Your clinical practice at CarolinaEast will immerse you in the full spectrum of general cardiology while providing the technology, team support, and infrastructure that makes comprehensive cardiovascular care manageable and rewarding. The health system transitioned to Epic approximately one year ago, integrating all cardiovascular services into a unified platform that streamlines documentation, facilitates care coordination, and connects you seamlessly to diagnostic results, imaging studies, and specialist consultations throughout the organization.
The New Bern practice operates as a consult-only service, meaning you provide cardiovascular expertise without carrying primary admitting responsibilities. This model allows you to focus on cardiac-specific care while hospitalists manage the broader medical needs of inpatients. Your daily work includes outpatient clinic sessions, inpatient consultations, procedure time, and diagnostic interpretation, with the specific balance determined by your preferences and the weekly rotation schedule.
The current call rotation stands at 1:4, shared among the general cardiology team with support from interventional colleagues who have stepped in to ease the burden during this recruitment period. Administration is actively negotiating a contract with the hospitalist service that would eliminate night phone calls entirely, limiting your call responsibilities to weekend rounding and true cardiovascular emergencies requiring specialist intervention. This arrangement remains in progress but reflects leadership's genuine commitment to addressing physician concerns about call burden.
During hospital weeks, you will round on cardiovascular patients, respond to consultations, and perform procedures as indicated. Weekend call typically involves Saturday and Sunday rounding with APP support available from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Current physicians report that weekend responsibilities often wrap up by early to mid-afternoon on Saturday and even earlier on Sunday, depending on census. Night calls from the floor tend to involve medication questions and routine issues, though administration acknowledges that nursing experience levels can affect call volume and is working to improve education and protocols.
Your procedural scope at CarolinaEast includes the standard noninvasive cardiology portfolio: echocardiography interpretation, stress test supervision, Holter and event monitor analysis, and device interrogation and management. Physicians participating in hospital coverage also perform TEEs and cardioversions as clinically indicated.
CarolinaEast has budgeted for cardiac CT services and plans to contract these studies out initially while recruiting a physician with advanced imaging credentials. If you hold CT or MRI certification, the health system would invest in developing that program around your expertise, potentially adding cardiac MRI capabilities in subsequent years. This represents a genuine growth opportunity for the right candidate interested in building an advanced imaging program within a supportive community hospital setting.
The cardiology service has invested significantly in APP support, with five nurse practitioners and physician assistants currently on staff and recruitment underway for a sixth. This team functions as true physician extenders rather than independent practitioners, managing established patient follow-ups, handling routine hospital consultations, and providing continuous support during call periods. The APP presence allows you to focus your time on new patients, complex cases, and procedures while maintaining excellent continuity of care across the patient panel.
Hospital coverage includes dedicated APP support seven days per week, with one provider working 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM shifts. This coverage ensures you have knowledgeable assistance during weekend rounding and reduces the burden of routine floor calls. The APPs have developed genuine cardiology expertise through their tenure with the program and function as collaborative partners in patient care rather than task-oriented extenders.
The Morehead City clinic operates as a purely outpatient practice with no hospital responsibilities or call duties. Your clinical work focuses on office-based cardiology: new patient consultations, established patient management, device checks, stress test supervision, and echocardiography. The clinic also offers vascular ultrasound services. Three APPs support the two-physician practice, handling follow-up visits and extending your capacity to see the patients who need physician-level evaluation.
This setting suits physicians who want to maintain active clinical practice without the unpredictability of hospital work or the physical demands of call coverage. Campbell University medical students rotate through the Morehead City clinic, providing teaching opportunities for physicians who enjoy medical education. The coastal location offers a distinctly different lifestyle than New Bern, with immediate access to beaches, boating, and the relaxed pace of Crystal Coast living.
The clinical environment at both locations reflects CarolinaEast's investment in cardiovascular services and commitment to physician satisfaction. You will practice with modern technology, strong team support, and the autonomy to deliver excellent patient care without the administrative interference and productivity pressure that burden many cardiology practices today.