CARY — The Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation is pleased to announce that participants, donors and sponsors of the 15th Annual Jim Bernstein Health Leadership Event raised more than $40,000 in support of the Jim Bernstein Community Health Leadership Fellows, and the Jim & Sue Bernstein Health Center Scholarship program, both of which focus on developing rural leaders of tomorrow so they can serve the communities they live in today.
For the past 15 years, FHLI has brought together healthcare professionals from all across North Carolina (and beyond) to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Jim Bernstein and the work being done to advance healthcare access and community health in North Carolina. In spite of being held virtually, participation at this year’s 15th anniversary event was strong, especially considering the challenging environment.
In addition to being a networking and knowledge-sharing opportunity, the annual event also serves as an occasion to recognize outstanding individuals for their extraordinary service toward the betterment of their communities. Dr. Jane McCaleb, former Medical Director of Roanoke Amaranth Community Health Group and longtime Northhampton County family medicine practitioner, was named the 2020 Jim Bernstein Community Health Career Achievement Award Honoree for her lifetime efforts to improve health, education and well-being for the communities she served.
Dr. Peter Morris, Executive Director of Urban Ministries of Wake County, was named the 2020 Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation Community Achievement Award winner for exemplifying a whole-person, whole-community approach to health, and for reflecting FHLI’s core values that everyone has a right to quality health care.
The recorded event – including welcome remarks by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Dr. Mandy Cohen – is available on the FHLI Vimeo page at https://vimeo.com/467420998.
About the Jim Bernstein Health Leadership Fellows Program
Dr. Jim Bernstein, the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation’s founder and first president, dedicated his life and work to improving healthcare in rural communities across North Carolina. An innovator and a motivator, he served as a role model for how to address some of the most difficult rural health care challenges. Throughout his career, Jim accomplished a great deal, but he knew that new challenges in rural health would continue to emerge as time went on. Knowing this, Jim made a point of preparing the next generation of rural health leaders to meet these challenges. The Jim Bernstein Community Health Leadership Fellows Program was founded in 2006 to honor Jim’s legacy of developing future leaders to carry on his work and legacy.
About the Jim & Sue Bernstein Health Center Scholarship Program
Awarded annually, these scholarships help to relieve some of the financial burden on employees of eligible rural health centers by helping to pay for both the clinical education of rural clinic staff members and the college education of their dependent in any area of interest. Since its inception in 2006, more than $100,000 has been awarded to more than 75 scholars.
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