The 10th Annual Jim Bernstein Dinner: Thanks to all our supporters!

A warm thank you to everyone who made the 10th annual Jim Bernstein Health Leadership Fund Dinner a success. Due to the support of our friends and partners, we were able to raise over $55,000 for our Fellows program.

The Jim Bernstein Community Health Fellowship is a two-year leadership training program that supports emerging health advocates in rural and underserved areas in North Carolina. The purpose of the Fellows program is to foster strong leadership and enable collaboration.

The dinner, sponsored by Mission Health, convened 325 of the state’s health and community leaders to celebrate the five graduating Bernstein Fellows and honor the legacy of the Foundation’s founder, Jim Bernstein.

We’d like to recognize retiring program Director, John H. Frank, for his leadership in the program since 2010. During his time as Director, he strengthened the curriculum, increased the number of programmatic partnerships, and guided thirteen Fellows through completion of the fellowship. The Foundation is extremely fortunate and grateful for John’s leadership and dedication to the Fellows Program.

This year, Gene Cochrane, President of the Duke Endowment, was the recipient of the Career Achievement Award, a testament to his many years of engaging with community health issues.

Ron Gaskins, a former Bernstein Fellow, was awarded the Distinguished Fellow Award, honoring his work as the Executive Director of Access East Inc., a not-for-profit organization that strives to increase access to care for underserved populations across Eastern North Carolina.

Through the generosity of our sponsors who purchased mentor tickets, we included 39 students from UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, Campbell University and East Carolina University at this year’s dinner. The mentor tickets reflect our commitment to fostering young health leaders.

We are grateful for the continued support from our partners in making this event special every year. Save the date for next year’s dinner on October 6, 2016!