Local residents named to ECU College of Nursing Hall of Fame

From left, ECU College of Nursing Dean Sylvia Brown, Phyllis DeAntonio, Beth Bryant, Dr. Ann Schreier, Dr. Mark Hand, Deborah Kornegay, Distinguished Alumna Dr. Annette Wysocki, Lt. Col. Howard Burtnett, Dr. Daphne Brewington, Dr. Patricia Crane, family members of Wanda Snyder, and Janet Joyner.

Seven local residents were recently honored for their outstanding contributions to the field of nursing.

Dr. Daphne Brewington, Beth Bryant, Dr. Patricia Crane, Phyllis DeAntonio, Dr. Mark Hand, Janet Joyner and Dr. Ann Schreier were inducted into the ECU College of Nursing’s Hall of Fame, which recognizes exceptional nurse leaders in education, administration, research and practice while raising funds for merit-based student nursing scholarships. Sandra Manning received the honor posthumously.

“This Hall of Fame not only recognizes our outstanding leaders, but is another way to give back to future generations of nurses,” said Dr. Sylvia Brown, dean of the College of Nursing.

Brewington earned her associates degree in nursing from Beaufort County Community College and her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the ECU College of Nursing. She has worked in a variety of roles at Vidant Medical Center for 33 years, including staff nurse, nurse manager for the neurosurgical/trauma unit and educational nurse specialist. She currently serves as the administrator for nursing professional practice, development and clinical education there, and as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Nursing.

Bryant earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in nursing from ECU, as well as a post-master’s certificate as a clinical nurse specialist. She has been a College of Nursing faculty member for 18 years, teaching a variety of courses in the undergraduate program and mentoring graduate students in the nursing education concentration. Bryant continues clinical practice at Vidant Medical Center on a part-time basis and works with new graduates to help them transition to the workforce.

Crane holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeast Louisiana University (NLU), a master’s from Northwestern State University in Louisiana, and a doctorate from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She served in various clinical practice and administrative roles early in her career. She began her academic career at NLU, then returned to the University of Arkansas as a cardiovascular research associate before joining the faculty at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She came to the College of Nursing in 2014 as associate dean for research and scholarship and has been instrumental in helping College of Nursing faculty and students succeed in their research and scholarly activities. She has published extensively and is considered a visionary by her colleagues.

DeAntonio holds a bachelor’s in nursing from Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and a master’s with a clinical specialty in oncology from the University of Pittsburgh. For the past 28 years, DeAntonio has held various leadership positions at Vidant Medical Center and is currently the system service line administrator for Vidant Cancer Care. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Medical Administrators and an adjunct faculty member in the ECU College of Nursing. She’s involved in several substantial grants aimed at improving cancer care in eastern North Carolina.

Hand earned his associates degree in nursing from Middlesex Community College, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of New Hampshire, and a doctoral degree from ECU. He served in clinical and faculty roles in acute care settings in New Hampshire before moving to North Carolina. He was clinical coordinator and nursing instructor at Durham Technical Community College and did a 6-year stint as clinical assistant professor in ECU’s College of Nursing before assuming the role of assistant dean and director of the associates degree in nursing program at Durham Technical Community College. He returned to ECU in July 2017 as chair of the Department of Baccalaureate Education.

Joyner obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing from ECU. She has been involved in clinical practice and administration with a focus on psychiatric care throughout her career. She worked as a staff nurse at Beaufort County Hospital, now Vidant-Beaufort Hospital, in the inpatient psychiatric unit before becoming nurse manager of that unit. She also served as nurse manager for the Ray G. Silverthorne Crisis Center there. Joyner is now the practice manager for Vidant Medical Group, managing six outpatient behavioral health offices in the region.

Manning graduated from the ECU College of Nursing in 1975 and served as a cardiac critical care nurse in eastern North Carolina for 42 years. She was known for always putting her patients first and modeling lifelong learning while instilling confidence and competence in her nursing team.

Schreier earned her bachelor’s degree from Boston University, her master’s from the University of California-San Francisco, and her doctorate from Stanford University. She worked as a staff nurse, then as a hospice nurse, before beginning her academic career at the Catholic University of America School of Nursing in D.C. She has been a professor in the ECU College of Nursing for 26 years, where she has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. She is currently a professor in the nursing science department, teaching students in the doctoral program. She is responsible for numerous publications and research grants related to pain, breast cancer and symptom management.

This year’s Hall of Fame class featured 11 inductees who have served in leadership roles for major medical centers, national health care non-profit organizations, higher education and the military. Each received a flame-shaped award that mirrors the flame featured in the College of Nursing pin, representing a vibrant life.

The Hall of Fame has raised $116,000 for scholarships since 2011. This year’s event raised $25,000 in scholarship funds.

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