North Carolina Construction News staff writer
East Carolina University (ECU) leaders broke ground last week on the future Center for Medical Education, a seven-story, 195,000-square-foot building set to open in 2027. The new facility will expand ECU’s capacity to train doctors, particularly in rural North Carolina, and help address the nationwide shortage of primary care physicians.
Construction is set to begin next March and be completed during the 2027-28 academic year. T.A. Loving Company out of Goldsboro is the project’s contractor. The building was designed by the SmithGroup.
The ceremony, which took place during a two-day meeting of the ECU Board of Trustees, was attended by more than 20 university and state leaders. Key figures included ECU Chancellor Philip G. Rogers, Dr. Michael Waldrum, dean of the Brody School of Medicine and CEO of ECU Health, University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans, and fourth-year medical student Shantell McLaggan.
The $265 million project was made possible after the North Carolina General Assembly approved funding in 2021, which was signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper. The groundbreaking marks a significant step in the university’s long-term plan to expand medical education facilities.
“There is a shortage of primary care doctors in our country that’s especially acute for rural Americans,” Rogers said. “East Carolina University stands at the forefront, training today’s students who will practice primary care in underserved areas tomorrow.
“We thank our state’s leaders and the people of North Carolina for trusting in our commitment to improve rural health.”
According to the American Medical Association, more than 83 million people in the U.S. lack access to primary care, with rural communities facing the greatest need. ECU’s Brody School of Medicine is ranked No. 2 in the nation for producing family medicine doctors who practice in rural or underserved areas.
Dr. Waldrum highlighted how the new Center for Medical Education will directly support the medical school’s mission to serve rural North Carolina. “This facility will provide a state-of-the-art environment for our students, faculty, and staff to continue delivering the highest-quality education in one of the nation’s largest rural regions,” he said.
The new center will feature advanced classrooms, anatomy labs, simulation technology, and collaborative student spaces. There will also be common areas designed as “living rooms” to foster interaction and relaxation for students. Dr. Jason Higginson, executive dean of the Brody School of Medicine, emphasized the building’s student-focused design. “Medical school is rigorous. Success depends on having both hands-on learning environments and quiet spaces for study. Our new building will offer all of that,” he said.
The expansion will also allow ECU to increase its medical school class size from fewer than 100 to 120 students per year. The new facility will support ECU’s mission to train doctors who serve the health needs of eastern North Carolina and beyond.
Construction is set to begin in March 2025 at the northeast corner of the medical school campus. The Center for Medical Education is scheduled to open during the 2027-2028 academic year, further solidifying ECU’s role in addressing healthcare disparities in rural areas.
