This partnership will expand the recently approved relationship between these two organizations in New Hanover County to include Mecklenburg, Forsyth and other counties, with an additional focus to find innovative solutions to enhance care in rural areas.
WINSTON-SALEM AND CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Nov. 19, 2020 – Novant Health, UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine have reached an agreement to expand medical education, research and clinical services to Novant Health facilities and other locations across North Carolina. This partnership will expand the recently approved relationship between these organizations in New Hanover County to include Mecklenburg, Forsyth and other counties, with an additional focus to find innovative solutions to enhance care in rural areas.
The partnership will begin with locating a UNC School of Medicine branch campus at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte and will enhance and serve as an important training site for learners. It also gives more students access to learn at the best medical school for primary care in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report, and will expand the pipeline for high-quality physicians available to serve North Carolinians. In addition, expansion of UNC School of Medicine’s Kenan Primary Care Medical Scholars Program will train more students to work in rural and under-resourced communities with enhanced training for care in those communities across North Carolina.
Additionally, clinical trials and studies from UNC School of Medicine’s world-renowned researchers will provide new treatment options for patients in Novant Health facilities.
Collaboration on population health has the potential to make a tremendous impact on the health of North Carolina. Together, through advanced analytics and proven population health strategies, more data will allow these partners to address community health challenges, such as COVID-19, opioid addiction, social determinants of health and health equity, to name a few.
“I am pleased that Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties, and the surrounding communities, will benefit from a collaboration between Novant Health and UNC Health and School of Medicine,” said Carl S. Armato, Novant Health president and CEO. “Our organizations are culturally aligned and committed to delivering safe, high-quality and affordable care, while improving health equity in the communities we serve. This alignment allows us to expand access to medical education and clinical research across the state.”
“I am excited for the opportunities ahead for Novant Health, UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine to build a healthier North Carolina and to train more physicians for North Carolina,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO, UNC Health and dean of UNC School of Medicine. “Our partnership will impact health in North Carolina for decades to come.”
More details will be announced as the partnership is finalized.
About Novant Health
Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,600 physicians and over 29,000 employees that provide care at nearly 700 locations, including 15 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. In 2020, Novant Health was the only healthcare system in North Carolina to be included on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity list. Diversity MBA Magazine has also ranked Novant Health third on its 2019 list of “Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work.” Novant Health provided more than $993.2 million in community benefit, including financial assistance and services, in 2019. For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About UNC Health
UNC Health is an integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care. UNC Health is comprised of UNC Hospitals at Chapel Hill, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville; Chatham Hospital in Siler City; Johnston Health in Clayton and Smithfield; UNC Lenoir Health Care in Kinston; Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro; Caldwell UNC Health Care in Lenoir; Nash UNC Health Care in Rocky Mount; UNC Rockingham Health Care in Eden, Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, UNC REX Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County; and the UNC Physicians Network. For more information, please visit www.unchealthcare.org.
Media contacts:
Kristen Barnhardt, Novant Health, 704-604-9697
Phil Bridges, UNC Health, 919-457-6347, phil.bridges@unchealth.unc.edu