North Carolina Healthcare Association

12/29/2025

UNC Health Southeastern proudly congratulates the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina on achieving full federal recognition, a historic milestone reflecting generations of perseverance, advocacy, and cultural pride.

This recognition is especially meaningful for southeastern North Carolina, where many teammates, providers, patients, and community members are Lumbee. Federal recognition opens new opportunities to strengthen access to healthcare services, resources, and partnerships that support improved health outcomes and long-term community well-being.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4p7gPYo

12/26/2025

During Christmas week, moments of compassion made a difference for families spending the holidays in the hospital.

At UNC Health Rex, NICU nurses dressed some of their tiniest patients in festive outfits, bringing smiles and comfort to parents whose babies are still receiving critical care. North Carolina hospitals support patients and families through every season.

See more: https://bit.ly/496sYXp

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Christmas week is a tough time to spend in the hospital for many, but the staff at UNC Health Rex is doing their best to keep spirits bright. With permission from parents, Ne…

12/25/2025

NCHA wishes you a happy holiday season and a healthy new year! Check out this special video message from NCHA President and CEO Josh Dobson. Thank you to North Carolina’s healthcare workers for their dedication and hard work during the holidays, keeping our communities safe and healthy as we step into 2026.

12/24/2025

As 2025 comes to a close, the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation thanks supporters, members, and partners who make this work possible. Whether through advancing community-driven innovations, deepening our focus on social impact through the Social Impact Playbook and Hub, or strengthening access to rural healthcare, we share one goal: improving the health of all North Carolinians.

Take a moment to watch a brief year-in-review video message from NCHF President LaPonda Edmondson, DrPH, MHS highlighting the impact we made together in 2025.

As we reflect on the year, we invite you to consider making a gift to our Mentorship Matters End-of-Year Campaign, celebrating the graduation of the 100th mentee from NCHF’s Diverse Healthcare Leaders Mentorship Program. Your support helps strengthen a diverse pipeline of healthcare leaders across North Carolina. Give a gift here: https://bit.ly/4rwnmhy

Thank you for your continued support. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a healthy year ahead. ✨

12/23/2025

🎉 UNC Health Nash has been named one of the nation’s Top Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group—one of only 52 hospitals nationwide! This prestigious recognition highlights their ongoing commitment to patient safety, high-quality care, and excellence in every aspect of hospital services.

We celebrate the dedication of the entire UNC Health Nash team and their efforts to make a meaningful difference in the health of their community. Read more here: https://bit.ly/497qMiz

12/22/2025

For nearly 40 years, one program in Richmond County has shown how healthcare leaders can change lives beyond the clinic.

The “New Shoes for Christmas” program, founded by FirstHealth of the Carolinas physician Dr. John Stevenson, his wife Sue, and the Pairs & Spares class at First Presbyterian Church, began in 1987 to provide new school shoes for children in need.

From serving 400 students to now more than 800 annually, the program has provided shoes for over 27,000 students. Dr. Stevenson reflects, “This program is more than shoes. It’s about dignity, confidence and members of the community giving back.”

This decades-long effort highlights how hospital leaders and communities can come together to make a tangible difference. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4auGeHQ

12/19/2025

This holiday season, Cone Health helped put fresh, local food on the tables of families across Greensboro.

Through a collaboration led by Cone Health’s Center for Health Equity, 550 holiday meal boxes were prepared and distributed at 10 community sites, each being filled with fresh produce and a roasting chicken sourced from local farms.

"We know that food and security is one of the social drivers of health," said Ricardo Davis, Cone Health Center for Health Equity Assistant Director of Healthy Communities. "Factors like education and transportation can influence up to 80% of a person's health. That's why we join forces with organizations to address these needs."

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4aYESoW

Cone Health and Community Partners Deliver 550 Holiday Meal Boxes to Families Facing Food Insecurity Across Greensboro.

12/19/2025

Atrium Health is reinforcing its long-term commitment to community health by investing in affordable housing across Mecklenburg County, pairing clinical care with stability, dignity and opportunity. At a Dec. 16 meeting of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, community partners and health system leaders highlighted tangible results, including thousands of preserved housing units and new developments underway.

“Atrium Health has been at the forefront of the local business community and leading new high impact efforts in affordable housing since 2020,” said Mark Etheridge, managing principal of Ascent Housing and a board member for the Housing Impact Fund.

From teammate housing stability programs to new affordable units tied to The Pearl CLT innovation district, Atrium Health continues to show how hospitals can lead on solutions that strengthen both health outcomes and communities. Read more: https://bit.ly/3KUA7lO

Atrium Health has long been a leading force in advancing remedies to address social determinants of health, including years of support for affordable housing solutions in the Charlotte region.

12/18/2025

WakeMed Health & Hospitals is becoming one of the first U.S. health systems to integrate Rezilient’s CloudClinic model, expanding same day access to primary, urgent, and specialty care for employers and employees across the Triangle. Four “Rezilient with WakeMed” CloudClinics will open in January 2026, strengthening access, continuity of care, and value based delivery through a hybrid in person and virtual approach.

“WakeMed is launching this model with its own employees because we know it will reduce costs to our self-funded medical plan while also helping reduce absenteeism due to delays in getting the urgent or primary care they need,” says Seth Brody, MD, WakeMed executive vice president and chief physician executive.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3MHjdrj

RALEIGH, N.C. (December 17, 2025) – Rezilient Health, a first-of-its-kind hybrid healthcare company, and WakeMed Health & Hospitals, one of North Carolina's premier healthcare systems, today announced the launch of their partnership to address challenges facing employers today: easy access to prim...

12/18/2025

ECU Health Bertie Hospital has been recognized with a 2025 Performance Leadership Award by The Chartis Center for Rural Health for excellence in outcomes and patient perspective, placing the hospital among top-performing rural hospitals nationwide.

“This recognition reflects the dedication and compassion of our entire team at ECU Health Bertie Hospital,” said Brian Harvill, president of ECU Health Bertie Hospital. “Delivering high-quality care and ensuring positive patient experiences are at the heart of everything we do.”

This recognition adds to the hospital’s growing list of national achievements, including a CMS five-star quality rating and being named a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital for patient satisfaction. Read more: https://bit.ly/4s9Ab1V

Award recognizes high-quality care provided to community

12/17/2025

At 95, Ventura Latorre was rapidly declining from severe aortic stenosis. Weeks earlier, he had been living independently. Suddenly, he was struggling to breathe.

After a high-risk TAVR procedure at Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, everything changed.

“Ventura was very frail and very sick,” said Dr. Michael Rinaldi. “At 95, one complication can bring down the whole house of cards. But his family showed us videos of him walking, robust and enjoying life just weeks earlier. They knew who he truly was, outside of a hospital bed and we took that seriously.”

Today, his heart function has improved and he is back to walking, exercising and enjoying life. A powerful example of what advanced cardiovascular care and team-based decision-making can make possible. Read more on Ventura's story here:: https://bit.ly/4p4ja6u

News | 21 hours ago From Frail to Full Strength: How a 95-Year-Old Regained His Life After Heart Valve Procedure at Atrium Health At 95 years old, Ventura Latorre was running out of time as severe aortic stenosis pushed him into repeated hospitalizations and rapid decline. After rushing him to Atriu...

12/17/2025

Frye Regional Medical Center has completed its 100th robotic bronchoscopy procedure using the Ion™ Endoluminal System, expanding access to advanced lung cancer diagnostics close to home. Since launching the program in February 2025, the hospital has rapidly integrated this technology to support earlier detection, greater precision and better outcomes for patients across the region.

“Reaching this 100-procedure milestone shows how deeply robotic bronchoscopy has become integrated into our diagnostic program,” said Lakshmi Kallur, MD. “The Ion™ platform gives us accuracy and visualization we simply didn’t have before.”

This achievement reflects the strength of Frye Regional’s multidisciplinary thoracic oncology team and its continued investment in leading-edge care that keeps patients local while delivering high-quality outcomes. Read more: https://bit.ly/44AstUd

Stay current with the latest health and hospital news from Frye Regional Medical Center.