ECU Health is proud to announce $2.6 million in grants awarded by The Duke Endowment for projects that will help advance the health system’s mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. The grants include: $600,000 to expand and integrate the Healthier Lives at School and Beyond program into ECU Health’s electronic health record and $1,295,065 to participate as a site for the Bridge to Health Initiative. An additional $710,000 was awarded to ECU Health’s Primary Care Learning Center.
“The Duke Endowment’s support allows ECU Health to launch and bolster existing programs that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of people across eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Scott Senatore, chief philanthropy officer, ECU Health Foundation. “These grants help us expand access to care, strengthen our clinical workforce and address long standing barriers that impact health outcomes in our region. We are honored by this investment and energized by the opportunity to build healthier communities together.”
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is the leading cause of maternal death and family dissolution in the U.S., with eastern North Carolina experiencing some of the most severe outcomes nationwide
Thanks to a $15,486 grant from the ECU Health Foundation, ECU College of Nursing faculty Courtney Caiola, PhD and Chandra Speight, PhD, in partnership with David Ryan, MD, founding clinician of ECU IMPACT, are leading a new initiative to improve outcomes in our region. They are working together, along with community partners, to improve regional screening and referral processes so at-risk groups can be connected to ECU IMPACT’s evidence based perinatal and addiction services.
This project reflects the shared mission of the College of Nursing and ECU Health, and is made possible by the generosity of ECU Health Foundation donors who are driving innovative solutions where they are needed most.


