Greenville-based University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina is the primary health-care provider in Pitt and surrounding counties. It operates one of the largest networks of health-care providers in the state.

University Health Systems is the corporate parent of Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, a tertiary referral center and teaching hospital for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (www.uhseast.com). The system serves 29 counties and more than 1.2 million people through an extensive and comprehensive regional network. It owns and leases hospitals, home health agencies and physician practices. The system's combined operations include more than 8,100 employees, an active medical staff of 712 physicians and 1,100 licensed beds.

The system's 20-member board of trustees is appointed by the Pitt County Board of Commissioners and the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. Officers include: Cassius S. Williams, chairman; Lawrence L. Seigler, vice chairman; Frances D. Moye, secretary; David H. Womack, treasurer; R. Horace Tripp, assistant treasurer.

Other board members are: Dick Adams, Janet M. Bullock, Dr. Paul S. Camnitz, Luther C. "Cliff" Copeland Jr., Ernest L. Evans, Phil Flowers, Ralph Hall, Dr, Allan B. Harvin, Henry C. "Buster" Humphreys, J. Larkin Little, Robert V. Owens Jr., Billy Peaden, Randy B. Royal, Clarence P. Skinner and Eli "Andy" Warren.

Dave McRae is chief executive officer; Steve Lawler is chief administrative officer; Deborah W. Davis is president of PCMH; Jack Holsten is the chief financial officer; and Nancy B. Aycock is general counsel for UHS.

The following institutions and services are affiliated with University Health Systems:

• Pitt County Memorial Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital governed by the same 20-member board of trustees that governs University Health Systems. For the last complete fiscal year, Oct. 1, 2004-Sept. 30, 2005, the hospital cared for 36,863 inpatient admissions, had 223,489 outpatient visits, and delivered 3,363 babies.

The 745-bed tertiary referral facility is the teaching hospital for the Brody School of Medicine and is a Level 1 Trauma Center. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is a member of the American Hospital Association, University Hospital Consortium, North Carolina Hospital Association and Voluntary Hospitals of America. U.S. News and World Report recognized PCMH as one of the nation's top 50 hospitals for endocrinology in 2006. It is located at 2100 Stantonsburg Road in Greenville's medical district on the west side of the city. The telephone number is 847-4100.

• Regional Rehabilitation Center at PCMH is a 75-bed, inpatient-outpatient acute-rehabilitation center. It provides state-of-the-art aquatic therapy, vocational evaluation and speech and audiology services and more.

• Behavioral Health Services at the hospital offers a 52-bed psychiatric unit and cares for mental illness and related disorders.

• The Cardiovascular Center at PCMH is a nationally recognized program offering minimally invasive robotic surgery using the da Vinci surgical system. PCMH was selected as one of the top 100 hospitals for cardiovascular care in 2003.

• Children's Hospital is a 122-bed service at PCMH. The neonatal intensive care unit with 50 beds opened in 2005.

• The Trauma Center, the hospital's emergency department, serves 25 outlying hospitals and offers EastCare, an emergency air ambulance service. A $25 million construction project and renovation, which included rooftop helipads for emergency helicopters, was completed in December 2003.

• The Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center, a joint program of University Health Systems and the Brody School of Medicine, offers national clinical trials testing the latest treatments in cancer and research. The center also includes a blood and marrow transplantation unit. The center is fully accredited as a teaching hospital cancer program by the American College of Surgeons. It sponsors several support groups and Camp Dove, a retreat for cancer survivors ages 18 and older.

• McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge is a 27,000-square-foot facility for cancer patients and caregivers. It is on a three-acre site on Stantonsburg Road. It is one of 18 lodges operated in the nation and the only one in North Carolina. It opened in May 2002. It is operated by the American Cancer Society and staffed with a large core of volunteers. Call 321-2941 or 1-800-ACS-2345.

• Community Health Programs offers educational programs and health screenings through community-service projects. It also provides health specialists in grades K-8 in Pitt County public schools.

• ViQuest, the hospital's wellness center for the public and patients, is located at 2610 Statonsburg Road. The center is a 52,000-square-foot facility offering a range of wellness and exercise programs. It also offers indoor lap pools and a therapy pool. Call 847-6501.

• Community Hospitals operated by University Health Systems include Bertie Memorial Hospital in Windsor, Chowan Hospital in Edenton, Heritage Hospital in Tarboro, Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie and The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head. The health system has a number of other subsidiary organizations that operate physician practices, outpatient services, and home health, hospice and wellness services. They include: SurgiCenter Services of Pitt, University Home Care and East Carolina Health.

BRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
East Carolina University's medical school originally opened in 1977. Today, the Brody School of Medicine has 310 residents in 28 accredited residency programs, including family medicine, psychiatric medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, pathology and laboratory medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. In addition to medical degrees, the school awards doctorates in anatomy and cell biology, biochemistry, microbiology and immunology, pharmacology, physiology, pathology and laboratory medicine, and biological sciences.

In 2006, U.S. News and World Report rated the Brody School of Medicine among the top 10 nationally for primary care, family medicine and rural medicine.

The medical school's dean is Dr. Cynda Johnson. She is one of 13 women serving as dean among the nation's 126 accredited medical schools. Dr. Michael Lewis is the vice chancellor for ECU's Division of Health Sciences.

ECU Physicians is the group practice of The Brody School of Medicine. Practice sites include the Eastern Carolina Family Medicine Center, the Brody and Pediatric Outpatient Centers, General Internal Medicine at Medical Pavilion, ECU Women's Physicians and the Fire Tower Medical offices.

The medical school's Web site is www.ecu.edu/med. For ECU Physicians, call 744-1111. For general information, call 744-1020

PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER
The Pitt County Public Health Center is the county component of the state's public health program. It is located at 201 Government Circle. The phone number is 902-2300 or visit www.co.pitt.nc.us/depts/health.

The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with hours extended until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays by appointment.

Services offered by the department include: diabetes screening; blood pressure screening; cholesterol screening; cancer screening; child health; children's special health; reportable communicable disease investigation and follow-up; nutrition; family life education and family planning; HIV and AIDS screening and counseling; home nursing visitation; immunizations; prenatal care; tuberculosis and sexually transmitted disease investigation; sudden infant death syndrome grief counseling for parents; Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Food Program; community health promotion; child services coordination; maternity care coordination; pregnancy testing; conception care coordination; and breast-feeding promotion and support.

The department also is responsible for environmental health services including water supply, sewage disposal, food, lodging and institutional inspections; soil and hazardous waste information; and rabies control.

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES
To visit student health, you must be a registered ECU student with an identification card from the university. For more information, call 328-6841or visit www.ecu.edu/studenthealth.

The fall and spring hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday the hours are 9 a.m. to noon for urgent care only. During the summer, the center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday -Thursday and 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday. There are no weekend hours during the summer.

HEALTHASSIST
HealthAssist has established four health centers in rural Pitt County towns to enroll people who are uninsured and to provide minor health-care services and activities.

The facilities include the JOY Community Resource Center in Greenville, The J.R. Harvey Resource Center in Grifton, the Grimesland Resource Center and Pactolus Resource Center.

HealthAssist is a partnership including state and county organizations and Pitt County health-care providers. Partners include local volunteer doctors, the Pitt County Medical Society, Health Department, Pitt County Memorial Hospital and University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. For more information on the HealthAssist program, call 847-7016.

PITT COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY
Pitt County residents have access to more than 450 physicians in private practice and at the Brody School of Medicine with referrals available through the society. For more information, call 758-8833, fax 758-0930 or visit www.pittcountymedicalsociety.org.

Each year the organization also raises money for health services through the Med-Law Classic and other events. The Med-Law Classic basketball game between local doctors and lawyers is the primary fund-raiser for The Pitt County Health Education Foundation. In 2005, the event raised more than $100,000 for several Pitt County organizations helping with local health-care needs.