The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is pleased to announce the appointment of eight new members, confirmed by the NCIOM Board of Directors. These individuals have been selected for their leadership and dedication to advancing the health and well-being of North Carolinians.
NCIOM informs and shapes health policy by identifying evidence-based strategies to address the state’s most pressing health challenges. Through collaborative work with stakeholders from across North Carolina, the Institute builds consensus around actionable solutions to improve population health.
“Membership in the NCIOM recognizes both achievement and ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes in our state,” said Michelle Ries, President and CEO of the NCIOM. “We are honored to welcome this new cohort into our growing network of health leaders.”
With their appointment, the 2025 class joins a distinguished group of over 150 NCIOM members, including health care providers, public health leaders, researchers, educators, policymakers, and business professionals from across the state.
As members, they will contribute their expertise to the NCIOM’s ongoing work to address key health issues facing North Carolina, including the future of the nursing workforce, oral health system transformation, and healthy aging.
For more information about the NCIOM and its work, please visit www.nciom.org.
Tina C. Gordon, MPA, CAE, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
North Carolina Nurses Association
Janet M. Guthmiller, DDS, PhD
Dean, Adams School of Dentistry
Dr. Claude A. Adams Jr. Distinguished Professor
Valerie Howard EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN
Dean and Professor UNC CH School of Nursing
Vice President of Nursing for Academic Affairs UNC Health
Ashley Jarrett, DNP(c), BSN, RN
Assistant Health Director
Burke County Public Health
Saif Khairat, PhD, MPH
Distinguished Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Earline E. Middleton
Executive Director
Eva Clayton Rural Food Institute
Jack C. Watson II, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Health and Human Services
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Cathleen Wheatley, DNP, RN, CENP, FAAN
President
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
A full list of all NCIOM members can be found here.
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is an independent nonprofit organization committed to better health for all North Carolinians. Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1983, the NCIOM provides nonpartisan information and opportunities for consensus-building on issues of relevance to the health of North Carolina’s population. Visit http://www.nciom.org for more information.
For more information, please contact:
Brady Blackburn, Interim Communications Director
North Carolina Institute of Medicine
brady_blackburn@nciom.org