Strengthening Rural Healthcare and Leading with Purpose with Dennis Campbell II

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Strengthening Rural Healthcare and Leading with Purpose with Dennis Campbell II

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Date: May 21, 2026
Guest: Dennis Campbell II, President, ECU Beaufort Hospital
Host: Scott Becker

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Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Dennis Campbell II, president of ECU Beaufort Hospital, as he discusses the opportunities and challenges facing rural healthcare, strategies for strengthening care delivery in underserved areas, and timeless lessons in purposeful leadership. Drawing from his journey as a nurse and healthcare executive, Dennis shares innovative approaches and candid reflections on the role of community and mission in driving healthcare excellence, particularly within rural North Carolina.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dennis Campbell’s Background and ECU Health Mission

[00:43–02:44]

• Personal and Professional Introduction:

  • Dennis highlights his roots as a registered nurse and credits his clinical experience for shaping his patient-centered leadership style.
  • Noted for his close ties to his family—the “II” is a nod to being named after his father.

• Scope of ECU Health & Beaufort Hospital:

  • ECU Health is a nine-hospital, rural academic system serving eastern North Carolina, with Beaufort Hospital located in Washington, NC.
  • Full-service offerings: emergency, med-surg, women’s and children’s care, rehab, cardiology, oncology (Marian L. Shepard Cancer Center), and a primary stroke center.

• Community Commitment:

  • “Our mission is to deliver advanced, high quality care close to home while preserving the compassion and connection of a community hospital, ensuring access to care today for generations to come.”
    – Dennis Campbell [02:34]

• Special Rural Challenges:

  • Higher rates of chronic disease and challenging socioeconomics push the hospital to innovate and advocate for its patients.

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2. Trends & Innovations in Rural Healthcare

[02:44–04:13]

• Emerging Trends:

  • Dennis is especially focused on rural health challenges: chronic disease burden, workforce shortages, financial pressure, and an increasing number of under- and uninsured patients.

• Innovation and Partnerships:

  • Utilization of telehealth, remote monitoring, and new care models to break down access barriers.
  • Partnerships with local colleges/universities to build workforce pipelines.
  • Bringing healthcare resources “directly into rural communities, reducing barriers and meeting patients where they are.”
    – Dennis Campbell [03:32]

• Advocacy:

  • Robust legislative advocacy at state and federal levels.
  • CEO Dr. Michael Waldron’s recent congressional testimony highlighted as part of their national push:
    “Rural health care is health care.”
    – Dennis Campbell [03:56]

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3. Strategic Focus and Excitement for the Future

[04:13–05:22]

• Building “Momentum” for a Resilient Community:

  • Expanded access to primary and specialty care.
  • Local advancement of surgery, cardiology, critical care, and oncology—enabling high-quality care “close to home.”
  • Relentless focus on patient safety, reducing preventable harm, and earning community trust.

• Staff and Leadership:

  • Cultivating workforce stability and physician engagement.
  • “I'm proud of our people. In a time of unprecedented challenge in healthcare, our teams have shown resilience, compassion and commitment to purpose.”
    – Dennis Campbell [04:57]

• Summary:

  • By investing in leaders and developing talent, ECU Health fosters an environment where staff “feel valued, supported and inspired.”

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4. Purposeful Leadership Advice

[05:22–06:47]

• Leading through Uncertainty:

  • “Lead with purpose…If we stay connected to why the work matters and who we serve, we'll lead with confidence, even in uncertainty.”
    – Dennis Campbell [05:43]

• Value of Relationships:

  • Leadership is rooted in trust and genuine care for people, not rank or title.
  • Importance of listening, understanding, and forming meaningful connections.

• Continuous Growth:

  • “The most impactful leaders never stop learning. We embrace growth, we seek diverse perspectives and develop others along the way.”
    – Dennis Campbell [06:16]

• Authenticity’s Impact:

  • “When you lead authentically and help others rise, your influence extends far beyond your role. And that is the true measure of leadership.”
    – Dennis Campbell [06:36]

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5. Personal Connection to Rural Healthcare and Community

[06:47–07:41]

• Special Nature of Rural Healthcare:

  • Dennis recounts feeling uniquely connected to the Washington, NC community, more so than in larger urban settings.

• Meaning in the Work:

  • Sees direct impact by being recognized by community members and hearing gratitude from patients’ families.
  • “I will tell you when I go to the grocery store and someone recognizes me and can say, hey, you took care of my mom, you took care of my dad, and I'm so grateful that you guys are here, it makes all the difference.”
    – Dennis Campbell [07:12]

• Purpose-Driven Mission:

  • Reinforces that above all, the goal is to ensure optimal healthcare for everyone served despite the ongoing and increasing complexities of healthcare delivery.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Purposeful Leadership:
  “If we stay connected to why the work matters and who we serve, we'll lead with confidence, even in uncertainty.”
  – Dennis Campbell [05:43]

• On the Power of Relationships in Leadership:
  “People are our greatest asset. Leadership is not about position or title. It's about trust.”
  – Dennis Campbell [06:03]

• On Community Impact:
  “It makes all the difference…At the end of the day, we're here to serve people and make sure that they receive the most optimal healthcare that they can.”
  – Dennis Campbell [07:22]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:43 — Dennis’s background and hospital overview
• 02:55 — Trends in rural healthcare and advocacy efforts
• 04:20 — Initiatives and progress at ECU Beaufort Hospital
• 05:37 — Leadership advice for emerging leaders
• 07:02 — Personal impact and rural healthcare connection

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Conclusion

In an engaging reflection from a nurse-turned-president, Dennis Campbell II illustrates the unique and pressing challenges of rural healthcare while offering hope through innovation, advocacy, and a deep commitment to people. He provides actionable leadership wisdom grounded in trust, learning, and authenticity, reminding listeners that healthcare is ultimately about serving—and connecting with—community.

Transcript

[A]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker's Healthcare podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by a brilliant leader from one of the most beautiful places in the country. We're joined today by Dennis Campbell. Dennis is the president of the East Carolina University Health System at Beaufort Hospital, a campus of East Carolina University Health and Medical center in a fascinatingly beautiful place to be. Dennis is also a senior healthcare executive. He is a nurse by background as well as several other degrees. A fabulous professional career. Dennis, can you take a moment and tell us about yourself and also about ECU Health?

[B]

Thanks, Scott. I'd be happy to. So again, my name is Dennis Campbell, the second. I usually put the second there because I'm named after my dad. And growing up, if I just introduced myself as Dennis Campbell, kind of flick my ear and be like, I'm number one. So Dennis Campbell is second. And I serve currently as the president of ECUF Beaufort Hospital. And we're a campus of ECUF Medical center, which is in Greenville, North Carolina. But my location is in Washington, North Carolina. I am a registered nurse by background and my career in healthcare began more than 20 years ago at the bedside and as an intensive care nurse. And that clinical foundation continues to shape how I lead keeping patients, families and care teams at the center of every decision. I've been with ECU Health since 2020 and have had the privilege of serving in several leadership roles, including a vice president and chief nurse at this current site. And then I became the interim president before stepping into the role permanently in 2023. ECU Health is a nine hospital rural academic health system serving all of eastern North Carolina and ECU Beaufort Hospital is a full service community hospital located again in Washington. The site here in Washington is a full service community hospital and we offer emergency care, medical surgical services, women's and children's care, rehabilitation, cardiology and advanced cancer care through the Marian L. Shepard Cancer center, which sits here on this site. We're also designated as a primary stroke center. But Scott, what makes our work especially meaningful is that we serve a rural community in eastern North Carolina. Our citizens face higher rates of chronic disease and challenging socioeconomic conditions, which drives us to innovate and advocate. Our mission is to deliver advanced, high quality care close to home while preserving the compassion and connection of a community hospital, ensuring access to care today for generations to come.

[A]

Talk about when you look at healthcare in the area you're in, what are some of the trends you're watching? What does staffing look like? What does technology advancement look like? What are some of These you're watching closely.

[B]

Yeah, great question. You know, the most significant trend I'm watching and actively engaged in is the future of rural healthcare. And that not only has to do with access to care, but the rural care workforce. Rural communities like ours again face higher incidences of chronic disease burden, workforce challenges, financial pressures, and a growing number of underinsured and uninsured patients. And so we look at that as a real opportunity to innovate using things such as telehealth, remote monitoring, new care models. We partner with our local community colleges, the local university for pipeline development, and we bring care and resources directly into rural communities, reducing barriers and meeting patients where they are. Equally important to that, though, is advocacy. ECU Health is actively engaged at both the state and federal levels to ensure policymakers understand the realities facing rural healthcare systems. In fact, you may be aware of this, but our CEO, Dr. Michael Waldron, recently testified before the US House Ways and Means Committee to share our story. Nationally, because it is a real concern. Rural health care is health care. We're hopeful that our leaders in Congress and the North Carolina General assembly will partner with us to strengthen and sustain rural healthcare for the future.

[A]

Thank you and take a second, Dennis. What are you most focused on and excited about for the next six months of the year?

[B]

What excites me most is the momentum we're building towards a stronger, more resilient future for our community. Over the last six to 18 months, our teams have made meaningful progress in expanding access to care. It's primary care and some specialty services, strengthening quality and safety and investing in long term sustainability. We've expanded advanced services locally, particularly in surgical care, cardiology, critical care and oncology so patients can receive high quality care close to home. We've also sustained an unwavering focus on patient safety and quality, continue to reduce preventable harm and build trust with the community we serve. But most of all, I'm proud of our people. In a time of unprecedented challenge in healthcare, our teams have shown resilience, compassion and commitment to purpose. By investing in leadership development, workforce stability and physician engagement, we are creating an environment where people feel valued, supported and inspired. And that is what truly drives a lasting impact.

[A]

Thank you, Dennis. You've had this fantastic career, the kind of career that I just love to watch people have started as a nurse, now president of a health system or hospital. Talk about some of the leadership advice you'd give to evolving leaders and what they ought to think about.

[B]

That is a great question. You know, the first thing I would say is lead with purpose. You know, challenges will always be there. I think that's the most consistent thing we can expect. They're going to rise and they will provide a sense of no direction or been unclear. And so as a leader, we have to continue to provide clarity and stay grounded. If we stay connected to why the work matters and who we serve, we'll lead with confidence, even in uncertainty. The second thing I would say is to invest deeply in relationships. People are our greatest asset. Leadership is not about position or title. It's about trust. So taking the time to listen, to understand and build meaningful connections, people will follow leaders who genuinely care about them. And finally, what I would say is to remain humble and curious. The most impactful leaders never stop learning. We embrace growth, we seek diverse perspectives and develop others along the way. When you lead authentically and help others rise, your influence extends far beyond your role. And that is the true measure of leadership.

[A]

Fantastic. Dennis, it's always great to visit with you. Anything else you'd like to share with your team or with leadership about how excited you are about what ECU and Beaufort is doing and Washington is doing? Tell us anything else you'd like to hear about the excitement you have.

[B]

You know what, Scott? I've had the opportunity to work in urban settings and more popular cities, and I have never felt more connected to a community than than I have working here. Rural healthcare is certainly different and it poses its challenges. But I will tell you, when I go to the grocery store and someone recognizes me and can say, hey, you took care of my mom, you took care of my dad, and I'm so grateful that you guys are here, it makes all the difference. We'll all continue to face challenges. Healthcare will continue to be increasingly complex. But at the end of the day, we're here to serve people and make sure that they receive the most optimal healthcare that they can.

[A]

Thank you so much, Dennis. Fantastic to visit you. Continue. Great success. I love the leadership. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Beckers Healthcare podcast.

[B]

Thank you.