In this role, Dr. Mushonga will lead health equity efforts across the system.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – UNC Health is proud to announce that Nicole Mushonga, MD, MS, has joined the organization as its System Executive Director for Health Equity.
In this role, Dr. Mushonga will lead health equity efforts across the system. She will help create a more equitable experience for patients by identifying system barriers preventing access to care, coordinating and tracking health equity research efforts, and implementing inclusive practices that create respectful and meaningful interactions with patients.
“I am excited to join an organization such as UNC Health whose mission is to improve the health and well-being for all North Carolinians and who prioritizes health equity,” Dr. Mushonga said. “This is an amazing opportunity to impact the lives of so many of our residents and I am honored to lead this work.”
“We are truly excited to have Dr. Mushonga as part of our team,” said Audrea Caesar, PhD, UNC Health’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO). She brings a unique skillset to our organization with her previous community health work, and her experience as an epidemiologist. She will be a great partner to the leaders of the healthcare system and will help us chart our course to reducing health inequities.”
Dr. Mushonga comes to UNC Health from Wake County Health & Human Services, where she led their Public Health Division as the Interim Medical Director of Public Health & Epidemiology Director. During her time the division was recognized nationally from the White House and National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for their health equity programs addressing COVID-19.
Before joining Wake County Health & Human Services, Dr. Mushonga was an epidemiologist for the Kern County Public Health Services Department in Bakersfield, Calif., where she led their Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis programs during the height of a statewide and national outbreak. Dr. Mushonga is committed to health equity and positively impacting lives in the communities she serves.
A graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Mushonga was a Postdoctoral Fellow for Addictions and Health Disparities at the University of Houston in Texas. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a focus in Behavioral Neuroscience from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science from Barry University.
Health equity means ensuring that every person in every community can get the same high-quality care regardless of individual characteristics, such as ethnicity, gender or geographic location. A number of social, economic and cultural factors significantly affect both physical and mental health. UNC Health strives to recognize and eliminate these disadvantages that lead to healthcare disparities through initiatives that increase diversity in leadership, improve training for cultural competency, and strengthen community partnerships. Learn more about our health equity efforts at: https://www.unchealthcare.org/about-us/health-equity/
About UNC Health
UNC Health is a state entity and an affiliated enterprise of the University of North Carolina system, comprised of 16 hospitals, 20 hospital campuses and more than 500 clinics along with the clinical patient care programs of the UNC School of Medicine (SOM). It exists to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others we serve and to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina SOM. Over the past three years, UNC Health has provided more than $400 million in uncompensated or charity care to the citizens of North Carolina. Our hospitals have received numerous awards and recognition for quality care, patient safety and the overall patient experience. For more information, please visit unchealth.org.