Press Release – Chapel Hill, North Carolina (July 31, 2025)

NCIOM Launches Task Force to Improve Veterans’ Access to Care

Between July 2025 and November 2026, the 43-member task force will develop robust policy recommendations to improve health care for North Carolina veterans

On July 30, 2025, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) announced the full membership and launch of its Task Force on Veterans’ Health. Over the next 16 months, the group of military veterans, policymakers, health care professionals, and veteran service providers will develop a set of policy recommendations to release to the public. These recommendations will offer solutions to improve community-based care for veterans, meet veteran care workforce needs, and help North Carolina veterans navigate care, access substance use treatment, and address behavioral health needs. 

The NCIOM is joined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services to manage this project. Task force leadership includes:

• North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette, who served in the U.S. Air Force
• UNC Chapel Hill Professor of Nursing and retired U.S. Army Major General Dr. Margaret Chamberlain Wilmoth
• Veterans Bridge Home Triangle Network Senior Director and retired U.S. Marine Corps Command Sergeant Major Paul Berry

“As veterans ourselves, my fellow co-chairs and I are deeply committed to ensuring this task force is more than just a conversation—we are determined to deliver real, measurable progress for North Carolina’s veterans and their families,” said Mallette. “We owe it to those who have served to provide the support and resources they deserve, and to work toward making North Carolina the number one state for military and veterans.”

The NCIOM’s Task Force on Veterans’ Health comes in response to increased demand on the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system following the passage of the federal PACT Act in 2022. 

The PACT Act increased the number of veterans eligible for care, bringing urgency to the need to identify system-wide improvements. Despite having access to care, many veterans face challenges navigating health care benefits and receiving care that is effectively coordinated between civilian health providers and the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. 

"We are thrilled to see these task force members come together to contribute their expertise toward such an important topic in our state," said NCIOM President and CEO Michelle Ries. "North Carolina is home to the 8th largest veteran population in the country, and the policy recommendations from the task force will provide thorough guidance to improve the care veterans receive in community settings."

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About the North Carolina Institute of Medicine

The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is forward-looking and focused on solutions. The organization was founded in 1983 by the North Carolina General Assembly to serve as a source of non-partisan information and analysis to promote effective health policies focused on improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. Learn more at nciom.org.

For more information, please contact:
Brady Blackburn, Interim Communications Director
North Carolina Institute of Medicine
brady_blackburn@nciom.org