East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Health in Greenville are working toward final approval in creating their new, shared brand: ECU Health. PRE’s Meredith Radford has more.
Last week, ECU’s board of trustees approved a joint operating agreement between the Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Health. This agreement would allow ECU Health to launch in 2022. According to a news release, ECU Health will serve around 1.4 million residents of Eastern North Carolina.
The release said the purpose of this clinical integration is to improve the value of and access to quality care, make use of clinical staff more efficient in combined operations and facilitate new strategies for the health needs of Eastern North Carolina.
Brody and Vidant will retain separate legal entities, but function collaboratively. Most Vidant entities and ECU physicians will operate under the new brand, but the Brody School of Medicine’s name won’t change.
The agreement still needs approval from the Vidant Health Board of Directors, Vidant Medical Center Board of Trustees, the Pitt County Board of Commissioners, and the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, which is expected to consider the approval during its meeting on Nov. 17th and 18th.
ECU and Vidant first announced this plan in June, and if everything gets approved, the terms of the agreement will be effective on Jan. 1st.
For Public Radio East, I’m Meredith Radford.
ECU and Vidant Health are financial supporters of PRE.
