Touching Lives Across North Carolina

Sitting in Scotland Memorial Hospital in Laurinburg, a city of roughly 15,000 close to the South Carolina line, 56-year-old grandmother of six Debra Fast waited to speak with a physician about her breast most cancers prognosis. 

On today in January 2022, Fast’s thoughts was distant, picturing graduations, weddings, and Christmases she feared she’d miss.

When Duke surgeon Dr. Hannah Woriax entered, she took Fast’s hand, smiled, and guaranteed her they’d defeat most cancers collectively. 

“She was my guardian angel,” mentioned Fast, now cancer-free after surgical procedure, radiation and chemotherapy.

Whereas Woriax lives in Pembroke, roughly two hours from Durham, and sees sufferers in Robeson and Scotland counties, with “Duke Surgical procedure” embroidered into her white coat, the Assistant Professor of Surgical procedure is proud to be one of many some ways Duke touches lives throughout the state.

“Individuals right here deserve the perfect care doable, identical to sufferers anyplace else,” mentioned Woriax, who serves as a surgical oncologist for 2 rural most cancers facilities affiliated with Duke.

The scope of Duke College and Duke College Well being System’s work in North Carolina was lately highlighted in a report from the Workplace of Duke State Relations. Whereas Duke’s position within the Triangle is well-known, the report illuminated some ways the college and well being system contact lives throughout the state.

Duke is North Carolina’s second-largest non-public employer. Round 34,000 Duke College alumni name North Carolina house and with its roughly 400 clinics and care areas, Duke College Well being System serves sufferers in all 100 North Carolina counties.

Since 1938, the Duke College Marine Lab has introduced college students and college to Beaufort to check the coast. And since 2009, Duke Medical & Translational Science’s landmark MURDOCK Examine has given researchers a complete have a look at the varied well being wants of Cabarrus County residents.

From the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership’s efforts advancing inexpensive house possession and academic achievement in 14 Durham neighborhoods, to the Duke LifePoint Healthcare partnership, which connects Duke’s world class care to neighborhood hospitals within the central and western a part of the state, Duke finds revolutionary methods to serve North Carolinians.

“That is what we’re all about,” mentioned Affiliate Vice President Doug Heron, who leads the Workplace of Duke State Relations. “I’m regularly impressed by the dedication of individuals at Duke and the work they do to enhance lives in North Carolina.”

Savoring moments together with her household removed from Durham, breast most cancers survivor Debra Fast is grateful to be a type of lives touched by Duke.

“I’d all the time heard about Duke and its nice medical doctors,” Fast mentioned. “My physician was a shining gentle. She’s meant to do what she does.” 

Learn the Duke in North Carolina report: staterelations.duke.edu/duke-in-north-carolina