GREENVILLE – Change is on its way.

Effective January 25, 2012, University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina will become Vidant Health, and Pitt County Memorial Hospital (PCMH) will become Vidant Medical Center.

The announcement came Wednesday afternoon during a scheduled press conference held in Greenville by UHS officials. The name change impacts both local UHS facilities. Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie will become Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital and Bertie Memorial Hospital in Windsor will change to Vidant Bertie Hospital.

“Changing the name of our health system doesn’t change who we are as an organization,” said Dave McRae, chief executive officer of University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. “We are committed to improving access to quality health care services in the region, enhancing the patient’s experience and improving health outcomes. By aligning all of our hospitals with the system name we will be able to tell people who we are and how we are all connected together.”

The name Vidant Health is derived from the Latin root vi- which is universally associated with life, vibrancy and vitality. The name is closely tied to the system’s mission “to enhance the quality of life for the communities we serve, touch and support.”

The mark, with its stylized letter “V”, symbolizes Vidant as an interconnected system of care. It was designed to support the healthcare system’s values and to reflect a confident, strong and caring organization that focuses on the patient at the core of its efforts. All ten system hospitals are active partners in their communities’ well-being, providing access to quality health services for everyone through a complete system of care. Vidant Health highlights the passion for doing good, not just doing business.

Since 1997, when University Health Systems was created, the system has grown to 10 hospitals, added physician groups and incorporated home health, hospice and wellness services to its offerings.

“Changing our name from University Health Systems to Vidant Health is merely the next logical step in positioning ourselves to compete and perform well in the new era of medicine,” said David Womack, chairman of the board of directors.

Also changing will be the names of most of the University Health Systems regional hospitals and physician practices. New names will be:

Vidant Beaufort Hospital (Washington)

Vidant Chowan Hospital (Edenton)

Vidant Duplin Hospital (Kenansville)

Vidant Edgecombe Hospital (formerly Heritage Hospital in

Tarboro)

Vidant Pungo Hospital (Belhaven)

The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head and Albemarle Health in Elizabeth City will continue to operate under their existing names.

“We are continually assessing how we can better serve the people and communities of eastern North Carolina,” McRae said. “We want to have a name that is easily identifiable and allows us to create a simple naming structure to communicate directly and plainly who we are, what we offer and the value we bring to the communities we serve.”

The legal names of the entities will not change.