FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2025
CARY, NC — The Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI) announces the appointment of Dr. Rachel Keever as its next president and CEO, effective October 1, 2025. Armstrong-McGuire carried out the executive search, and FHLI expresses its appreciation for their support throughout this process.
Dr. Keever is an accomplished physician executive with a dynamic career spanning community-based health care, nonprofit leadership, industry innovation, academic medicine, and public policy. A North Carolina native and long-time advocate for achieving optimal health potential, she brings a deep understanding of the state’s health landscape and a vision for the future that aligns with FHLI’s mission to improve health for all North Carolinians.
Her leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration, community voice, and the power of interprofessional teams. She believes that reducing inequities and advancing whole-person health requires innovation, real-time data, and a deep commitment to connecting with those most impacted by disparities.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Keever to lead FHLI at this pivotal moment in North Carolina’s health landscape,” said FHLI Board Chair Kim Schwartz. “Her two decades of frontline medical experience, combined with her deep understanding of how systems, communities, and individuals interconnect to positively impact individual and community health outcomes, make her uniquely qualified to guide our work.”
Dr. Keever joins FHLI from her role as a medical executive at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, where she worked on a multi-year initiative to create urgency and action around the hidden threat of peripheral artery disease (PAD)-related amputations. Additionally, she has cared for patients at Asheville Cardiology Associates for the last decade.
Her previous leadership roles include serving as CEO of Carolina Complete Health Network, where she helped launch a physician-led Medicaid health plan and developed a novel population health grant program. Dr. Keever has also led academic programs and served in clinical and nonprofit governance roles throughout the state.
“Since my training as an NC Rural Health Scholar, I have witnessed that individual and community health requires more than disease treatment,” said Dr. Keever. “FHLI will work diligently to create the conditions of health for the communities of North Carolina.”
FHLI looks forward to introducing Dr. Keever at the Bernstein Event on October 8, 2025. This annual gathering brings together community health leaders, public officials, and grassroots advocates to foster connections, celebrate successes, and strategize for the future.
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About FHLI
Launched in 1982 under the leadership of Jim Bernstein, the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI) advances collaborative, community-driven solutions to impact whole-person health for everyone, everywhere in North Carolina.
FHLI programs include:
- Center of Excellence for Integrated Care (COE)
- Jim Bernstein Community Health Leadership Fellows
- Jim & Sue Bernstein Health Center Scholarship
- NCCARE360
- North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative (NCOHC)
- North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA)
- Project ECHO Network in North Carolina (PEN-NC)