Medical: Cardiac Care

Residents in certain parts of the state are affected more by heart disease. “Heart and vascular disease are about 10% more prevalent in eastern North Carolina due to elevated regional rates of diabetes, smoking and obesity,” says Dr. Joseph Haurani, a vascular surgeon with ECU Health and professor of vascular surgery at ECU. “And on top of that, vascular specialists are scarce in the region, which causes travel challenges for patients who need specialty care.”