North Carolina has the second-largest rural population in the U.S., with more than 3 million residents living in rural areas. North Carolina’s Rural Health Transformation Program is a statewide initiative, supported by over $213 million in federal funding in year 1 from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, designed to address longstanding challenges in rural health care access and delivery. The NCRHTP Advisory Committee will bring community, provider and regional perspectives together to guide how the program is designed and implemented for our rural communities.

"Our state plan for the Rural Health Transformation Program emerged from extensive engagement with the communities it will serve, and this committee will continue the mission to keep our efforts person-centered," said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. "Members will provide real-world insight on access challenges, implementation barriers, and sustainability opportunities, helping ensure the program addresses real world challenges and provides meaningful impact."

The NCRHTP Advisory Committee includes the following members:

• Dev Sangvai, NC Health and Human Services Secretary (Committee Chair)
• Debra Farrington, NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Health (Committee Co-Chair)
• LaPonda Edmondson, President, North Carolina Healthcare Foundation and Senior Vice President, North Carolina Healthcare Association
• Lacy C. Hobgood, President-Elect, North Carolina Medical Society Foundation
• Tina C. Gordon, CEO, North Carolina Nurses Association
• Jennifer Greene, Health Director, Appalachian District Health Department
• Chris Shank, President/CEO, North Carolina Community Health Center Association
• Lilly Parker, Chair, State Consumer and Family Advisory Committee
• Mary Jones, Director of Client Care and Engagement, El Futuro NC
• Zack Green, Director, High Country Area Agency on Aging
• Casey Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority
• Celeste Hunt, Program Director, Lumbee Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation
• Greg Bryant, Chair, North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs
• Jason Baisden, Senior Program Officer, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
• Chris Estes, Chief Program Officer, North Carolina Rural Center
• Mike Hawkins, Community Member Representative
• Chilton Rogers, Community Member Representative
• Vivianette Ortiz, CASE Bilingual Supervisory Advocate, Disability Rights North Carolina
• Kim Evans, Community Member Representative
• Cherry Beasley, Community Member Representative
• Mozine Lowe, Executive Director, Center for Energy Education
• Peter Daniel, Executive Director, North Carolina Association of Health Plans 
• Dave Richard, Senior Vice President, McGuireWoods Consulting, NC Association of Public Community Health Plans
• Melinda Munden, SHIIP Director and Deputy Commissioner, North Carolina Department of Insurance
• Lotta Crabtree, Chief Administrative Officer of the State Health Plan, Office of the State Treasurer
• Andrew Gardner, Associate Vice President of Workforce Strategies, North Carolina Community College System
• Geoff Coltrane, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Strategy, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
• Wallace Nelson, President, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
• Vincent Ginski, Senior Director of Workforce Competitiveness, North Carolina Chamber
• Leah Catotti, Policy Director, North Carolina Department of Administration
• Alex Sepez, Regional Manager, North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
• Reginald Speight, Assistant Secretary of Rural Economic Development, North Carolina Department of Commerce
• Annette Taylor, Senior Adviser to the Secretary for Community Partnerships, North Carolina Department of Information Technology 
• Jordan Rogers, Vice President of Strategy and Growth, NC Telehealth Network Association
• Leslie Cofie, Assistant Professor, Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University
• Suzanne Wertman, Certified Nurse-Midwife, North Carolina Affiliate of American College of Nurse-Midwives
• Ryan Estes, Chief Operating Officer, Coastal Horizons Center
• Amy Galey, NC State Senator, R-District 25
• Kandie Smith, NC State Senator, D-District 5
• Donna White, NC State Representative, R-District 26
• Eric Ager, NC State Representative, D-District 114
• Leighton Roper, Shareholder, Maynard Nexsen
• Michelle Laws, CEO and Chief Consultant, Symbiotic Strategies
• Philip Cooper, Founder and Chief Change Agent, Operation Gateway

For more information, visit the North Carolina Rural Health Transformation Program website.

Source: High Country Council of Governments.