Dr. Charles O’Hagan Laughinghouse attempts to establish a public local hospital in Pitt County.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Drs. Laughinghouse, Karl B. Pace, E.T. Dickerson and W.I. Wooten mortgage their own property and take out loans on their personal life insurance policies to raise $85,000, enough to open Pitt County Hospital, the first hospital in Pitt County. The 42-bed hospital is located on the corner of Johnston Street and Woodlawn Ave.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Pitt County Hospital trustees purchase the hospital from stakeholders.

The Jesse Rountree Moye family donates 17.5 acres along Greenville-Falkland Highway for the new Pitt County Memorial Hospital facility.

Construction begins on the new facility.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Pitt County Memorial Hospital opened with 120 beds.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Pitt County Memorial Hospital and East Carolina University begin an affiliation agreement for an undergraduate clinical teaching program.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

On Feb. 14, 1974, a groundbreaking was held for the hospital location. The new 350-bed hospital building and location were thanks to significant effort and community alignment toward the project.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

On June 12, 1975, Pitt County Memorial Hospital and the East Carolina University School sign the first affiliation agreement to use the hospital for teaching medical students.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

The new 350-bed Pitt County Memorial Hospital facility opened on the current hospital site.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

A groundbreaking is held for the west bed tower expansion after Pitt County Commissioners approved the proposal. The tower officially opens in 1981.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

The Pitt County Memorial Hospital Foundation is established to serve as custodian of financial gifts and bequests for the hospital.

EastCare is founded, starting as a single helicopter operation. The hospital is also designated as a Level 1 Trauma center.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Carolina opens and becomes a Children’s Miracle Network partner.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

The inaugural telethon in partnership with WITN-TV airs to raise funds for the new children’s hospital.

On Jan. 8, 1987, EastCare crew were transporting a 3-month-old baby by helicopter from the Naval Hospital on Camp Lejeune when the helicopter crashed, killing Pilot Perry L. Reynolds, Chief Flight Nurse Mike McGinnis, Flight Nurse Pam Demaree and the patient, Xenia Lewis.

The Pitt County Memorial Hospital Foundation embarks on The Pride and The Challenge capital campaign to endow a fund for purchasing medical equipment, with a goal of $1.75 million. More than $2.4 million in pledges and donations were made by the hospital and medical staffs, the foundation and hospital boards, the Greenville Service League and businesses, industries and private citizens in ENC.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Construction of a 194-bed critical care tower is completed, bringing Pitt Memorial to 725 beds.

Pitt County Memorial Hospital and ECU School of Medicine renew their affiliation agreement.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit opens in the children’s hospital, with funding provided in part by the annual CMN Celebration Broadcast telethon.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

The East Carolina Heart Institute at East Carolina University opened. 

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

A years-long effort successfully converts Pitt County Memorial Hospital to private, non-profit status, and University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, Inc. is formed. Pitt County Memorial Hospital Foundation, Inc. continued supporting the hospital through the purchase of equipment, hospital capital projects, programs and services and community-health related educational programs.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Beaufort Hospital, Bertie Hospital, Chowan Hospital, Duplin Hospital Edgecombe Hospital and Roanoke-Chowan Hospital join University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina between 1998 and 1999.

Following a devastating flood, the PCMH Foundation made a sizable contribution to the Governor’s Flood Relief Program and worked with the Governor’s Office and the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters to produce a telethon that raised over $2M for flood recovery.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

The Community Benefits and Health Initiatives Grants Program began awarding funds, including $22,000 to fund a mobile dental clinic for Pitt County Health Department.

PCMH breaks ground on a 40,000 square-foot 50-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the children’s hospital. The $9.7M project is funded in part by donations through Children’s Miracle Network.  

The health system celebrated 50th anniversary of Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

Pitt County Memorial Hospital Foundation raised $4.4 million of the $5.1 million needed to build the American Cancer Society McConnel Raab Hope Lodge.

The Outer Banks Hospital opened and joined the health system as a joint venture affiliation. 

University Health Systems, Inc. officially became Vidant. The Pitt County Memorial Hospital Foundation became the Vidant Health Foundation.

James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital opened at the Medical Center in Greenville. Thanks to donations through the Foundation, $24 million was raised through a capital campaign to support the new facility.

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

The health system broke ground on the Vidant Cancer Center and bed tower. 

Courtesy of ECU Laupus Library

The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower opened. Through a capital campaign, Vidant Health Foundation raised $50 million to support a network of cancer-care services across the region, including a chemotherapy and hematology suite in Ahoskie, a new cancer service in Kenansville, an expanded cancer center in Washington, an expanded oncology suite in Edenton and the cancer center project in Greenville. 

East Carolina University and Vidant Health align to create ECU Health. The integration between the two entities was the first step toward the joint goal of becoming a national academic model for providing rural healthcare and education. 

The ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and Vidant Health Foundation align to form the ECU Health Foundation. The two entities began operating as one philanthropic arm to support ECU Health and the colleges and schools of the health sciences at East Carolina University.

In November 2024, ECU held a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Center for Medical Education building at Brody School of Medicine. The new facility, funded by the N.C. General Assembly, marks a bold step forward for the Brody School of Medicine, ECU and ECU Health. The ECU Health Foundation began fundraising efforts to upfit the inside of the building, including cutting-edge labs, simulation spaces, research facilities and more. 

In April 2025, EastCare celebrated 40 years of lifesaving service to the communities of eastern North Carolina. The program has grown from a single helicopter operation to a comprehensive medical transport service. 

In February 2026, ECU Health, James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center and EastCare announced the arrival of North Carolina’s first medical transport helicopter dedicated solely to pediatric patients. Much of the equipment in the aircraft was funded by generous donors through the ECU Health Foundation.

In March 2026, ECU and the ECU Health Foundation announced a transformational $10 million gift from David and Laura Brody and Hyman and Stacy Brody. The university honored the Brody family and their steadfast ties to the institution and region with the naming of the new Brody Center for Medical Education, set to open in fall 2027. The gift from the Brody family strengthens the Brody Scholars Program and the Brody School of Medicine’s mission to train physicians to serve North Carolina, especially in rural and underserved communities.