As a Primary Care Physician at CarolinaEast Health System, you will step into a role where your expertise addresses a genuine healthcare gap. The system has lost four primary care physicians to retirement in recent years and replaced only two, leaving a substantial patient population eager for a dedicated physician. Many of these patients are currently being managed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants who would welcome physician leadership and collaboration. You will not spend months building a panel from scratch or wondering where your next patient will come from. The demand exists today, and you can be seeing 18-19 patients daily as soon as you are ready.
This is primary care as the foundation of a healthcare system, not an afterthought. CarolinaEast recognizes that primary care drives the specialty referral network and supports the entire organization. Your role carries weight here, and your clinical decisions directly influence patient outcomes across the continuum of care.
CarolinaEast offers primary care opportunities at two distinct locations, each with unique advantages. In New Bern, you would build your practice with patients from recently retired physicians, supported by experienced APPs and nursing staff who know the patient population. The Pollocksville location, approximately 15 minutes from New Bern, houses an impressive multi-specialty clinic with on-site lab services that outperform the hospital's own lab volume. A physician retiring from the Pollocksville clinic would leave behind an established patient panel, allowing you to inherit a mature practice from day one.
Your schedule can be tailored to align with your personal and professional priorities. CarolinaEast offers flexibility that many health systems cannot match, whether you prefer traditional full-time hours or a modified schedule that allows more time for family and personal pursuits.
You will join a collegial group of primary care physicians who share a commitment to community health. The leadership team, now including CEO Michael Smith and VPs Murray and Craig, maintains an open-door policy and values physician input. The administration understands that physician satisfaction directly impacts patient care quality, and they have structured support systems to minimize bureaucratic burdens while providing necessary resources.
This position offers the chance to practice medicine with sufficient time for each patient, collegial relationships with specialists across the system, and an administration that genuinely values your contributions to community health.