§ 116-360.15.  Personnel and operations.

(a) Employment Authority. - East Carolina University School of Medicine may employ a workforce to conduct its operations of the Medical Faculty Practice Plan and the ECU Dental School Clinical Operations. Employees who are employed directly by Medical Faculty Practice Plan and the ECU Dental School Clinical Operations, and not by an affiliated hospital or health system, are State employees whose terms and conditions of employment, including benefit plans and programs, are determined by the Chancellor, subject to the direction of the President. Only Articles 5, 6, 7, and 14 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes, the State Human Resources Act, apply to these State employees. Subject to the approval of the President, the Chancellor may authorize East Carolina University to employ the faculty and staff of the School of Medicine and other health affairs schools and components of East Carolina University, subject to the provisions of this section. All employees who are faculty members shall remain subject to the faculty policies of East Carolina University, as established or adopted pursuant to delegation from the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina. A State employee employed by East Carolina University as part of the Medical Faculty Practice Plan or ECU Dental School Clinical Operations prior to January 1, 2024, has the right to (i) continued State employment if the employee remains in the employee's current role or position, unless terminated in accordance with the terms of employment that existed immediately prior to January 1, 2024, subject to all relevant provisions of State and federal law and (ii) continued participation in the State Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System if the employee was enrolled in the Retirement System immediately prior to January 1, 2024, and maintains State employee status.

(b) Certain Career State Employees. - Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, all of the following applies:

(1) For employees of the Medical Faculty Practice Plan. - The compensation of a State employee who achieved career State employee status by October 31, 1998, shall not be reduced as a result of this section and that employee shall (i) remain subject to the rules regarding discipline or discharge that were effective on October 31, 1998, and (ii) not be subject to the rules regarding discipline or discharge adopted after that date.

(2) For employees of the ECU Dental School Clinical Operations. - The compensation of a State employee who achieved career State employee status by June 30, 2022, shall not be reduced as a result of this section and that employee shall (i) remain subject to the rules regarding discipline or discharge that were effective on June 30, 2022, and (ii) not be subject to the rules regarding discipline or discharge adopted after that date.

(c) [Authority For Certain Actions. -] Subject to the direction of the President and so long as it is to the benefit of the School of Medicine, East Carolina University, or The University of North Carolina System, the Chancellor may take any of the following actions:

(1) Enter into partnerships, affiliations, joint operating agreements, and other arrangements with hospitals, health systems, and other health care partners on behalf of the School of Medicine or East Carolina University.

(2) Assign employees to assist with the establishment and operation of any partnerships, affiliations, joint operating agreements, and other arrangements entered into pursuant to this subsection.

(3) Make available office space, equipment, supplies, and other related resources as part of any partnerships, affiliations, joint operating agreements, and other arrangements entered into pursuant to this subsection. (2023-134, s. 4.10(b).)