ECU Health Aorta Program
The ECU Health Aortic Program was established this year by Dr. Benjamin Degner and Dr. Samuel Sears. Erica Barwick, FNP, was recruited to serve as Clinic Coordinator soon after that. The program’s mission is to provide comprehensive care to patients with aortic disease in aneurysm surveillance and postoperative repair. Patients will continue to receive routine medical surveillance with CT imaging and hemodynamic monitoring but will now also have access to cardiac psychology care and resources as well as exercise physiology. The ultimate goal will be to provide patients with a tailored prescription that encompasses all aspects of a patient’s physical health and mental well-being to improve the lives of those living with aortic disease. The Aortic Program will also be working diligently on research to further the understanding of best practice models in caring for patients with aortic disease at the local, national, and worldwide levels.
Aorta Day Event
The ECU Health Aortic Program hosted its first Aortic Awareness Day on September 19th at the East Carolina Heart Institute. Aortic Awareness Month is observed in September, with September 19th specifically recognized as Aortic Disease Awareness Day for those with aortic aneurysms and post-aortic dissection repair. The CDC estimates that aortic dissections account for almost 10,000 deaths annually in the United States. The event allowed patients and their family members to learn more about aortic disease physiology and cardiac psychology, as well as a patient presentation and question and answer session. Representatives from Terumo Medical were also on-site, providing aortic graft models for patients to view, pamphlet information, and refreshments for the event. Local television news stations reported on the events as well.Chris Stansbury, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at ECU, gave a personal testimony of his recovery following aortic dissection repair in July 2021. Mr. Stansbury’s presentation allowed event attendees to hear an honest account of the challenges aortic disease patients may face and of the positive impact the development of holistic programs, such as the ECU Aortic Program, will have on patient postoperative outcomes and quality of life.
Dr. Degner and Dr. Sears shared their vision for serving patients with Aortic Disease by engaging a comprehensive care model focused on patients’ needs. They presented the goals of increasing confidence and restoring the quality of life for patients. Dr. Degner presented an overview of the medical aspects of aortic disease and how surgeons evaluate and repair the aorta. Dr. Sears presented recent research reporting on the needs of aortic patients. Specifically, research has suggested that aortic patients seek more information about aortic disease and about managing anxiety. Dr. Sears reviewed key aspects of coping with heart disease, including self-reflection, connection to loved ones, quality-of-life planning, and gratitude.
Aorta Program Providers
Dr. Benjamin Degner
Dr. Benjamin Degner is a Clinical Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU Health. He is also the Co-Director of the ECU Health Aortic Program. He completed his General Surgery Residency training at Loyola University in Chicago. He completed his Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship training in New York City at the Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He also completed an Advanced Aortic Surgery Fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Since starting at ECU Health in 2018, Dr. Degner has developed a busy clinical practice with a focus on aortic surgery. In addition, he is involved in multiple cardiac surgery research projects and is an active teacher for our medical students, residents, and fellows, winning the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Teaching Award in 2023.
Samuel F. Sears, Ph.D
Samuel F. Sears, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Cardiovascular Sciences at East Carolina University. He also serves as Associate Director of the ECU Cardiology Fellowship and the Division Chief of Innovation and Research at the East Carolina Heart Institute. Dr. Sears is considered by many as the world authority on the psychological care and quality of life outcomes of cardiac patients. He has published over 200 articles in the medicine and psychology research literature and has well over 12,000 citations. In 2021, Expertscape.com named Dr. Sears one of the top 50 experts/prolific authors in the world on implantable defibrillators over the last 10 years amongst the 27,847 authors of the topic. Dr. Sears was awarded the O. Max Gardner Award in 2013. This annual award is given by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina system to the faculty member who “has made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race” in the past year. The award is considered the highest honor bestowed to a faculty member in the UNC system. Dr. Sears continues to practice and teach health psychology in cardiology clinics at the East Carolina Heart Institute at East Carolina University since 2007. He was an Associate Professor at the University of Florida from 1995-2007. Dr. Sears received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. (1995) in clinic health psychology from the University of Florida.
Erica Proffitt Barwick, FNP-C
Erica Proffitt Barwick, FNP-C is the nurse practitioner for the aorta program at the East Carolina Heart Institute. She is a native of Pitt County and a proud Pirate alumna, earning both her bachelor’s degrees in psychology (2010) and nursing (2013) from East Carolina University. Following graduation, she worked as a staff nurse with the cardiac medicine unit at ECU Medical Center, where she completed her PCCN certification in 2016 and earned three DAISY Award nominations in 2017. She obtained her master’s degree in nursing from Duke University in December 2019. She has been a nurse practitioner with the ECU Health cardiac surgery team since 2020, which first afforded her the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Degner and aorta patients. Following the birth of her daughter in April 2024, she has transitioned into the aorta program nurse practitioner role. Erica is excited to continue building the aorta program alongside Dr. Degner and Dr. Sears to improve patient care and better serve the community of eastern North Carolina.