Bovio to oversee UNC Health’s efforts to improve care in fast-growing part of North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – March 30, 2026 – UNC Health has named Ernie Bovio as Regional President of the Southeast Coastal market, where his leadership and expertise will play a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Bovio, who previously served as President of UNC Health Rex in Raleigh, and as the leader of UNC Health’s Triangle East Region, including UNC Health Rex in Raleigh and Holly Springs, and UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield and Clayton. Most recently, he was President of Novant Health’s Coastal Region in Southeastern North Carolina.
As North Carolina’s leading academic health system, UNC Health is committed to serving patients in all 100 counties. Strengthening UNC Health’s presence in the Southeast Region is an important part of that mission.
Through existing partnerships, including UNC Health’s collaboration with Novant Health to provide specialized pediatric care and our programs with the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Health is building on a strong foundation to bring world-class, academic level care closer to home for patients who would otherwise need to travel long distances to receive it.
“Ernie’s deep ties in North Carolina, especially the Southeast coastal region, coupled with his decades of healthcare leadership across the state, will help drive future success for patients and improve community health,” said Jeff Lindsay, President and Chief Operating Officer at UNC Health. “For far too many families in the Southeast, accessing specialized care means a two-hour drive to Chapel Hill. Ernie’s leadership will help change that — bringing the full strength of UNC Health’s academic medicine closer to the communities that need it most, expanding specialized services and strengthening care coordination.”
The Regional President role is new to UNC Health and will help to align leadership, clinical expertise, and operational support around the unique needs of the Southeast Coastal Region as our presence continues to grow in the area. In this role, Bovio will provide strategic oversight across the region, including Onslow Memorial Hospital, strengthening coordination and advancing our mission. He begins his new role in late April.
Bovio holds a Masters of Healthcare Administration and Business Administration from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas A&M University. He and his wife Holly have four children.
About UNC Health
UNC Health is a state entity and an affiliated enterprise of the University of North Carolina system, comprised of 20 hospitals and more than 900 clinics along with the clinical patient care programs of the UNC School of Medicine. 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. UNC Health provided more than $800 million in Uncompensated Charity Care during the past five years. Our hospitals have received numerous awards and recognition for quality care, patient safety, and the overall patient experience.