There are 1,258,269 people in the 29 counties of eastern North Carolina. Almost 300,000 of them will face cardiovascular disease at some point in their lives. In 2004, University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina and East Carolina University announced plans for a new bed tower and a research and education facility that will serve the cardiovascular needs of the region. The East Carolina Heart Institute will offer one center of excellence for innovations in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.

The Need
Heart disease kills more Americans than the next seven causes of death combined. The death rate from heart disease is even higher in North Carolina than the nation and it's higher still in the 29 counties of eastern North Carolina than in the rest of the state.

Driven by that need, we have assembled our resources to address a problem that has plagued this region for too long. Our solution is the Eastern Carolina Cardiovascular Institute.

The Solution
The East Carolina Heart Institute will be the first facility in North Carolina devoted specifically and exclusively to the research, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Everything doctors and patients need will be housed in a six-story, 375,000 square-foot, 120-bed center. With 13 interventional labs and suites of dedicated operating rooms, cardiovascular services will no longer need to compete with other departments for access to resources. The new center will incorporate all of the elements in the continuum of cardiac care: health promotion and disease prevention; primary care; diagnostic services; medical, surgical and interventional cardiology treatments; research and development of new technologies as well as the training of new cardiovascular specialists.

Dr. Randolph Chitwood, medical director of the new institute, had a vision as early as 1984 of a comprehensive cardiovascular care facility. Since that time the Cardiovascular Center at Pitt County Memorial Hospital has earned a reputation as one of the nation's premier institutions for groundbreaking heart care and research. With the creation of East Carolina Heart Institute, that vision will be fully realized, bringing together all of the elements of cardiac care to reduce the devastating toll of America's number-one killer. 

The Mission
To improve North Carolina's health status through cardiovascular health service delivery, research and education.

The Vision
To be an internationally recognized cardiovascular Institute known for leading edge technology, high quality care, research and education.