Healthcare in Southeast North Carolina

Interview with Blanche Ambrose which took place at her Wilmington home on June 18, 2004. It was conducted by LuAnn Mims and Jerry Parnell for the Heath Services Series. Ambrose, an RN, developed the LPN program (1965) at Cape Fear Technical Institute. She speaks directly about her training, education and pulling this all together to make this program work.

In this interview, James Walker graduate and Wilmington native Diane Satterfield shares details regarding her training and experiences as a nursing student in the early 60's and her subsequent professional nursing career.

Interview with Toni Barfield who served as an instructor and was fundamental in developing the nursing program first at Wilmington College then UNCW. She graduated from UNC-CH school of nursing in 1963 with a BSN at age 22. She joined the faculty at Wilmington College in 1968 and taught for many years. Barfield explains that she acquired her specialty in OB-GYN only in response to the increasing demand for classes in the field. She explains that nursing students did their psychiatry training at Cherry Hospital and mentions the first male graduate in 1972.

Interview with Alice Brittian Brook, a 1964 graduate of the James Walker School of Nursing. During her time in training she witnessed the transformation of nursing towards integration of hospital patients and staff with the opening of New Hanover Memorial Hospital. Her long career includes an expanded nursing role as a nurse practitioner in the field of pediatric nursing. She currently works at the Child Development Center in Wilmington.

Interview with Dr. Richard Corbett who graduated from Wake Forest Medical School in 1957. He studied radiology and notes many of the transitions in this field. Besides his memories of Bullock Hospital Clinic he also recalls the Community, James Walker, Cape Fear, and New Hanover Hospitals. He retired in 1990 only to come back to work a few months later and was still interpreting and consulting as of 2005 when the interview was conducted.

Interview with Mildred Floyd, a 1950 graduate of the Community Hospital School of Nursing. Born and raised in rural eastern NC, Floyd came to the school as she always wanted to be a nurse. Her career included various positions within the Community Hospital as well as head of the OB/GYN ward there. Later when New Hanover Hospital opened, she went into educational department and trained new personnel. Her interview includes her time in training, physicians and staff of Community Hospital, and follow-up with the Alumni Association.

Annette Freeman, a 1938 graduate of Community Hospital School of Nursing in Wilmington, discusses her experience as a nursing student and a professional nurse and anesthetist during segregation.

In this interview, Dr. Mason Lockert recounts his medical career in Wilmington. He gives specific examples of procedures and policies at Betty H. Cameron Women's & Children's Hospital and James Walker.

In this interview, Dr. Sam Warshauer describes his experiences in Wilmington as a young cardiologist. He began his practice in the Murchison Building in downtown Wilmington and worked at James Walker, Community, Cape Fear, and New Hanover Regional hospitals. Dr. Warshauer explains how medical technology grew during the years that he practiced from 1945 to the late 1980s. He remembers how he, with a few other doctors from James Walker hospital, learned to use the first defibrillator in Wilmington.