University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, Inc. d/b/a Vidant Health

The system operates nine hospitals serving eastern North Carolina and is led by CEO Mike Waldrum, MD, MS, MBA. In 2021, the organization entered a Joint Operating Agreement with East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine to form a clinically integrated academic health care organization, with the goal of becoming a national model for academic rural health care. The two entities remain legally separate but share unified operational processes and strategic goals. For nursing professionals, ECU Health offers employment in an academic health system environment with a strong focus on rural healthcare delivery. Nurses are expected to practice in accordance with the North Carolina Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act, American Nurses Association Standards of Practice, and entity-specific policies. The organization emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, patient/family-centered care planning, and age-specific care. As a large regional system, it provides opportunities across multiple facilities and specialty areas in eastern North Carolina.

ECU Health's mission centers on providing efficient, effective, and high-quality care to patients in eastern North Carolina. The organization aspires to be the national model for academic rural health care through its clinical integration with ECU's Brody School of Medicine, developing a shared brand and unified strategic goals focused on community health and clinical excellence.