April 2021
Welcome to “The Scope,” the newsletter of the ECU Division of Health Sciences.
Welcome to the April 2021 issue of The Scope, the newsletter of the ECU Division of Health Sciences.
From time to time, I’ll ask another leader, provider, educator or other notable member of the DHS community to share a message with you as we celebrate the month’s accomplishments and highlights. This month, we hear from Elizabeth Ketterman, director of Laupus Health Sciences Library.
Mark Stacy, MD
Dean, Brody School of Medicine
Vice Chancellor, Division of Health Sciences
Dear Colleagues,
As we near the end of another academic semester and celebrate the accomplishments of our upcoming graduates, we reflect on the truly upending year it has been. The impact of this pandemic on our students, our employees and our operations at ECU will never be forgotten. It has been and continues in many ways to be a challenge for all of us as we consider ways to move forward as our collective “new normals” start to come into focus.
Elizabeth Ketterman, Director of Laupus Library
At the Laupus Health Sciences Library, the new normal is going to reflect a lot of what the pandemic pivot taught us—most definitely that library services and resources continue to be essential whether delivered digitally or in-person.
We had a wealth of experience in delivering content online—the library’s collections shifted primarily to digital years ago. In retrospect, you could say we were preparing for a pandemic or some other disaster without even realizing it. Electronic journals, books and databases acquisitions are a regular and core aspect of our collection development practices, allowing patrons to access vital and critical health information from remote locations anywhere internet is available.
In eastern North Carolina, though, reliable high speed internet access isn’t a given. This is why in April of 2020, the library invested in a suite of hot spots that our students could borrow to make sure no matter where they might be, they could get online for a continuity of learning. The loan of those items has been so successful, we’ve added more and plan to keep hot spots as a regular part of our collection. Many thanks to the generosity of the Medical & Health Sciences Foundation for the initial funding of the hot spots.
In spite of the ability to thrive in a purely digital environment, Laupus was excited to open our doors last August. We adjusted our spaces to fit social distancing practices while retaining a sense of comfortability for our students. We continually monitor our foot traffic and have adjusted hours to meet their needs—in fact, the library recently expanded hours of operation so that students will be able to study until midnight most nights leading up to graduation.
Believe it or not, not everything Laupus is doing currently is pandemic related. A noteworthy development for our campus this year is the ECU Libraries’ work toward investing in open publishing initiatives. The concept of open, whereby scholarship and research are available digitally and freely, is gaining traction as a reaction to increasingly unsustainable costs for traditionally published literature. You can read more about the ECU Libraries’ support for open at the Sustainable Scholarship site here: https://sustainablescholarship.ecu.edu/our-values/.
This spring and summer will be a time of great preparation for our library. We are planning to welcome back a larger number of onsite learners to campus in the fall, preparing for the long-term standardization of teleworking for many of our employees and optimistically expecting a stabilization of our budget. How this will all look and feel come fall may still feel a bit vague in this lovely eastern North Carolina springtime, but what I do know for sure is that Laupus Library will continue to be the anchor of the Division of Health Sciences, serving our patrons with vital, evidence-based information at the point-of-need, when it’s wanted and wherever they may be.
We are grateful to all the Friends of Laupus Library who provide private philanthropic support for our mission.
Elizabeth Ketterman
Director, Laupus Health Sciences Library
Education
The division’s colleges and schools are focused on providing students meaningful, memorable and measurable experiences.
The Brody School of Medicine was recently recognized for programs ranked among the best in several areas—including a ranking for Brody as one of the nation’s most diverse by U.S. News & World Report.
Brody was also honored for its success in graduating physicians who practice primary care, practice in rural areas and practice in health profession shortage areas. Brody ranked the highest for medical schools in North Carolina in each of the these categories. Brody also ranked 28th nationally in primary care for best medical schools.
The Brody School of Medicine has been recognized as one of the best in the nation. (Photo by Rhett Butler)
“The Brody School of Medicine’s latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report reflect our values and dedication to our mission. Being honored in the areas of diversity, family medicine and primary care, as well as producing physicians who practice in rural areas and health professional shortage areas, speaks well and loudly to the commitment of our faculty and students to improving health care for rural North Carolina,” said Dr. Mark Stacy, dean of the Brody School of Medicine and vice chancellor for ECU’s Division of Health Sciences. “These rankings serve as guideposts as we assess our progress and continue to uphold the promises we made to the east and to the people of North Carolina.”
The College of Allied Health Sciences held its Virtual Scholarship Celebration on April 16 to honor scholarship recipients. The event included remarks by Dr. Robert Orlikoff, dean of the college, as well as words from a donor about supporting student endeavors through scholarships.
“Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than celebrating student success,” Orlikoff said during the celebration, extending congratulations to the students and offering gratitude to donors. “You play a key role in transforming aspiration into meaningful practice.”
The School of Dental Medicine honored its second-year students on April 16 during a virtual White Coat Ceremony, when the students receive their white coats and mark the beginning of the clinical care portion of their dental education.
“From this point on, you’re going to be held to a higher standard, to that of a doctor of dental medicine and a member of the dental profession,” Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the dental school, told the Class of 2023. “The white coat symbolizes the confidence we’ve placed in you and your abilities, and it symbolizes the most important relationship of your professional life—the relationship between a patient and a doctor.”
Patient Care
Vaccines continue to be administered on campus and through clinics, while educators and providers work to provide care on all fronts across the East and in the community.
They also are working together to anticipate the post-pandemic horizon and what it means for health care.
In the most recent issue of East magazine, Dr. Sy Saeed, professor and chair of Brody’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, along with Brody colleague Emily Esterwood, recently published “Past Epidemics, Natural Disasters, COVID19, and Mental Health: Learning from History as we Deal with the Present and Prepare for the Future” in Psychiatric Quarterly.
ECU School of Dental Medicine students (now alumni) Caitlin Ferguson and Trevor Staton teamed up to provide dental care to a veteran during the School of Dental Medicine’s third ECU Smiles for Veterans event Nov. 16, 2019, at the school’s community service learning center in Sylva. (Photo by Spaine Stephens)
Telepsychiatry has become vital as the pandemic has led to an increase in the need for psychiatric services during a national workforce shortage of psychiatrists, primary care physicians and mental health care providers. Online modules such as cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation could be beneficial for those unable to schedule a face-to-face or virtual meeting with a mental health provider.
“We’ll also need to find ways to create physical and social supports to ensure mental health during these times of social distancing,” Saeed said.
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders’ Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic received a grant to cover the cost of a new provider training program that aims to assist patients with Parkinson’s disease as they recover speech. Offered through the Parkinson’s Voice Project, the program could benefit patients through individual and group experiences.
In efforts to better care for patients and special populations, the School of Dental Medicine recently unveiled a new veterans’ fund to help offset the costs of vital dental care for U.S. military veterans who need it. The ECU Smiles for Veterans Patient Care Fund, part of the school’s innovative Patient Care Funds program through the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and ECU Advancement, comes in the wake of success of the school’s events geared toward veteran care.
The fund will support veterans’ care that the school has worked to secure over the years through relationships with community partners with an interest in veterans’ health. More than 120 veterans have been served through the ECU Smiles for Veterans events at the school’s community service learning center in Sylva, and a similar event is slated for this fall in Brunswick County.
“It means a lot to me because it shows people actually want to help each other,” said Lloyd Holland of Murphy, one of the first veterans to receive care through the ECU Smiles for Veterans program. “In North Carolina, people just care more about each other, and this event shows that. It’s hard for me to say what I feel, but it feels like a brick has been lifted off my back.”
Leadership & Innovation
Students and faculty in the Division of Health Sciences are leading the way in their areas of expertise, taking advantage of opportunities and using what they discover for the good of everyone.
Dr. Chelley Alexander, chair of the Department of Family Medicine at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, has been elected president of the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM).
Alexander, also Brody’s Robert T. Monk Distinguished Professor, will lead the organization that is made up of family medicine chairs and administrators from across the country. She was elected during the group’s 2021 national meeting held in February and previously served as treasurer and program chair for ADFM’s Board of Directors. She will serve on the Executive Council in 2021 and then as past president for a year.
“I am honored to be chosen by my peers to lead the ADFM in its important work, and excited about the chance to significantly impact departments of family medicine on a national scale,” Alexander said. “ADFM influences every department of family medicine around the country, and through its leaders impacts our faculty, learners and patients all over the country, whether in teaching, research, or service. That is exciting to me.”
Dr. George Schilling, a third-year physical medicine and rehabilitation resident at Vidant Medical Center and ECU’s Brody School of Medicine, and College of Business sophomore marketing major Grant Smith took first place in the 2021 Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge. The cross-campus team won $15,000 in cash prizes and in-kind services for its winning idea, InHouse Call.
InHouse Call is an app that will provide a physician all hospital phone numbers needed to attend to a patient’s care. Immediate access to this information could quickly expedite the health care services provided to the patient and save the hospital money by reducing hospital stays for the patient, increasing revenue-generating opportunities and improving patient care by reducing the risk of errors and hospital complications.
InHouse Call won the 2021 Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge and $15,000 in cash and in-kind services. Pictured, from left to right, are Dave Mayo, Pirate Challenge organizer; Ryan Butcher, Challenge mentor and physical medicine and rehabilitation resident and Pirate Challenge winners Dr. George Schilling; and Grant Smith and Miller School of Entrepreneurship Director Dr. Mike Harris. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)
“Dr. George Schilling and his creation of the InHouse Call app represent the innovative and collaborative essence that the Brody School of Medicine considers vital to its pursuit of new and resourceful ways to provide the very best care for patients,” said Dr. Mark Stacy, dean of Brody and vice chancellor of the ECU Division of Health Sciences. “We are delighted that Dr. Schilling and his team earned this fantastic recognition that encourages students and residents to pursue ideas, products and services that make life better for others.”
Earlier this month, Laupus Health Sciences Library observed National Library Week, a time to recognize the essential role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Laupus has created new and innovative ways to serve the Division of Health Sciences and members of the community by ensuring access to information and resources.
“National Library Week makes me reflect on the value of the Laupus Library to the Division of Health Sciences, and particularly how the library employees and I can continue to support and partner with our colleagues in the health sciences in new and innovative ways,” said Laupus Director Beth Ketterman. “The level of creative thinking we’ve engaged in to meet needs when our doors were shut for so long is a reflection of the spirit and professionalism of our team, and I’m so proud of that this year.”
The ECU School of Dental Medicine will celebrate a Day of Unity on Friday, May 14, to honor the differences among people and to encourage dialogue about diversity and racism.
The Day of Unity is sponsored by the SoDM’s chapter of the Student National Dental Association, an organization whose mission is to promote, aid and support students’ academic and social environments. The group created the Day of Unity to benefit the school’s SNDA chapter and the Community Crossroads Center in Greenville, which serves the homeless and those at risk of homelessness by providing safe housing and assisting them in developing a long-term plan for self-sufficiency.
Event organizers wanted to plan an event that would not only serve as a fundraiser but would also begin a tradition of conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion while offering the shirts as a tangible reminder of what it means to stand up against racism.
“On this day, we plan on accepting and embracing our differences,” said SNDA chapter vice president and dental student Courtney Williams. “This approach to diversity will help the SoDM community better serve our patients by learning to conquer our conscious and unconscious biases, one tooth at a time.”
Visit this video on YouTube for the closed-captioned version.
DHS Spotlight
In the spirit of excellence in education and a collaborative campus, we will be highlighting a variety of students, staff and faculty who represent the colleges and schools in the Division of Health Sciences.
This month, we meet Dr. Aundrea Oliver, an assistant professor in the Brody School of Medicine.
East Carolina University’s Dr. Aundrea Oliver began diagnosing people at an early age — in high school.
One day she noticed that her physics teacher appeared hot and was sweating, and so she asked if he felt OK.
Dr. Aundrea Oliver (Photo by Rhett Butler)
“When he said he was having chest pain, I insisted that he go to the nurse and get an aspirin and get his BP (blood pressure) checked,” Oliver said. “He ultimately was fine after proper cardiology evaluations, but after that experience he urged me to consider a career in medicine. Later that year, one of my teammates on the debate team complained of abdominal pain and was dismissed by our coach. I called her mom and explained that I was concerned that she might have appendicitis and should be taken to the emergency room and that she should meet us at the school to take her daughter. She ended up with an appendectomy later that evening for acute appendicitis.”
Today, Oliver is an assistant professor in ECU’s Brody School of Medicine and specializes in thoracic and foregut surgery, an area in which she sees a great need.
Oliver became interested in teaching in medical school, describing great teachers who not only cared for wealthy patients, but also poor and marginalized patients in underserved communities.
“I watched my attendings in awe as they seemed to be so adept at physical diagnosis, uncovering pathology or delivering excellent care with compassion regardless of who the patient was,” Oliver said. “Every interaction felt important because everything seemed to matter to the faculty and residents who taught us. They taught me the value of students — they keep you honest and remind you why you are doing what you do. Who wouldn’t want to help someone see something they have never seen before and then understand it? When you see a student begin to understand, or better yet apply something they have learned, it is like watching the sun rise. It never gets old.”
Oliver said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how her students learn, especially with the loss of in-person lectures and study groups. But she said there is one thing the pandemic hasn’t affected.
“Their passion hasn’t changed,” she said. “Every one of them has sought ways to impact local communities, their fellow students and the Brody community through this pandemic.”
Philanthropy
The Medical & Health Sciences Foundation houses opportunities for supporting health sciences programs that benefit students, faculty, patients and communities.
Honoring Pirate Nurses: National Nurses Week, May 6–12, 2021
National Nurses Week is May 6–12, 2021. (Contributed photo)
National Nurses Day is observed annually on May 6, marking the beginning of National Nurses Week. The day recognizes the contribution nurses and nurse midwives make and offers an opportunity to say thanks. National Nurses Week ends on May 12, the birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2020 the International Year of the Nurse in honor of the 200thanniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. In light of the pandemic, the Year of the Nurse and Midwife has been extended into 2021.
Help us celebrate the incredible work of our College of Nursing faculty over the past year. Is there a nursing instructor who has made an impact on your life or career? Do you have a special memory from your time as a student? Is there a Pirate Nurse who has made a difference in your life or inspired your philanthropy? Here is your chance to tell that story or let a beloved professor, clinical instructor or mentor what they mean to you.
We invite you to take part in helping ECU’s College of Nursing celebrate National Nurses Week by sharing your story, thanking a nurse or nursing instructor, or telling us your reason for supporting the college using this link.
All responses will be compiled and shared with our incredible ECU nursing faculty at the conclusion of International Nurses Week on May 12.
Make a Gift in Celebration of Nursing
Make a gift to the fund of your choice in support of the ECU College of Nursing. Your gift, of any amount, provides the resources needed to prepare the next generation of Pirate Nurses.
Learn more about how you can support the mission of ECU’s Division of Health Sciences through the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation, Inc.
Visit this video on YouTube for the closed-captioned version.