ECU Physicians services now available on east campus
Dr. Susan Keen
GREENVILLE, N.C. — East Carolina University main campus faculty and staff as well as their families can now receive fast medical care within walking distance.
The new practice site for ECU Physicians’ Rapid Access service, led by Dr. Susan Keen, a clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the Brody School of Medicine, began seeing patients Aug. 16 at the Student Health Services center beside Joyner East. ECU employees may make same-day appointments for themselves or dependents by calling 744-0555, online at http://www.ecu.edu/ecuphysicians/appointments.cfm or by just walking in.
“We’re open to suggestions about how to provide exceptional service,” Keen said. “We’re open to molding the practice to whatever the needs are.”
Rapid Access is the same-day appointment system available at practices on the health sciences campus, ECU’s Firetower Medical Office and other sites. These are open to employees on all ECU campuses, but they must get to one of the practice sites. The new site is right on main campus.
Known as Family Medicine East, it’s open 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Keen will be there most days; at other times, Terry Icard, a physician assistant, will see patients. The practice has two exam rooms, complete with purple and gold tiles. Pharmacy, laboratory and radiology services are also available.
Keen will spend her afternoons seeing patients at the ECU Family Medicine Center on the health sciences campus. Main campus employees can see her there at those times.
Medical students and residents won’t be involved in patient care at the practice.
Keen is a Wisconsin native but grew up in Rocky Mount. She received her biology degree from ECU in 1997 then taught high school science in Bear Grass before enrolling in the Brody School of Medicine. She finished medical school in 2003, completed a family medicine residency at ECU in 2006 and has been working in the emergency department at Nash General Hospital and the ECU Family Medicine Center.
She thinks her familiarity with ECU and experience in urgent care settings make her a good fit for the new practice. And she hopes having services available on main campus will help employees choose ECU Physicians as their “medical home,” a practice that covers all of a person’s health care needs, hospital visits and follow-up care.
Follow-up care for chronic conditions and preventive services not available at the clinic may be coordinated with the Firetower Medical Office or the ECU Family Medicine Center depending on patient choice. Keen and her staff can assist with that. In addition, the staff will assist with specialty referrals to Brody School of Medicine clinics.
“Because we don’t have any hard and fast rules about this clinic, it’s more exciting to imagine the possibilities,” she said. “There’s just something exciting about the fall, the start of the new school year. It’s just a great time to start the new clinic.”