Pitt County Memorial Hospital

Pitt County Memorial Hospital
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina
Pitt County Memorial Hospital with East Carolina Heart Institute at PCMH on the right hand side
Geography
Location	Greenville, Eastern, North Carolina, United States
Organization
Funding	Non-profit hospital
Hospital type	Teaching
Affiliated university	Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Network	University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina
Services
Emergency department	Level I trauma center
Helipad	Yes (FAA LID: NC91)
Beds	861
History
Founded	1923 - Pitt Community Hospital 1934 - Pitt General Hospital 1949 - Pitt County Memorial Hospital 1998 - University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina - Pitt County Memorial Hospital
Links
Website	http://www.uhseast.com/pittcounty/
Lists	Hospitals in North Carolina

Pitt County Memorial Hospital (PCMH) is a hospital located in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the flagship teaching hospital for the University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. PCMH is the only trauma center east of Raleigh. PCMH is licensed for 861 beds and had 39,360 admissions in fiscal year 2009. Of the 861 beds, 734 are general beds, 75 are rehab beds, and 52 are psychiatric beds. The hospital has 35 operating rooms: 26 rooms are Shared Inpatient/Ambulatory Surgery; four rooms are C-Section; three rooms are Other Inpatient; two rooms are Endoscopy.^[1]

It was known as Pitt Community Hospital when it was created. The facility was located near downtown Greenville. In 1934, it changed to Pitt General Hospital. It received its current name in 1949, and moved to west Greenville in 1951. It moved again to its current location in 1977.

On August 17, 2011, it was announced PCMH will change their name to UHS Medical Center. The change will occur on October 1, 2011.^[2]

PCMH is the largest employer in North Carolina east of Raleigh and 20th overall in the state.^[3]

History

Origins

Pitt Community Hospital (PCH), the precursor to Pitt County Memorial Hospital, was the vision of Greenville physician, Charles Laughinghouse. In 1923, he and three other physicians raised $85,000 to build the privately-owned PCH.^[4] The hospital created a relationship with East Carolina Teachers' Training School.^[5] The first home of PCH came in 1924. It was temporarily located in Downtown Greenville, above H.L. Hodges' Hardware Store, at 210 East Fifth Street. On September 7, 1923, more than 800 people attended a reception honoring the hospital. The first night, Pitt County had its first surgical operation, an appendectomy.^[6]

PCH made its first move to a permanent home at the intersection of Johnston and Woodlawn Streets, east of downtown. The three-story hospital had 42 beds and two full-time physicians, with 16 nurses.^[4][6] From its opening, the hospital served as a place to train nurses. In 1930 a physcian from Wilmington, T.M. Watson, started a practice for infants and children. By 1933-34, the Watson children's ward was built. Two additional wings were added to the east end to increase the bed capacity by 14 in 1935. In September 1935, the hospital split into two divisions to qualify for the Duke Endowment. Pitt Community Hospital became the professional division and Pitt General Hospital, became a non-profit organization. The Duke Endowment provided $1 per day for each charity patient.^[6] By 1939 an increase in patient admissions indicated that a new hospital would need to be built. It closed in 1951, once the new hospital opened.^[7]

Early expansions

By 1934, the hospital was renamed Pitt General Hospital and a children’s ward was added. X-ray and laboratory equipment and eight more beds were added in two new wings. In 1940, the county commissioners made plans to purchase Pitt General, but World War II interrupted the plans. The Hill-Burton Act of 1946 provided the stimulus to construct a new hospital. Pitt County voters approved a $351,900 bond issue in 1947 to help with construction. A 17-acre (69,000 m²) tract of land on the western edge of town was donated by the Jesse Moye family. Construction began on March 21, 1949.^[4]

Later expansions

CH-46 Sea Knight landing on the helipad

In February 1951, Pitt County Memorial Hospital was opened with 120 beds and named for the county’s World War II veterans.^[8] A few weeks before, on January 18, Secretary of the Army Kenneth Royall spoke at the dedication.^[6] A bond was passed in 1958 to increase the number of beds to 200.^[8] Its capacity was 205 by 1963, but the hospital was still too small. Local civic leaders, Charles Gaskins, Wilton Duke, and Joe Pou, helped facilitate the passage of a $9 million bond referendum for the construction of a new 350-bed hospital.^[4][8] The hospital employed approximately 80 physicians in 1972.^[8] The Department of Family Medicine was organized a year later.^[8]

With help from both the bond and federal grants, construction began on the new hospital in 1974. A year later, the hospital and the medical school signed a joint affiliation agreement.^[4] The new hospital on a 100-acre (0.40 km²) site opened in April 1977 with 355-beds.^[8][9] A larger rehabilitation center and the first class of the four-year medical students also started that year. A neonatal intensive care unit was established and East Carolina University (ECU) opened the Family Practice Center in 1978. A year later, a cardiac catheterization lab opened. The first kidney transplant was performed here in 1981 and the 138-bed West tower opened a year later.^[4] Level II trauma designation was achieved in 1983.^[10] The hospital performed its first open heart surgery in 1984.^[8] EastCare, the medical ground and helicopter transport, Level I trauma designation, Magnetic resonance imaging and laser surgery all began in 1985. The School of Medicine's and the hospital's pediatric services were all consolidated to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Carolina in 1986.^[4] By 1987, the hospital employed 2,300 people with 560 beds. The Ronald McDonald House began construction that year.^[8]

During the 1990s, the 143-bed North Tower was constructed. Also, a new Heart Center, a 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit and a family birthing center were all built during the decade. Off site, the outpatient SurgiCenter opened.^[4] In the mid-1990s, hospital administrators realized the only way for the hospital to survive in the dynamic health-care environment that a change was needed. Privatization was a way to streamline the decision-making process to make it more competitive against other hospitals. A vocal group of residents did not want the hospital to change from public to private. The county commissioners decided for privatization by a narrow margin. The hospital went from a public, not-for-profit to private not-for-profit in 1998.^[11] PCMH came under the umbrella of University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina (UHS) in 1999; UHS manages or owns eight hospitals in eastern North Carolina.^[12]. That year, the hospital employed 4,150.^[8] The Wellness Center opened in 2000 and the first successful procedure in the United States using the da Vinci Surgical System was performed by Randolph Chitwood.^[4] It was the second such procedure in the world.^[13] EastCare purchased its second helicopter and the hospital began construction of a four-story emergency department with a roof helipad that year.^[8] The Gamma Knife was brought to the hospital in 2005.^[14] PCMH was designated a primary stroke center in 2007 by the Joint Commission. It is the only primary stroke center east of Interstate 95.^[15] The East Carolina Heart Institute at PCMH, a way to reshape cardiovascular health in the state, was opened in 2009.^[16] That year, the hospital employed 7,373.^[8]

In September 2010, a new interfaith chapel opened. The $2.3 million cost all came from private donations. The facility includes a 100-seat chapel, several meditation rooms and an outdoor reflecting pool.^[17]

Maynard Children's Hospital

The James and Connie Maynard Children's Hospital is the only children's hospital in eastern North Carolina. The hospital was created in February 1986 when the School of Medicine and the hospitals pediatric services were all consolidated.^[18] It sees over 42,000 pediatric patients a year.^[19]

Before the Children's Hospital was created, approximately 24 beds were designated for pediatric patients and two beds in the newborn nursery were reserved as neonatal intensive care beds when the new hospital opened in April 1977. On July 1, 1978, a 33-bed neonatal intensive care unit was opened; in February 1985 a new pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) was constructed; in 1986 the Children's Hospital officially opened. A 12-bed PICU was completed in February 1995.^[9] The hospital operates under the "hospital within a hospital" concept.^[18] The hospital contains a 122 bed. Fifty beds are for the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a 16-bed convalescent nursery, and a high-risk obstetrical delivery service.^[20] Also, there are 42-beds for a New Born Nursery, 32-beds for Pediatrics, and 12-beds for a PICU.^[21] Over 6,500 children under the age of 17 are treated each year.^[18]

A program housed in the hospital is Center for Children with Complex and Chronic Conditions (C5). C5 is a joint venture with the hospital and The Brody School of Medicine. The program promote optimal health, growth, development, safety, comfort and overall well-being for children with special health care needs. The hospital houses the inpatient, while an outside BSOM facility houses the outpatient functions. The program combines multiple fields of study including physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, a respiratory therapist, a social worker and a child life specialist. The teams works with medically weak and machine-dependent children. The program is funded through The Duke Endowment.

In September 2007 it was announced that a new children's hospital would be built.^[22] The Children's Hospital is expanding starting in 2010.^[19] The three phase project will be a free standing building. It will initially have four floors and will support future growth to six floors.^[23] The first phase for the $48.2 million project is expected to be completed in July 2013.^[22][24] It will increase the current Children's Hospital by 78,000 square feet (7,200 m²).^[22] The overall theme will be aquatic will waves, bubbles and fishes.^[23]

The first floor will include a Ronald McDonald suite for patients families, exam rooms, nine-bed Medical/Day unit for outpatient services and a theater.^[23][25] Also included will be a pediatric radiology department that will house ultrasound imaging, radiology, fluoroscopy and other interventions, pediatric observation unit and a family resource center.^[24][25] The lobby will have testing center, a café, gift shop and breastfeeding support rooms.^[25] A play/therapy yard will include swings, basketball court, climbing structures and picnic tables.^[25]

The second floor will have a 21 private bed convalescent newborn unit and a six-bed Kids Immunosuppressed Special Unit with a controlled environment for children with cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell disease, kidney disorders and other illnesses that compromise the immune system.^[25]

Along with the new addition to the Children's Hospital, PCMH is designing a pediatric emergency department. It will be a 13,000 square feet (1,200 m²) area near the existing emergency department. It will include 15 general pediatric emergency rooms, a dedicated resuscitation room, lobby area, ambulance entry and staff/support space. The $8 million project is scheduled for completion in April 2012.^[26]

On May 17, 2011, James Maynard, founder of Golden Corral, and his wife Connie donated $10.5 million to the children's hospital. Nine million will go to the children's hospital itself, while the other $1.5 million will fund a distinguished professorship in the Department of Pediatrics. The new hospital will be named after them.^[27]

The hospital is apart of the Children's Miracle network.^[28] Dr. Ronald Perkin and Dr. David Rodeberg serve as co-directors.^[22]

Heart Institute

East Carolina Heart Institute at PCMH

The East Carolina Heart Institute at PCMH opened in January 2009. The $160 million patient tower is six-story, 375,000-square-foot (34,800 m²) inpatient care facility is home to 120 inpatient cardiovascular beds, six operating rooms and 11 interventional laboratories. The sixth floor also covers Orthopedic inpatients with and without cardiovascular problems. It also has an in house Total Joint Program run by the hospitals Physical Therapy Department. ECU and PCMH reorganized their cardiovascular services, aligning them by disease processes rather than traditional academic disciplines. The move brings cardiologists, heart surgeons and vascular surgeons together and promises to increase communication. Its sister tower, East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU, is the education and outpatient care facility.^[29]

The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit received the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence for Spring 2009–2010. The award comes from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.^[30]

Rankings

The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association awarded PCMH with the 2010 Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold-Plus and Silver in the Heart Failure category, recognizing PCMH for maintaining high-quality stroke care for at least 24 consecutive months. It is the only hospital east of Interstate 95 recognized for it.^[31] PCMH and UHS has been one of the most highly integrated health care networks for the past seven consecutive years.^[32] Working Mother magazine named PCMH one of the top 100 companies for working mothers in 2009.^[33]

External links

• Pitt County Memorial Hospital
• East Carolina University

References

1. ^ "Hospitals by County". Hospitals Licensed by the State of North Carolina. Department of Health and Human Services - Division of Health Service Regulation. August 4, 2010. http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dhsr/data/hllistco.pdf. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
2. ^ "Pitt County Memorial Hospital set to change name". The Associated Press. http://www.wect.com/story/15286682/pitt-county-memorial-hospital-set-to-change-name. Retrieved 5 September 2011. 
3. ^ "Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Largest Employers". Laber Market Information Division. Employment Security Commission of North Carolina. http://esesc23.esc.state.nc.us/d4/QCEWLargestEmployers.aspx. Retrieved 5 September 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "Meeting the Need". Pitt County Memorial Hospital. September 30, 2002. http://www.pcmhhistory.com/. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
5. ^ Special Collections Department, J. Y. Joyner Library (July 11, 1974). "Charles O'Hagan Laughinghouse Papers (#267)". Greenville, North Carolina, USA: East Carolina University. http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/special/ead/findingaids/0267/. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} Williams, Wayne C. (2001). PCMH - A Tradition of Excellance. Greenville, North Carolina: Barefoot Press. ISBN 0-9703999-0-1. 
7. ^ Kammerer, Robert; Pearce, Candace (2001). Images of America Greenville. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 110. ISBN 0-7385-1364-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=bb74EH3wNesC&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110&dq=%22Pitt+Community+Hospital%22+Johnston+and+Woodlawn&source=bl&ots=PO40eLPelZ&sig=1Ez09WDkWpuN0FBzj6SmJ8YK91g&hl=en&ei=7-wCTOG2N4K88gbTi_XwDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22Pitt%20Community%20Hospital%22%20Johnston%20and%20Woodlawn&f=false. 
8. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} "Economic History of Pitt County 1690-2010". Pitt County Development Commission. June 2010. http://locateincarolina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Economic_History_of_Pitt_County_Version_2.pdf. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Tingelstad, Jon B. (January 2002). "Pediatric Health Care in Eastern North Carolina, 1976-2001". North Carolina Medical Journal (Morrisville, North Carolina: North Carolina Medical Journal) 62: S38 - S41. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:3aDa6Ru8Dj8J:www.ncmedicaljournal.com/supplement01/ar010204.pdf+http://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/supplement01/ar010204.pdf&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgCb4MR-_4vhT69Q96rYSqJMM35Or9Jijy0MPZixJGfuRASISCq3tmqOBP6P_YOvz1dumFafAO0saA8fz91jK3Ahe_sUX-s_GnsGXiS9sAmQT4rtYhD2HGFh9HYe5hwV09fTDXV&sig=AHIEtbSFkRF9zlis9jeig-nBI0u-YJlCbQ. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
10. ^ "Designated Trauma Centers". NC Division of Health Service Regulation Office of Emergency Medical Services. March 15, 2010. http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dhsr/EMS/trauma/traumacenter.html. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
11. ^ Lindberg, Curt. "Pitt County Memorial Hospital - Weathering and Weaving: Lessons from the Trenches". Plexus Institute. http://www.plexusinstitute.org/ideas/show_story.cfm?id=24. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
12. ^ "About UHS". University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. 2009. http://www.uhseast.com/uhseast/dynamic-detail.aspx?id=492&linkidentifier=id&itemid=492. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
13. ^ Ryals, Jimmy (June 23, 2008). "Pioneer in robotic cardiac surgery completes milestone". University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina (Greenville, North Carolina: University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina). http://www.uhseast.com/uhseast/newsroomdetail.aspx?id=5202. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
14. ^ Atkins, Beth Anne (June 8, 2009). "Gamma Knife technology treats 400th patient at PCMH". University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina (Greenville, North Carolina: University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina). http://www.uhseast.com/uhseast/newsroomdetail.aspx?id=6205. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
15. ^ Ryals, Jimmy (September 17, 2007). "PCMH certified as Primary Stroke Center, the only one east of I-95". University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina (Greenville, North Carolina: University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina). http://www.uhseast.com/uhseast/newsroomdetail.aspx?id=5165. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
16. ^ Ryals, Jimmy (January 11, 2009). "The East Carolina Heart Institute at Pitt County Memorial Hospital opens for business". University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina (Greenville, North Carolina: University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina). http://www.uhseast.com/uhseast/newsroomdetail.aspx?id=5212. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
17. ^ Doud, Andrew (September 24, 2010). "PCMH dedicates new interfaith chapel". WNCT (Greenville, North Carolina: WNCT). http://www2.wnct.com/news/2010/sep/24/pcmh-dedicates-new-interfaith-chapel-ar-417762/. Retrieved October 01, 2010. 
18. ^ ^{a b c} "University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina's Children's Hospital". Children's Miracle Network. Pitt County Hospital Foundation. http://www.pmhf.org/?p=childhospital. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
19. ^ ^{a b} "Children's Hospital". University Health Systems Children's Hospital. University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. 2009. http://www.uhseast.com/uhseast/dynamic-detail.aspx?id=4723&linkidentifier=id&itemid=4723. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
20. ^ "Neonatal Intensive Care Unit". Division of Neonatology. East Carolina University. November 15, 2005. http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/neonatology/nicu.cfm. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
21. ^ Boberg, Brenda; Jones, Amy. "Conference Presentation - Family Centered Care" (Powerpoint). University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. http://www.familycenteredcare.org/pdf/conf_present_021.ppt. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
22. ^ ^{a b c d} Boyd, Doug. "Officials break ground on Children's Hospital addition". Division of Health Sciences News. East Carolina University. http://www.ecu.edu/dhs/newsStory.cfm?ID=2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011. 
23. ^ ^{a b c} TA Loving. "Pitt County Memorial Hospital Children's Hospital and Family Resource Center". TA Loving. http://www.taloving.com/construction-projects/project.php?id=22. Retrieved January 22, 2011. 
24. ^ ^{a b} "Pitt County Memorial proposes four-story addition to Children’s Hospital" (Press release). State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. March 4, 2010. http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/coneed/press_release/2010/030410PittChildrensHosp.pdf. Retrieved July 10, 2010. 
25. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Officials Break Ground on the UHS Children's Hospital Addition". University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. http://www.prlog.org/11541470-officials-break-ground-on-the-uhs-childrens-hospital-addition.html. Retrieved 15 June 2011. 
26. ^ "Pitt County Memorial proposes to create a pediatric emergency department" (Press release). State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. July 6, 2010. http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dhsr/coneed/press_release/2010/070610PittCountyMemPediatricED.pdf. Retrieved July 10, 2010. 
27. ^ "Maynards Give $10.5 Million To Children's Hospital, ECU". WITN. http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/University_Health_Systems_To_Make_Donor_Announcement_121985084.html?storySection=story. Retrieved 17 May 2011. 
28. ^ "University Health Systems Children's Hospital". Partners - Hospitals. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. http://childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/Hospital/UniversityHealthSystemsChildrensHospital. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
29. ^ Ryals, Jimmy (January 12, 2009). "The East Carolina Heart Institute at Pitt County Memorial Hospital opens for business". Greenville, North Carolina: UHS Public Relations. http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=0001news.db&command=viewone&id=179&op=t. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
30. ^ "Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence Spring 2009 - 2010". Greenville, North Carolina: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. 2010. http://www.aacn.org/wd/beaconapps/content/spring_09-10/cardicu%20-%20e.carolina%20pitt%20hos.grenville%20nc.pcms?pid=1&&menu=beaconapps. Retrieved October 01, 2010. 
31. ^ "Performance Achievement". Get With The Guidelines - HF/Stroke. American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. August 9, 2010. http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@private/@hcm/@gwtg/documents/downloadable/ucm_311045.pdf. Retrieved January 6, 2011. 
32. ^ "University Health Systems among nation’s 100 best integrated networks" (Press release). University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. February 10, 2010. http://www.prlog.org/10527911-university-health-systems-among-nations-100-best-integrated-networks.html. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
33. ^ "Pitt County Memorial Hospital". Working Mother 100 Best Companies 2009. Working Mother. 2009. http://www.workingmother.com/BestCompanies/work-life-balance/2009/09/pitt-county-memorial-hospital. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 

Coordinates: 35°36′28″N 77°24′15″W / 35.6076953°N 77.4040653°W / 35.6076953; -77.4040653