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ECU Health partnership will help qualifying ENC patients erase medical debt

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published December 16, 2024 at 6:40 AM EST
ECU Health chief experience officer Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert said it’s gratifying to know that the hospital’s focus on creating safe, healing environments is affirmed by those patients.
ECU Health Medical Center
ECU Health chief experience officer Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert said it’s gratifying to know that the hospital’s focus on creating safe, healing environments is affirmed by those patients.

A collaboration between ECU Health and a nonprofit that uses donations to pay off medical debt for those who are struggling financially will help qualifying low-income patients.

Officials say the initiative with Undue Medical Debt will help more than 32,000 patients by removing more than $186 million in hospital medical debt.

ECU Health Chief Operating Officer Brian Floyd said the collaboration with Undue Medical Debt will make an enormous impact on many in the largely underserved region.

Those who qualify have hospital medical debts that are 5% or more than their annual income or earn at or below four times the poverty level.
Annette Weston
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. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 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 kiddo cuddling, reading, 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.
See stories by Annette Weston