Nelson receives prestigious Bowl of Hygeia Award

Wallace Nelson, RPh, has been awarded the Bowl of Hygeia Award given by the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists (NCAP).

Established in 1958, the Bowl of Hygeia Award is sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association Foundation and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations. The award recognizes one pharmacist from each state annually for their exceptional record of community leadership.

NCAP Executive Director Penny Shelton praised Wallace, noting that he has “walked the talk his entire career finding ways to serve and give back at extraordinarily high levels.”

Nelson has been employed by ECU Health Bertie Hospital and ECU Health Chowan Hospital for over forty-years, with thirty-seven years in management. His professional career started in retail pharmacy before joining ECU Health where he continues to serve both hospital locations.

Nelson said, “I am very humbled to have been selected to receive the Bowl of Hygeia from NCAP and NASPA. I view giving back to our community and state as opportunities to serve others and strive to make things better for all, something that I treasure being a part of.”

ECU Health Pharmacy manager, Shelli Simmons, PharmD, stated, “ECU Health Bertie and Chowan Hospitals are thankful for Wallace’s dedication to our healthcare system. He is very deserving of this prestigious award, and it recognizes his commitment not only to our patients, but also our communities. I am very honored to work alongside with Wallace.”

A Perquimans County native and graduate of the College of the Albemarle and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On a local level, Nelson served on the Perquimans County Board of Education for four terms and then the voters of Perquimans County elected him to serve as a County Commissioner, a position he holds today.

He is also actively involved in the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners where he will be installed as President-Elect in August 2024 and President in 2025. Past appointments by a number of North Carolina Governors include the College of Albemarle Board of Trustees, North Carolina Marine Industrial Authority, several Governor’s Councils, Institutes and Legislative Study Commissions. Fifteen years ago, the pharmacists of North Carolina elected him to serve on the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, a position he holds today.

Previously, Nelson received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Gov. Beverly Perdue, which is North Carolina’s highest honor for those who have made significant contributions to their state and local communities. During his service on the Board of Education he received the Raleigh Dingman Award, the highest honor given to a school board member, presented annually by the North Carolina School Boards Association.

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 13,000 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 130 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.