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U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means visits Beaufort and Pitt counties to discuss rural healthcare

From left: Chief Operating Officer of ECU Health and President of ECU Health Medical Center Brian Floyd, Rep. Greg Murphy, Chairman Jason Smith and Rep. Claudia Tenney tour ECU Health Medical Center.
ECU Health Medical Center
From left: Chief Operating Officer of ECU Health and President of ECU Health Medical Center Brian Floyd, Rep. Greg Murphy, Chairman Jason Smith and Rep. Claudia Tenney tour ECU Health Medical Center.

Members of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means visited Beaufort and Pitt counties this week to talk about the challenges facing rural health care in America.

Chairman Jason Smith said they include traveling long distances to receive emergency care to finding and keeping a quality health care workforce with the scarce resources available.

He said they will use what they heard in a roundtable conversation with ECU Health leaders and Beaufort County community leaders to determine the best way to expand access to health care in rural communities.

ECU Health CEO Dr. Michael Waldrum said he was pleased legislators not only recognize the need to explore solutions to maintain rural health care, but also recognize ECU Health as a leading voice on the topic.

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. She has been involved in the media industry in eastern North Carolina for more than three years. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to ENC to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of toddler and baby cuddling, reading, designing costumes for children’s theater and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.