Greenville Reporter

ECU Health recently held its 11th Annual Nursing Summit at the Hilton Hotel in Greenville, bringing together nurses from across the system to discuss the future of nursing in eastern North Carolina and beyond. The event focused on addressing the transformative period that nursing is experiencing amid complex challenges, serving as a platform for discussions on integrating advanced technology and innovative practices.

Chief Nursing Executive Trish Baise emphasized the importance of the summit in connecting with and empowering nursing team members. “The nursing summit provided a wonderful opportunity for hundreds of our ECU Health nurses from across the region to come together,” said Baise. “We were able to create a national-caliber conference in our own backyard tailored to the mission of our rural health care team. The energy of our nursing team was palpable.”

Keynote speakers included Rich G. Kenny, who explored Generative AI for nurse leaders, and Sen. Gale Adcock, who discussed health care policy and advocacy. Brian Floyd, ECU Health’s chief operating officer, reminded attendees of their mission to improve health care in eastern North Carolina.

Breakout sessions covered topics such as well-being, AI in health care, influencing team culture, and nursing policy advocacy. A panel discussion also explored emerging trends in health care.

Olivia Lemberger from the American Nurses Association praised the camaraderie among nurses at the event. “There is a deep sense of community among the colleagues at ECU Health,” she noted.

Mandi Civils from ECU Health Beaufort Hospital reflected on how dedication met innovation at the summit. “At the heart of health care transformation for ECU Health was the great nursing summit,” Civils said.