2024 Bernstein Event

During her career, Dr. Pullen-Smith developed and implemented a statewide Cultural Diversity Training Initiative and North Carolina’s first Interpreter Services Training Initiative for bi-lingual individuals working in local public health and other health services agencies. She established the Community Health Ambassador program in 2007, expanding the network to include more than 300 health advisors across the state, and she led the development of the first North Carolina Health Disparities report card. In partnership with UNC Chapel Hill researchers, she conducted the first American Indian Tribal Health Needs Assessment, including eight tribes and four Urban Indian Associations.

At the national level, Dr. Pullen-Smith served as the past president of the National Association of State Offices of Minority Health (NASOMH) and a contributor to the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities.

Since retiring from DHHS in 2012, Dr. Pullen-Smith has continued to serve the broader community as an author, public health consultant, and entrepreneur. Three years after her retirement, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which altered the course of her life and affirmed her life’s work for others. During this period, she wrote a book titled, “The New Woman in the Mirror,” documenting her journey and experience beating cancer.

Dr. Bell worked four years in tribal health and the Indian Health Service in Oklahoma and 24 years on the Catawba Reservation in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He is currently the managing partner for Children’s Health of Carolina, which has pediatric clinics in Cumberland, Hoke, and Robeson County. He has also been a general pediatrician in their Pembroke clinic for 26 years.  

Dr. Bell is also a past president and current member of the Association of American Indian Physicians and a board member for the North Carolina American Indian Health Board and the UNC Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity. He is also a past member of the North Carolina Pediatric Society board and the AAP Committee on Native American Child Health.  

Keynote Speaker
NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley

Kody H. Kinsley serves as Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services; appointed to the cabinet position by Governor Roy Cooper and unanimously confirmed by the North Carolina Senate.

Secretary Kinsley has identified three priority areas of focus: Behavioral Health & Resilience, Child & Family Wellbeing, and Building a Strong & Inclusive Workforce. By focusing on these three areas, Secretary Kinsley believes the state can make smart investments that drive health for individuals and value for public resources.

At the event, Secretary Kinsley will discuss the importance of working across sectors, including city and county lines, agencies, and aisles, to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. He will also reflect on our shared historic accomplishments and talk about how we can continue collaborating to prioritize health throughout our state.

Full bio

Featured Speaker
HHS Regional Director Antrell Tyson, Esq

In March 2022, Antrell Tyson was appointed to serve as Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Region IV. As a Presidential Appointee, Regional Director Tyson provides executive leadership in Region IV as the primary representative for the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Office of the Regional Director, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is also tasked with intergovernmental and external affairs, which brings together federal, state, local and tribal government organizations, and private sector businesses. In his role, Regional Director Tyson is responsible for eight Southeastern states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as the Region’s six federally recognized Tribes.

Before joining HHS, Regional Director Tyson served as the Director of Business Services and Policy for the City of Atlanta’s Workforce Development Agency. In this role, Regional Director Tyson re-established the City’s federally-funded On-the-Job training program by creating, implementing, and overseeing every aspect of the employer engagement cycle. Additionally, He served as the agency’s top legal advisor to ensure the agency’s compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

Full bio

Dr. Lloyd Michener

Reginald Speight

Dr. Tom Irons