster drills and exercises promote enhancement of our response for the communities of eastern North Carolina.”
The VAD (Ventricular Assist Device) program at ECU Health Medical Center has recently undergone its fourth successful Joint Commission survey, receiving exceptional praise.
As the largest health care accrediting body in the nation, the Joint Commission emphasizes patient safety and quality of care. The Joint Commission surveys the program’s compliance every two years with more than 40 standards organized into six different chapters in the disease-specific care manual.
ECU Health Medical Center’s VAD program is led by a team committed to providing cutting-edge care for patients relying on ventricular assist devices. A ventricular assist device is a surgically implanted device that helps in the functioning of the heart‘s pumping mechanism. At the Medical Center, VAD patients are often cared for in the following specialized units: CVICU, CIU, CICU, ED and Medical Rehab.
The surveyors highlighted the VAD program’s holistic approach to patient care, acknowledging the dedication of the multidisciplinary team.
“The survey holds our VAD program accountable and ensures that we are providing the highest quality and safest care possible to our patients,” said VAD Coordinator Andrea Matthews. Reflecting on her own participation in the program, Matthews shared her appreciation. “Having the opportunity to be involved in this program and care for this specialized patient population is truly an honor.”
VAD Coordinator Emily Knight echoed this sentiment and emphasized that the resilience of patients and their families is what makes her job rewarding. Knight shared that she’s excited to see what the future holds for the program.
“I am thankful that ECU Health is able to provide this care and treatment close to home for the patients of eastern North Carolina,” Knight said. “I am excited to see the program grow and evolve to reach more patients in our community.”
Since its inception in 2017, ECU Health’s VAD program has grown significantly. The program has successfully implanted 71 left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) and currently cares for 43 patients. Courtney Saunders, advanced heart failure cardiologist, expressed her gratitude for the exceptional individuals within the VAD team who play a crucial role in the program’s success.
“It has evolved into the program it is through the individuals recognized by the surveyor developing a gold standard of LVAD care,” Saunders said. The surveyors specifically highlighted Dr. Tae Joon Lee, Dr. Kari Kirian and Terrani Moore.
Jay Briley, ECU Health Medical Center president, joined the surveyors in commending the team for their hard work in this achievement.
“The Joint Commission survey results demonstrate the program’s dedication to excellence, teamwork and patient-centered care,” Briley said. “Congratulations to all the teams involved in the successful survey.”
ECU Health’s Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP), through funding by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), hosted a youth mental health conference for professionals across the state. The event, “Light the Flame: Igniting Hope for North Carolina’s Youth” drew over 250 attendees from a variety of professions including teachers, coaches, school counselors and mental health professionals.
Some of the topics covered included supporting the mental health and well-being of yourself and others, clinical assessment and intervention, safe firearm storage to prevent suicide by firearms, substance use, social media in connection to youth mental health.
“In our youth, suicide stands as the second leading cause of death, with a staggering 31% increase in suicide attempts in 2021,” said Dr. Shannon Longshore, medical director, ECIPP, pediatric trauma surgeon, ECU Health. “There’s an urgency in all of us who work with kids to find solutions and take care of them. We have to focus on prevention rather than recovery and treatment, and conferences like these can help us begin to move the needle.”
While the event drew attendees from across the state, most came from right here in eastern North Carolina.
“This is a great opportunity to provide further education and a chance for professionals from across the state to network and share experiences,” said Breanna Culler prevention coordinator, ECIPP. “Having this event in Greenville allows us the opportunity to bring resources home.”
Multiple vendors attended the event to connect attendees with resources, including Youth Mental Health First Aid, Rural Opportunities Institute, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, NC School Health Training Center, Resources for Resilience and more.