ECU Health announces Board Quality Leadership Award winners

The 2024 ECU Health Board Quality Leadership Award winners were recognized by the ECU Health Board of Directors June 25.

These winning teams are a representation of excellent work across the system that drives the quality goal of zero harm, creates exceptional experiences and improves patient outcomes.

Numerous nominations were reviewed by the committee, and the winning team are as follows:

ECU Health Ambulatory — ECU Health Bertie — Family Medicine, Windsor — Improving Diabetes Management in the Ambulatory Setting. The project leaders were: Kristin Woodard, MSN, RN — Education Nurse Specialist, Phillip Harris, MD and Kelsey Gurganus, MSN, RN — Manager of Family Medicine, Windsor. The team members were: Erica Ford, PA, Teddie Gore, NP, Jesse Ann Hamilton, NP and all staff of Family Medicine, Windsor.ECU Health Medical Center — Cutting CAUTIs in the Neurosciences ICU: A Collaborative Approach. The project leaders were: Natasha Drake, BSN, RN, CCRN — NSICU Nurse Manager, Vikram Bhinder, MD — NSICU Medical Director and Aimee Dunn, BSN, RN, CCRN, SCRN — NSICU Staff Nurse IV. The team members were: Sarah James, BSN, RN, CCRN — NSICU Assistant Nurse Manager, Morgan McGraw, BSN, RN — NSICU CAUTI Representative and Erin Pearson, BSN, RN — ECU Health Medical Center Office of Quality.ECU Health Chowan Hospital — Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) Prevention in the Inpatient Setting. The project leaders were: Courtnay Hale, BSN, RN — Manager of ICU/MedSurge, Dana Byrum, DNP — Vice President, Patient Care Services and Matthew Rapp, MD — Hospitalist Director and Beverly Venters, MSN — Quality Director. The team members were: Brittany Proctor, BSN, RN, Pam Ward, ICP, Katie Hall, QNSIII.

To receive this honor, team members submitted projects that demonstrated at least two of the following requirements:

Quantifiable improvement in an organizational quality priority with sustained excellence over timeDemonstration of empathy and compassion in patient careImplementation of innovative solutions to patient care problemsCommunity outreach that addresses the social determinants of health in a meaningful way

“We are proud of our teams who dedicate themselves to improving patient care in eastern North Carolina,” said Robert Greczyn, chair, ECU Health Board of Directors. “The Board Quality Leadership Awards symbolize the excellence and compassion our team members demonstrate every single day as they care for our patients across our region.

“On behalf of the Board, we are grateful to all ECU Health team members for their tireless efforts in delivering excellence in rural care and helping us meet our mission to improve the health and well-being of the region,” Greczyn added.

About ECU HealthECU Health is a mission-driven, 1708-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 185 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