Dr. John Catanzaro, professor and chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and director of the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU Health Medical Center, was recently honored with the prestigious Dr. John “Jack” Rose Distinguished Professorship, recognizing his significant contributions to improving health care delivery, excellence in clinical medicine, administration and academic advancement, including formation of the first Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship at ECU Health.
The Rose Professorship, established by ECU Health and East Carolina University through the ECU Health Foundation and state funds, honors Dr. Rose, a renowned cardiologist and professor. This endowed title supports the director of the East Carolina Heart Institute recognizes Dr. Rose’s exceptional contributions to cardiology and medical humanitarian work. Dr. Rose, who joined ECU Health in 1982 and the Brody School of Medicine in 1990, is celebrated for his dedication to patient care, teaching, and community service. Recipients of this professorship are expected to embody his ideals and passion for teaching, inspiring future generations of medical professionals.
“It’s an honor to be named to the Rose Professorship,” said Dr. Catanzaro. “This title not only recognizes Dr. Jack Rose’s work and legacy, which is focused on humanitarianism and the humanistic qualities of medicine, but it also allows me to highlight and continue his remarkable contributions. As program director, I perform hands-on teaching with trainees during cardiac procedures as well as teach didactic sessions. My primary role is to train the next generation of electrophysiologists to increase access to the patients of eastern North Carolina while maintaining a high standard of excellence in administration and leadership. This professorship is an opportunity to advance Dr. Rose’s legacy of teaching, administration and leadership, ensuring that his impact endures in these areas.”
Dr. Catanzaro completed his Doctor of Medicine with distinction in research at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, followed by an internal medicine residency and cardiovascular disease fellowship at North Shore University Hospital and a clinical cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He also holds an MBA from the University of Florida. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society European Heart Rhythm Society and European Society of Cardiology. Dr. Catanzaro is actively involved with the Heart Rhythm Society’s Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Prevention Task Force and serves as vice chair of their Quality Improvement Committee. Nationally recognized for his work, Dr. Catanzaro has delivered invited presentations and chaired panels in the U.S., France, Italy, Germany, England, Romania and more. He also performed recorded procedures for the Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Sessions.
Dr. Catanzaro wanted to transition to an administrative role to broaden his impact beyond individual patients to the entire region and the cardiology division.
“We thought he was the best person for the future of cardiology,” said Dr. Mark Iannettoni, W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr, MD, Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Sciences, Brody School of Medicine at ECU and chief, Cardiovascular Service Line at the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU Health Medical Center. “Dr. Catanzaro possesses a highly entrepreneurial spirit, bringing significant innovation to ECU Health. He has developed new techniques and devices in electrophysiology, advancing our capabilities in device management and patient care.”
The Rose Professorship comes with an endowment, managed by the university, to support ongoing and future initiatives in medical education and innovation. The endowment provides approximately $64,000 annually to advance the cardiology division’s educational and innovative efforts, supporting activities such as purchasing educational equipment, facilitating attendance at conferences, and other educational pursuits.
“The professorship facilitates innovation within the field by providing the necessary funding for new initiatives, such as introducing new devices,” said Dr. Catanzaro. “The goal is to use a certain amount of the endowment each year to support these innovations and to produce more trained physicians for the region. This helps establish our institution as a center of excellence and makes our advancements known.”
Dr. Catanzaro utilized part of the endowment to establish a two-year Electrophysiology Fellowship, admitting one fellow per year, starting this year. Electrophysiologists treat heart rhythm disorders and heart failure with electric devices inserted into the heart. As part of the fellowship, doctors will learn about pacemakers, defibrillators, implantation, ablations, leadless pacemakers, and left atrial appendage closure devices.
“This was one of the fastest fellowships from concept to establishment that we’ve ever done, which just goes to show you how much drive Dr. Catanzaro has,” said Dr. Herb Garrison, former associate dean for ECU’s Brody School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education. “It typically takes two to three years to establish a new residency or fellowship, and we did this in less than a year. That was a record time. And part of that had to do with Dr. Catanzaro and Alyson Riddick, who did an excellent job putting the application together.”
Dr. Jan Lopes is the first fellow in the Electrophysiology Fellowship at ECU Health. He learned about the new program through his cardiology fellowship leader in El Paso, Texas, and decided to join the fellowship because of Dr. Catanzaro’s strong vision for the program.
“Dr. Catanzaro’s enthusiasm for the program and education, along with the opportunity to shape the program for future fellows, attracted me to the fellowship,” said Dr. Lopes. “Despite being a new program, it feels well-established and highly developed. I feel incredibly supported in my role and am receiving top-tier training that rivals what is offered at major medical centers nationwide. We are utilizing cutting-edge technology and performing the latest procedures here at the medical center.”
Training doctors like Dr. Lopes with the latest technology and procedures is important for the future of health care. The need for well-trained electrophysiologists is increasing across the nation and here in eastern North Carolina, according to Dr. Garrison.
“The incidence of arrhythmias, along with the need for pacemakers and defibrillators, is rising as the population ages, making it a critical area of focus,” said Dr. Garrison. “Establishing residencies and fellowships serves two main purposes: recruiting top-tier faculty and creating a pipeline of skilled electrophysiologists. Faculty are attracted to institutions with trainees, and enhancing our program with excellent faculty was a strategic move by Dr. Catanzaro. This initiative ensures we have the necessary capability and qualified physicians to meet the growing demand for electrophysiology services.”
With the increasing demand for physicians and electrophysiologists trained to treat rural patients, Dr. Catanzaro’s efforts at ECU Health is paying off in the form of improved recruitment efforts.
“Dr. Catanzaro has successfully attracted numerous cardiologists,” said Dr. Iannettoni. “He has excelled at developing divisions within the cardiology department and navigating the integration of academia and medicine. His efforts have resulted in many of our graduates choosing to stay with us, which is a significant benefit of our program. We’re proud to retain our own trainees, ensuring continuity and excellence in our team.”
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.
A Rock Steady Boxing Program participant works with an ECU Health team member during a training session.
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.”
Just being a kid – that’s the goal Camp Hope and Camp Rainbow staff hope to accomplish every summer. Each year ECU Health and the Department of Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology at the Brody School of Medicine make it possible for children with cancer, hemophilia and sickle cell disease to take part in summer camp.
Camp Rainbow is for children with cancer, hemophilia and children who have lost a sibling to one of these diseases, and Camp Hope is for children with sickle cell disease.
“Once the kids get to camp, start participating activities and get to know each other, they leave everything behind and just get to be kids,” said Jacque Sauls, child life specialist at the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic at ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and director of Camp Hope and Camp Rainbow. “That is a blissful moment for all of the health care staff to be able to watch a child we see in the hospital all the time being a kid and having a great time.”
ECU Health and Brody team members develop camping programs to provide pediatric patients an opportunity to learn more about themselves and their illness, participate in fun activities like swimming, canoeing, archery, crafts, music and drama, all while making life-long friendships with other children with similar conditions and experiences. Over 60 campers from 25 counties in eastern North Carolina came this year.
“These kids are often protected and sheltered a little bit because they can’t do all the things other kids can do because of their illnesses, or they’re afraid of infections or normal camps don’t have the health care they need,” said Sauls. “Here, they can do every camp activity. There are no limits.”
While at camp, children receive 24-hour medical care and close medical monitoring by their ECU Health care teams including physicians, nurses, child life and social workers.
“All of the children take medicine because of their conditions, so when they take it together, they realize, ‘You have to do this just like I do,’ and know they’re not alone,” said Sauls.
The vast majority of camp volunteers and counselors are former campers themselves, having experienced sickle cell, bleeding disorders or cancer. This shared background allows them to form a special connection with the campers, having faced similar challenges, treatments and experiences. These volunteers return to camp to ensure that today’s kids receive the same transformative experience they once did.
“It’s one of the most important things we do at camp because they get to meet children going through the same thing they’re going through or have gone through,” said Sauls. “The kids get to have mentors that have gone what they’ve gone through and are now in college. They get to see that just because you have a chronic illness or have had cancer you can’t do all the things you want to accomplish in life.”
This is true for camp volunteer Daniel Everett, who attended Camp Hope starting in 2017. When he graduated high school in 2021, he decided to volunteer at the camp.
“I have sickle cell myself, and for me as a kid to come to camp was a dream,” Everett said. “It was magical. It was a place I could go that I knew I was going to have fun, and it was a place I felt right at home.”
Now as a counselor, Everett makes the same impact on the new campers.
“It’s really awesome seeing the kids enjoy themselves, especially when they come from a background of pain, they may be going through treatment,” Everett said. “It’s just nice to see them come here to take a breather like, ‘I can be myself,’ because they’re accepted here.”
Everett is beginning college in the fall, and Sauls noted how important it is for the campers to see someone with the same disease as them accomplishing their goals.
One volunteer, however, is not a former patient. Dr. Ashish Khanchandani recently graduated from the Brody School of Medicine at ECU and is beginning his residency in Pediatrics at ECU Health Medical Center. Dr. Khanchandani volunteered during his gap between medical school graduation and residency to make sure the campers have fun and to assist in any medical needs the campers may have.
“The goal of us as volunteers is to make sure the kids can go about their day without any major medical issues,” Dr. Khanchandani said. “It has been fun being like a camp counselor. I’ve done all the activities with my kids like paddle boarding, all while making sure they’re doing it safely.”
Sauls said she was especially grateful for Dr. Khanchandani’s expertise when it comes to his group of campers. His group has Daniel Perez, a camper who survived brain cancer at two years old, losing his vision. Perez was diagnosed with bone cancer in his leg at age nine and underwent chemotherapy. Thanks to the help from Dr. Khanchandani and another camper named Esra Lupton, Perez has been able to participate in every single activity.
“Daniel and Esra met at this camp for the first time, and they go everywhere together,” said Sauls. “Esra takes him from place to place. It’s a friendship you would never be able to make somewhere else.”
Perez, like the other campers, has loved his time at Camp Rainbow. He said coming to camp helps him de-stress and forget about the medical stress going on his day-to-day life.
Camp Rainbow and Camp Hope are offered free of charge to children with chronic illnesses and were made possible this year by generous support and donations from the ECU Health Medical & Health Sciences Foundation, Inc., Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals/ECU Health Foundation, the Pamlico Neuse Women’s Coalition, the James and Mamie Richardson Perkins Trust, the Mildred Sheffield Wells Charitable Trust, Riley’s Army, Jaylen’s Nation, Ms. Tammy Thompson, Beau’s Buddies, China Kitchen of Robersonville and other individuals and civic organizations. To learn more, please visit: https://pediatrics.ecu.edu/camp-rainbow/
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health is partnering with Food Lion Feeds, Sodexo and the ECU Health Foundation to provide free meals for kids, teens and people with disabilities as part of the Summer Meal Program. Meals will be available in Greenville, Bethel and Ahoskie. The selected sites this year were chosen based on the need in each county, existing partnerships and the social vulnerability index at each location.
During the school year, many kids and teens receive free or reduced-price meals. When schools close for the summer, those meals disappear, leaving families to choose between putting the next meal on the table or paying for other necessities like utilities or medical care. While over 57% of students in North Carolina receive free or reduced lunch, 66% of Pitt County students and over 90% of Hertford County students receive free or reduced lunch.
Meals will be available until food runs out each day at the following locations:
Greenville: English Chapel Free Will Baptist Church – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday-Friday from June 10 to Aug. 23. The location will be closed July 22-26.
Ahoskie: Calvary Missionary Baptist Church – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday-Friday from June 10 to Aug. 23. The location will be closed June 19 and July 4-5.
Bethel: Bethel Youth Activity Center – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday-Thursday from June 17-July 17. The location will be closed July 3-7.
ECU Health has offered the Summer Meal Program since 2021, providing nearly 12,000 free meals to kids and teens during the summer months. In 2023, 51 ECU Health team members served more than 2,800 meals to kids in need.
No registration is required. For more information about the ECU Health Summer Meal Program, please email [email protected].
Health care providers of East Carolina University’s Healthier Lives initiative in the Brody School of Medicine continue to use the program to address health care needs for children in rural eastern North Carolina counties and are finding pathways to expand access to care at schools in Duplin County and beyond.
The Healthier Lives at School & Beyond Telemedicine Program originally launched in 2018 to deliver interdisciplinary services virtually to rural school children, staff and faculty during the school day. In response to COVID-19, the program continued to address health care needs for children and expanded access while students were learning remotely.
Since the fall of 2020, the program has used an ECU Transit bus to visit schools in Duplin, Jones and Sampson (Clinton City Schools) counties to provide high-quality health appointments. The retrofitted motorcoach has been used to provide screenings for 303 students, with additional visits planned for existing program partnerships and newly established ones.
The initiative was recognized recently by the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center with the Breaking Barriers Through Telehealth Award in the category for small, rural and safety net organizations. During the 2024 Rural Health Symposium, a presentation on Healthier Lives – On the Road Again: Rolling to Reduce School Suspension – was awarded first place in innovations panel.
Experiential learning
Delivering care in the community is also delivering learning opportunities for ECU students. Third- and fourth-year medical students and medical residents participate in clinic days, gaining hands-on experience providing health care to rural populations.
Recent Brody graduate Dr. Melenis Lopez said the Healthier Lives clinics demonstrate that service is truly ECU’s mission. During a school clinic in the fall, Lopez applied pediatric learning experience as a care provider. She collected patient history and assisted in making plans for children that could be passed on to the school.
“Providing care in a place that is convenient to the community can be lifesaving,” Lopez said. “Offering physicals can uncover developmental delays and health problems. Children can’t stay in school without these physicals and proof of vaccinations, so I’m happy we were able to be there for the kids.”
Lopez and her ECU cohort guided elementary students and their families through clinic stations to take vitals, check vision and hearing, and perform physical exams. Students could meet with mental health and nutritional professionals for additional screening when needed.
Lopez used her ability to speak Spanish to help the children feel comfortable and ease the burden on families who may not understand the forms or instructions from the care provider.
Rural health care
Dr. Krissy Simeonsson, associate professor for pediatrics and public health and the medical director for the program, is proud that Healthier Lives is giving ECU students the opportunity to experience health care in a rural setting.
“Students can see that they can help,” Simeonsson said. “Most students and residents we’ve had have that ‘aha’ moment and can see themselves in primary care. They realize they can succeed out here.”
Jill Jennings, ECU’s Healthier Lives program manager, said the hybrid approach of on-site clinics and telehealth makes it easier for the medical providers to communicate with parents in person and more readily make referrals for any nutrition or behavioral health follow-up virtual care.
A $1.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration funded the first four years of the program. Funding now comes primarily from Anonymous Trust, a private North Carolina foundation, and has been provided by the Harold H. Bate Foundation, the ECU Health Foundation, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Office of Rural Health.
“There are many opportunities for institutions such as ECU to leverage their resources to address community needs,” said Debbie Aiken, executive director of Anonymous Trust. “This initiative is a wonderful example of ECU recognizing health care disparities, and in partnership with a local school district, serving children who might otherwise not receive the care that they deserve.”
Aiken witnessed a program clinic in action at Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School in Duplin County. ECU medical students and residents, health sciences undergraduate and graduate students, Healthier Lives team members and partners from the school system and Duplin Health Department screened 47 students who otherwise would have been suspended for not having a health assessment completed by a medical provider.
“These partnerships should be happening across the state,” Aiken said. “Seeing it helps you truly understand the disparities in our rural communities. If more school systems understood that this is available, they would want to participate.”
Community engagement
Dr. Jenelle Brison ’24 said Healthier Lives provided an opportunity for community engagement for medical students. Brison encouraged fellow Brody students to participate.
“It’s so nice to interact with the little kids,” Brison said. “Events like this help break down barriers and offer unique training for students.”
While Brison ultimately hopes to focus on obstetrics and women’s health, she was at ease helping children with vision screenings and demonstrating a blood pressure cuff before taking vitals.
Dr. Bolu Aluko ’24, a Tiana Nicole Williams Scholar at Brody, was drawn to the opportunity for community engagement provided by Healthier Lives.
“Coming into the community is incredibly enriching,” Bolu said. “Every med student should do this. It’s a fantastic way to serve and practice our clinical training.”
Through an interpreter, the family of one student said they had received a call from the school that their son would not be able to return to class because he had not had a physical or proof of vaccinations. They had just moved from Mexico to Warsaw, North Carolina. Without the availability of a Healthier Lives clinic at the school, they would not have had access to a health screening for their son in time to meet the state-mandated deadline.
The family sat with an interpreter and was provided a nutritional referral and a connection to a primary care clinic in Warsaw to establish a medical home. “We’re grateful to know he’s healthy,” his mother said through the interpreter.
“You have to meet people where they are,” Simeonsson said. “A lot of families trust the school. When you see the families getting help for their children, you know the program is living up to expectations.”
The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Celebration Broadcast honors past telethon traditions by celebrating selected miracle stories of children who represent the thousands of children in eastern North Carolina who have received treatment at James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center this past year. This year, the CMN Celebration Broadcast will be held on Saturday, June 1, from 7-8 p.m. and Sunday, June 2, from 6-9 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. airing on longtime partner, WITN. Examples of how CMN donations are used will be featured throughout the event as well to show the impact philanthropic gifts truly make.
“We are so grateful to all those who support our Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals program all throughout the year,” said Elise Ironmonger, director of programs, ECU Health Foundation. “The generosity of our donors enables Maynard Children’s Hospital, located in Greenville and serving 29 counties, to provide life-saving care to the thousands of children who are treated each year. We look forward to being able to showcase the amazing care provided every day at Maynard Children’s Hospital during this weekend’s telethon and to have an opportunity to thank our amazing donors.”
This year’s Miracle Children and Teen include:
- Jadon Green, 1 year old, Greene County
- Leonardo Velasquez-Bartolon, 2 years old, Wayne County
- Layah Collins, 6 years old, Jones County
- Wiley Sloan, 14 years old, Wake County
The 2024 broadcast will highlight examples of the amazing care offered every day at Maynard Children’s Hospital while celebrating the miracles made possible by the life-saving care generous donations help provide. Thanks to the generosity of eastern North Carolina, thousands of children receive the specialized medical care they need, bringing them and their families the gift of hope and healing. Because of this support, the team at Maynard Children’s Hospital can ensure patients receive the best care possible.
The local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising program is staffed and supported by the ECU Health Foundation, the non-profit charitable corporation that serves as the custodian for all financial gifts and bequests to ECU Health. The ECU Health Foundation oversees allocation of all donated funds. To donate, please call 1-800-673-5437 or visit givetocmn.com.
While the East Carolina University (ECU) baseball team is rounding into form as postseason play nears, they’re also taking time out to make a special difference in their community.
After a visit to ECU Health Medical Center last November, as part of a career shadowing opportunity, senior first baseman Carter Cunningham felt compelled to do something to help patients and families.
“I’d been praying for ways to give back to the community,” Cunningham said. “As we’re doing a tour of the entire campus, we walked into the [Maynard] Children’s Hospital and it was like God had smacked me in the face. It was like, this is what I have to do. I didn’t know what it would look like yet, though.”
He said that week, he went back to the team and asked for a small donation from everyone to spread some holiday cheer to patients and families at the children’s hospital. The response was more than he expected.
“We got about $500 and we were able to drop off some presents to the children’s hospital right before break,” he said. “It was awesome. We had about 20 players come in and we hung out in the playroom and had a great time.”
Tara Tadlock, a child life specialist at Maynard Children’s Hospital, said patients and families would subsequently talk about the visit for the next month. The same held true for Cunningham and his teammates, who also went on talking about how special the visit felt.
He said over the Christmas break he took more time to think about what he could do to make an impact for patients and families like those he’d met a few weeks before. Then the idea to start a foundation, Homers That Help, came to him.
It started with a call for donations on social media, one sponsor for each of ECU’s 33 home baseball games in 2024. The sponsor makes an up-front donation to the fund and an additional donation for each home run hit during the game. While he expected to need some time and make some calls to fill every game, the fund was complete after about 15 hours.
“The community here, I can’t describe it,” Cunningham said. “I get goosebumps talking about it because they’re so generous and so supportive, not only of ECU athletics, but the whole community. It was a testament to all the people that are here and I’m thankful and blessed to have an opportunity to be here.”
Because of the outpouring of support, Cunningham opened a “Fund B” for those who were not able to directly sponsor a game but still wanted make a donation. Cunningham is making donations himself as well, contributing $25 to the fund for each of his own home runs. With nine home runs, Cunningham is tied for the team lead and backing up his own efforts.
Along with the funds, which Cunningham and Tadlock recently started to distribute to patients and families, Cunningham and his teammates are continuing to make bi-weekly visits to the Maynard Children’s Hospital. He said taking a step back to give time to others is important to him.
“As a Division I athlete, you get so caught up in the games and practices, the wins, the losses, but every other Monday it’s just eye-opening,” he said. “I’ll never forget one patient, the day before we went to play Campbell, he said, ‘Have fun at your game tomorrow.’ It was so refreshing and offered great perspective. It’s way bigger than baseball. These visits are the best part of my week every time I visit.”
Tadlock said the program has been a great benefit for everyone involved and she’s looking forward to its continued success.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time with scheduling our visitors and working in Child Life and these visits are a bright spot of our month, too. It’s great to see the patients and families so excited, seeing the guys so excited and knowing that they’re making a difference for our patients is huge,” Tadlock said. “Some of the kids that are here are going through really hard stuff and finding out hard news. If they’re able to leave that behind for a few minutes and hang out with the ECU baseball team, it’s really important to try to create those special moments. All we want to do in Child Life is provide some normal experiences for the children. Working with this team has been amazing.”
Though this is Cunningham’s last year at ECU, he said the plan is for Homers That Help to carry on. He’s looking to younger members of the team to pick up the torch and build upon the positive momentum the foundation has today.
Resources
Miracle Children and their stories of remarkable courage during life-threatening illnesses and injuries helped make the 38th annual Celebration Broadcast a tremendous success.
Thanks to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ longtime television partner, WITN, which produces the fundraiser, this year’s Miracle Children were able to share their heartwarming stories of complex illnesses and traumatic injuries and the quality medical care they received from Maynard Children’s Hospital.
The theme of this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign has been “Change Kids’ Health, Change the Future” which shows how important donations are in helping shape a healthier tomorrow for patients served at Maynard Children’s Hospital.
Major contributors to the yearly event, held June 3-4 to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, featured contributions from long-time supporters from across eastern North Carolina including Speedway, part of 7-Eleven, Inc., Jersey Mike’s Subs, Log a Load for Kids, and Walmart/Sam’s Clubs.
“Caring individuals, community groups, businesses and others show how much they care about children by providing generous contributions to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In eastern North Carolina, this generosity enables the Maynard Children’s Hospital, located in Greenville and serving 29 counties, to see beyond obvious treatment and save more lives,” said Spence Cosby, co-chair, ECU Health Foundation. “The care and high-quality treatment received here will continue into the future through this year’s amazing donors.”
The Celebration Broadcast featured guests and sponsors who have contributed during the past year, as well as callers who pledged their support.
Earlier this year, the Music for Miracles Radiothon on Inner Banks Media Stations raised $108,443 during the 26th year of their special event, bringing their total raised to more than $3.8 million. The Inner Banks Media radio stations include: 107.9 WNCT; Talk 96.3 and 103.7; Oldies 94.1 and 102.7; and 94.3 The Game.
The largest donor to this year’s campaign came from a long-time corporate partner of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Speedway, part of 7-Eleven, Inc., which raised $316,117 in their eighth year of partnership with Maynard Children’s Hospital.
The largest fundraising event for our local Children’s Miracle Network program was held by Jersey Mike’s Subs during their annual Month and Day of Giving. Collectively, the 17 participating stores in eastern North Carolina raised $141,499.
Long time CMN supporter, Log a Load for Kids held their 26th annual sporting clays shoot on May 5-6 and raised $120,000. These funds came from sponsorships, including title sponsors, Colony Tire and Pinnacle Trailer Sales, and had over 600 participants.
Other major donors and their gifts included Walmart/Sam’s Clubs with $117,852; Panda Express with $47,185; Dance Arts Theater with $43,586; Ace Hardware with $35,153; Extra Life with $21,306; and Publix with $20,295.
Other campaign contributors were Dairy Queen with $11,577; Barbour Hendrick Honda Greenville and The Electric Cooperatives of Eastern NC both with $10,000; REMAX with $9,195; Ollie’s with $7,503; Pepsi/Minges Bottling Group; Eastern Radiologists, Inc.; and Harris, Creech, Ward and Blackerby, P.A. each contributed $5,000.
Additional gifts were from: American Builders with $4,000; Miller and Friends Lemonade Stand with $3,649; Phi Mu Chapter of ECU with $3,435; Care-O-World Enrichment Learning Center with $2,712; and Grady White Boats with $2,500; Equipment Plus and Central Heating and Air Conditioning with $2,000; IHOP with $1,583; brothers, Arun and Ajay Ajmera each with $1,500; Aldridge and Southerland; Team Lighting; Ricci Law Firm; Stallings Plumbing, Heating and AC and Coldwell Banker’s Sea Coast each gave $1,000.
The local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising program is staffed and supported by the ECU Health Foundation, the non-profit charitable corporation that serves as the custodian for all financial gifts and bequests to ECU Health. The ECU Health Foundation oversees allocation of all donated funds.
Media contact: Beth Anne Atkins, director, communications and donor relations, ECU Health Foundation, 252-847-7695 or [email protected].
An agreement between the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and Vidant Health Foundation has been signed and executed, creating the ECU Health Foundation. The two entities will align to operate as one philanthropic arm supporting ECU Health and ECU’s health sciences. The alignment follows the joint operating agreement between East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and then-Vidant Health that has been in place for more than a year, enabling the organizations to create ECU Health and work together to improve health care delivery to the 1.4 million residents of eastern North Carolina.
Under the agreement, the two foundations will remain separate legal entities, but will integrate under a new, shared brand known as ECU Health Foundation. Rebranding is expected to take several months to complete. The Foundation is committed to a seamless transition for donors, and they can expect to receive communications in the coming weeks.
As part of the agreement, Scott Senatore will become Chief Philanthropy Officer for the ECU Health Foundation, overseeing the work of both entities. He will also serve as president of the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and continue in his role as president of the Vidant Health Foundation where he has served since 2018. Prior to his work with the foundation, Senatore was the president of the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce.
“This agreement marks an important and exciting chapter for health care and health sciences philanthropy in eastern North Carolina,” said Senatore. “I’m grateful for our board chairs, Spence Cosby and Jordy Whichard, and our respective boards for their leadership throughout this process. This partnership will help increase fundraising for both clinical and academic needs on our campuses.”
“During the last year, we have seen great efforts to partner and collaborate between our two organizations,” said ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers. “When this happens, the people of eastern North Carolina benefit tremendously. Just as with our clinical integration, our philanthropic alignment is another important step toward advancing our shared mission and driving value for this vital partnership.”
The ECU Health Foundation was created to align the fundraising and stewardship operations of the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and the Vidant Health Foundation in order to boost philanthropic support for ECU Health, the ECU Schools and Colleges of the health sciences, and Laupus Library.
“Coordinating our philanthropic initiatives, as outlined in the original joint operating agreement, continues to build upon the rich history of the two organizations, preserving the legacy and vision we have shared for nearly 50 years, and advancing the tremendous progress made with the creation of ECU Health,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean, Brody School of Medicine.
About the ECU Health Foundation
The ECU Health Foundation aligns fundraising and stewardship operations of the Vidant Health Foundation and the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation to boost philanthropic support for ECU Health, the ECU Schools and Colleges of the health sciences, and Laupus Library. The ECU Health Foundation is committed to effectively and efficiently supporting clinical and academic needs for the health system and health sciences.
About ECU Health
ECU Health is a mission-driven, 1,708-bed academic health care system serving more than 1.4 million people in 29 eastern North Carolina counties. The not-for-profit system is comprised of more than 14,000 team members, nine hospitals and a physician group that encompasses over 1,100 academic and community providers practicing in over 180 primary and specialty clinics located in more than 110 locations. The flagship ECU Health Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, and ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital serve as the primary teaching hospitals for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine share a combined academic mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina through patient care, education and research. For more information, visit ECUHealth.org.
About East Carolina University
East Carolina University offers more than 87 bachelor’s, 68 master’s and 18 doctoral degrees to 28,000 students on its Greenville, North Carolina, campus and through an acclaimed online learning program. The university’s school of medicine consistently ranks No. 1 in North Carolina – and in the top 10% nationally – for graduating physicians who practice in-state, practice primary care and practice in rural and underserved areas. ECU boasts the largest business school enrollment and largest number of new nurses and education professionals produced by a four-year North Carolina university, in addition to the largest studio art program in the state. The university has a globally recognized academic underwater archaeology program and has a supportive relationship with the U.S. military services. Located near Atlantic coast harbors where pirates once roamed, ECU adopted the “Pirates” mascot in 1934 for its athletics program and competes in NCAA Division 1.
The Message From The Dean
Fellow Pirates,
A new season is upon us. Pollen is coloring our cars, birds are franticly preparing for their next migration and the chill in the air is lifting with the hope of summer days ahead.
Here at the College of Nursing (CON), we also have our eyes on the changing seasons of our students’ lives. In the past two weeks, acceptance letters were sent to a cohort of prospective Pirate Nurses who will begin their journey with us in the fall. Soon, our grads-to-be will take photographs on the main campus mall and here in front of our building in caps and gowns that are being fitted in-between clinical rotations and exams in preparation for commencement.
These new seasons in the life of the College are all very, very welcome!
This does not mean we are done with the semester. Classes continue, as does research: on March 16, a number of faculty and students from the College participated in Collaborative Nurse Research Day at the East Carolina Heart Institute. Scholarly work from faculty and students of the CON, particularly from our undergraduates, is truly inspiring, and aligns with the rigor that is expected of one of the most highly regarded nursing schools in the nation. I am very proud of our Pirate Nurse students.
I am also excited to announce that we have formalized a leadership structure for the CONs Hall of Fame (HoF). The newly inaugurated HoF Board members, comprised of distinguished Pirate Nurses, will systematize the nomination and election of future HoF inductees. By creating a Board, we have transformed the CON HoF into an organization that leans on the institutional knowledge and professional consideration of seasoned alumni. This is an important step forward in recognizing those who laid the foundations of the College.
I join you in acknowledging and celebrating Women’s History Month. As our profession has been anchored by women for so many generations, it would be nearly impossible to single out examples of excellence from our history, I do want to take the opportunity to spotlight a woman from the College who is making history as we speak. Dr. Kim Larson, a pillar of research, student engagement, and scholarship was selected as the first Fulbright Scholar Award recipient in the College’s six-decade history. She will spend the fall in Poland working with Polish nursing colleagues to identify ways to educate nursing professionals in Europe, and across the world, about ways to support the health care needs of refugees from the war in Ukraine. Dr. Larson – you are doing important work here at home and across the globe, and I am proud to call you a colleague and friend.
If it isn’t already obvious, I am awed and inspired every day I walk into the build here on the Health Sciences Campus. Be proud of being a member of Pirate Nurse Nation.
Here’s to the promise of Spring.
Dean Bim
Faculty Spotlight
Congratulations to Susan Lally, from the baccalaureate education department, who recently passed the Advanced Practice Holistic Nurse certification exam. To become certified, she had to complete continuing education in holistic nursing and integrate holistic principles into her practice as an advanced practice nurse.
Holistic Nursing is defined by the American Holistic Nurses’ Association as “all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal” (American Holistic Nurses’ Association, 1998). Holistic nurses focus on the healing process rather than curing disease. As a holistic nurse, Lally incorporates complimentary and integrative practices. Holistic nursing focuses on the interconnectedness of mind, body, spirit, relationships, the environment, culture, and energy.
“As a holistic nurse, it is important to foster my own self-care and self-reflection and foster a healing presence,” Lally said.
Faculty
Dr. Mark Hand’s “Improving LGBTQ+ health equity via nursing education” was published in the January 2023 edition of the journal Teaching and Learning in Nursing. His leadership in making the delivery of health care more equitable – and ensuring our students are equally leaders in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – is a credit to Pirate Nursing.
Congratulations, Dr. Hand!
Congratulations to Dean Akintade for being part of a team of acute care nurse practitioners who published “Textbook for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Evidence-Based Standards of Practice.”
The writing team finished the writing a little over a year ago and it was published this month.
The Dean contributed to Chapter 10 (GI) and wrote the Surgical Abdomen/Acute Abdominal Pain, Appendicitis, Acute Cholecystitis, Cholangitis, Peritonitis, Intussusception, Bowel Infarction, Bowel Obstruction, Bowel Perforation, Diverticulitis, Anorectal Disorders, Rectal Abscess, and Anal Fissure sections. He also contributed to Chapter 15 (Musculoskeletal Disorders) and wrote the Rhabdomyolysis section
Dr. Madeline Fernandez secured the Spring 2023 Creative Cloud Stipend which provides a faculty member the opportunity to learn about Creative Cloud products and integrate the software into their course to promote digital literacy and Universal Design for Learning into the curriculum. The use of these tools can improve student engagement by giving students creative methods to share knowledge.
This project was made possible via an Adobe-funded grant. The support provides training in Adobe Spark and Rush and other Adobe tools. Grantees are expected to use an Adobe product to develop a new learning objective, or enrich an existing one, and then provide examples of how the technology benefitted students.
Also,
Dr. Madeline Fernandez and nursing clinical instructor Claudia Kitchin represented the College of Nursing at a recruitment event in Greene Central High School as part of Rich Klindworth’s dissertation focusing on recruiting Latino students by going to the school and giving admissions information in Spanish and English to parents and high school and middle school students and showing them that at ECU we care about Latino students and there are Latino faculty here to mentor them.
Eastern AHEC sponsored Collaborative Nurse Research Day at the East Carolina Heart Institute March 16 as nurses from East Carolina University and ECU Health shared their research on topics from LGBTQ+ patient care and facilitating care for HIV+ patients in the South to support for new grad nurse practitioners.
Dr. Cheryl Jones from UNC School of Nursing spoke about the challenges facing the nursing workforce in NC. CON professor Dr. Linda Bolin moderated a discussion with Dean Bim Akintade and ECU Health nurse executive Dr. Daphne Brewington which was followed by select researchers presenting poster presentations about current research.
Staff Spotlight
Julianne and Matthew Szymanski were surprised by a last-minute opportunity to adopt a child, just before the holiday season and as the fall 2022 semester was winding down. The labor and delivery nurse, and nurse-midwifery student, immediately said yes and began to put her life and home in order to welcome their new family member.
CON technology specialist John Smoot’s wife had stored a significant quantity of breast milk for their daughter who was unable to use it. John asked Dr. Becky Bagley if she knew where they could donate the frozen milk and as Szymanski’s instructor, knew that the breastmilk would go to good use if given to the Szymanskis. Read more to learn how the milk was delivered from Greenville to Raleigh in time for the baby’s arrival.
Staff
We are very excited to welcome Whitney Houston and Nancy Dunlap to the Advanced Nursing Practice and Education department. From Dr. Robin Corbett – “It is wonderful to have them join us. Please stop by or send her an email to welcome them to the CON Family.”
Student Spotlight
Teresa Hupp, a third-generation nurse, is set to graduate in May 2023 with a BS in Nursing, a Hispanic Studies minor and will be honored with the Robert H. Wright Alumni Leadership Award, which recognizes “excellence in academic achievement at ECU, service to the university and community, and strong leadership qualities.”
The Wake Forest native is very active in campus life, participating in Rotaract Club, Zeta Tau Alpha, Panhellenic Association (Current Executive Vice President), Phi Kappa Phi, ECU Honors College and EC Scholars. She participated in intramural sports leagues including extreme dodgeball, soccer and basketball and her EC Scholar basketball team won the 2022 coed intramural 5-on-5 championship.
During Hupp’s time at the College of Nursing, she assisted Dr. Kim Larson’s research into palliative care for Latinos with advanced forms of cancer. Using her Spanish skills, she surveyed more than 50 Latino adults about their beliefs regarding advance care planning and cancer symptom management. As a research team member she synthesized the literature; collected and analyzed data; and co-authored two publications. In addition to working with Latino patients in North Carolina, Teresa travelled to Guatemala in 2022 where Dr. Larson said Hupp was “a valuable resource to students with less clinical experience and knowledge of the culture.” In Guatemala she led training and education activities that improved water quality for local families and at a nutrition rehabilitation center she assisted with teaching child feeding practices, bathing and playful stimulation.
In the Wright award nomination, Dr. Larson said “in my 16 years as an ECU nursing faculty, I have never known a nursing student who has excelled equally in the academic, leadership, and community engagement spheres as Teresa has. She will be a highly competent nurse, with a nursing lens that sees beyond the walls of a hospital and considers societal impact on the health of marginalized people.”
The College of Nursing is proud to have Teresa as a representative of Pirate Nurse Nation.
Students
Carlee Silver is a Pirate through and through. She is a Pitt County native and will graduate as a Pirate Nurse at the end of the year. Her instructors are very proud of the student she is and the nurse that she will become. Here is Carlee in her own words:
“My latest update is that I am officially a third semester nursing student. That means I will graduate in December 2023, which is approaching so fast! I intended to graduate in May 2024 since I finished high school in 2020, but I am a semester ahead. The last three years have flown by and it is crazy to think I am almost done. This semester I am in a Medical-Surgical clinical at ECU Health in the Cardiac Intermediate Unit (CIU) and the psychiatric unit at CarolinaEast hospital in New Bern. On the first day of orientation in the CIU at ECU Health, I got to experience my first code blue & my teacher had to start CPR on a patient. That was a huge experience for me as a nursing student- seeing my first code blue and how it operates when there is a code. It was definitely scary, but super interesting and luckily, the patient survived. My second week of clinical, I got to do my first blood draw. I am excited to see how much I will grow in this semester & clinical experience, and I am looking forward to the semester ahead.”
The instructor Carlee mentions is Sara Bailey a Clinical Education Partner who works for ECU Health and takes two 3rd semester medical-surgery students in the fall and spring. Pirate Nurse Nation is proud and fortunate to have them.
Sara is not only an excellent clinical instructor for our undergraduate students, but also a Nursing Education student in our graduate program. Dr. Shannon Powell said of Sara – “she is one of our outstanding MSN nursing education students. I was so excited when I saw Dr. Kidd’s email recognizing her as the faculty person in the story with Carlee.”
Some things are just meant to be.
From Dr. Linda Bolin: It is with great pleasure that I announce Catherine Taylor has successfully defended her dissertation entitled, “Acute Care Nurses’ Knowledge on In-Hospital Strokes and Predictors of Knowledge.” Please join me in congratulating Dr. Catherine L. Taylor on this accomplishment. Her journey began as an Honors College Early Assurance student. From her BSN to her PhD, her dedication to research has led to this dissertation which will enhance recognition of strokes by all nurses in acute care settings.
Help us to congratulate Dr. Taylor on successfully defending her dissertation and thank her parents for sending along this classic photo.
Three of the rising stars from the College of Nursing were selected to represent the Beta Nu chapter at Sigma Theta Tau’s biennial convention in San Antonio in November. Sigma Theta Tau is the nursing profession’s international honors society.
Savannah Blalock is a senior in East Carolina University’s BSN program with intentions to continue her education in the BSN to PhD program with a concentration in health systems leaderships. During her undergraduate career, she has been an active community member on and off ECU’s campus, including representing the College of Nursing in the Student Government Association, leading families to view campus for the first time as a Pirate Navigator, developing her administrative skills as an Administrative Intern at Captive Aire Systems. As an undergraduate honors student she developed a study titled, “Palliative care providers and administrators’ perspectives on integrating social determinants of health to provide community-based palliative care.” She secured grant funding through East Carolina University’s Research and Creativity Award.
Karmen Harris is a graduate student in East Carolina University’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. She is a certified SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) & has served her community as a death investigator for several years. She is extremely passionate about victim advocacy and forensic nursing, focusing on the assessment and treatment of victims of trauma and abuse. Her recent national presentations include, “Reducing Violence of Native American Indigenous Women and Girls: Improving Health Outcomes through Nursing Science” and “Case Series: Murdered Native and Indigenous Elderly Women.”
Dr. Catherine Taylor recently defended her doctoral dissertation “Acute care nurses’ knowledge on in-hospital strokes and predictors of knowledge.” As a freshman, she was admitted into the Honors College in the Early Assurance program which granted her acceptance to both the Baccalaureate program as well as the PhD in Nursing program. Upon completing her BSN, she pursued a position at Wake Medical Center in the neurosurgical intensive care unit, while completing her graduate coursework. During her time as an ICU nurse, she identified a gap in knowledge amongst acute care nurses working outside of a stroke-specific unit, which led to her dissertation.
Alumni Spotlight
A significant figure in the history of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences education at East Carolina University retired last week from an exemplary run as a teacher, leader and representative of the values of Pirate Nurse nation.Vice Chancellor Dr. Phyllis Horns, originally from Wilson County, graduated as a Pirate Nurse in 1969. Her education path lead from Chapel Hill to Rochester, NY and through Birmingham until she returned to Greenville in 1988 to serve as a professor and chair of the Parent-Child Nursing Department.
Horns served as Dean of the School of Nursing from 1990-2006, Interim Dean of the Brody School of Medicine and Interim Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences Division from 2001-2002 and again in 2006 until her permanent appointment in 2009.
Horns served as Vice Chancellor of the Health Sciences Division at East Carolina University from 2009 – July 2018, and during her tenure was the only nurse in the nation to serve as Vice Chancellor of a Health Sciences Division. During her tenure as Vice Chancellor, she led the expansion of the Division of Health Sciences to include the School of Dental Medicine and its eight community service-learning centers across the state, the East Carolina Heart Institute, the Health Sciences Student Center, and the Family Medicine and Monk Geriatric Centers building.
Under Horn’s leadership, the nursing school became a college and launched the doctoral program in nursing, MSN options in Nurse Midwifery, Nurse Anesthesia, Nursing Education and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and doubled enrollment in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The CON piloted the first Blackboard course offered at East Carolina University and became a national leader in technology integration through simulation and on-line programming.Pirate Nurse Nation and the advances in medicine in eastern North Carolina owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dr. Horns.
Thank you, Dr. Horns.
In Memoriam – Dorothy Lee Daniels Williams
Alumni
Congratulations to Dr. Thompson Forbes on his appointment to the Pitt County Board of Health by the Pitt County Board of Commissioners. He will extend his nursing leadership and spirit of service from the East Carolina University Health Sciences Campus across Pitt County starting with his first Board meeting this evening.
Giving
Swank-Divine Trust
The ECU College of Nursing is one of several recipients of the Swank-Divine Trust set up by Mary Ruth Divine, who died March 5, 2021. The College will receive more than $100,000 in scholarship funding annually, set aside for Adult/Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialists graduate students and undergraduate nursing students.
Mary Ruth Devine graduated from St. Mary’s College in Raleigh, UNC Chapel Hill and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, achieving a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. She began her career working for the City of Rocky Mount; the Children’s Home Society, Caswell Center in Kinston, and the State of North Carolina’s Division of Mental Health, Development Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services.
Divine was neither an ECU alumna nor a prior donor, but her vision of improved nursing services for the elderly drove her philanthropy. Future ECU College of Nursing students will be positively impacted by her generosity and foresight.
Growing the Future of Clinical Nurse Specialists Scholarship
The second gift, the Growing the Future of Clinical Nurse Specialists Scholarship, was recently established by the state affiliate of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. The organization voted to start a scholarship for Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) students in North Carolina to support the nursing profession’s pipeline.
The generosity of private and organizational donors helps to make nursing education affordable for Pirate Nurses, which in turn helps to alleviate rural health care disparities. We value the trust that our donors have in the quality of the nursing education provided by East Carolina University.
Update
