ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — The words "Sentara Health Lab" now sit right above the door of a resource for biology students at Mid-Atlantic Christian University, but it's much bigger than that. Those letters show a commitment from Sentara to healthcare in northeastern North Carolina's future.
"I think it just sets more people up to be in this rural area, for health care," said Titus Bleckley, a senior at MACU who hopes to head into a healthcare career once he graduates in May.
It's no secret the challenges that rural areas in northeastern North Carolina face for healthcare. But Sentara is continuing its investment in the future of healthcare for the area with the naming of the Sentara Health Lab at MACU.
"You want to make sure that they have the same health care investment that you do in the urban areas. If we want to see that coming out of our community, caring for our patients, then we need to be partners with investing in the future of these young people's lives," said Teresa Watson, president of Sentara Albemarle Medical Center.
MACU only began its biology program a decade ago, and here faith comes first. But the university recognizes the importance of investing in the careers of current and future students.
"Having Sentara's name on this lab is huge for us. It shows a partnership and an investment of Sentara into our community. We know that it's important to have business and education and healthcare tie ins. And we want our students, when they are here studying biology, to have Sentara healthcare at the forefront of their minds for service in the future," said John Maurice, president of MACU.
"I love to see that kind of partnership between a healthcare provider and small college like this. Because in addition to providing community health, it also provides opportunities for training of the students, which is very important for a small school like MACU," said John Pace, a professor of microbiology at MACU.
Since 2023, Sentara has invested $1.5 million in northeastern North Carolina, with the hope that continued investment will only help healthcare access improve and recruit and retain the next generation of professionals in the area.
"I think that's huge, especially for people that you know want to be an RN, want to be PA's, things of that nature. They can come right back here to a town that they already know, to people that they already know," said Bleckley.
The goal of the investment in the lab for Sentara is to host several community science events a year, help raise graduate-school exam success rates and support MACU's plan to grow its science major student population. The upgraded facility is designed to strengthen local STEM pathways and attract the next generation of health and science professionals.
