Greenville Reporter

ECU Health, in partnership with the Pitt County Department of Social Services (DSS), hosted the third session of a community-based Emergency Department conference aimed at enhancing crisis response and emergency care in eastern North Carolina. This session marked the final meeting in a series designed to foster collaboration and reduce unnecessary visits to emergency departments.

Held on February 4, the session brought together various community partners to discuss collaborative efforts and crisis response strategies centered around five key priorities. These priorities align with the North Carolina Department of Health Human Services' objective to improve access to crisis services statewide.

The identified priorities include increasing access to care, building community-based crisis service capacity, workforce training and education, strengthening the regional crisis system, and ensuring accountability and outcomes.

Jacob Parrish, vice president of capacity and throughput for ECU Health, commented on the progress made: “We’ve made tremendous progress in our goal of enhancing collaboration to reduce the significant over utilization of the emergency department where patients will often end up stuck with no timely plans for discharge." He also expressed gratitude towards local organizations for their involvement over three days in identifying care needs and designing beneficial solutions. Additionally, he acknowledged Sharon Rochelle from Pitt County DSS for her crucial support and perspective.

The importance of effective crisis response was emphasized due to ECU Health Medical Center's status as home to the only Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Centers in eastern North Carolina. The need for community collaboration is vital beyond hospital walls to ensure comprehensive service during crises.

Attendees included representatives from Juvenile Justice, Trillium Health Services, public schools, NC DHHS, payors, faith leaders, DSS agencies, other hospitals in eastern North Carolina, and key stakeholders. They refined recommendations related to achieving set priorities by assigning responsibilities across these areas. Ongoing meetings will continue as part of regular progress checks to maintain alignment with state goals while reinforcing a sustainable regional crisis response system.