Celebrating a Legacy of Community-Driven Approaches to Systems-Level Change
Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation
Building leadership, shaping practice, affecting policy, and driving innovation through collaborative partnerships.
Over his 35-year career, FHLI’s founding director,?James (Jim) D. Bernstein, developed strong, trusting relationships wherever he went—from the heart of rural communities to the halls of Congress. He brought together unique coalitions of local leaders, health care providers, and policymakers to drive collaborative, community-based solutions.
"What was magic about Jim was that he could work with such a wide breadth of people. He encouraged people to tackle the impossible, all while making it look like fun." — Nancy Lane, a health care management consultant
Jim’s journey began with a simple yet profound belief that communities know best how to address the challenges they face. As leader of the NC Office of Rural Health (NCORH), the first in the country, he and his team operated on a few core principles:
Beyond North Carolina, Jim left a lasting impact on rural health at the national level. He served as president of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and advocated for legislative changes in Medicaid and Medicare, leading to more equitable reimbursement for rural health centers and hospitals.
To sum up his legacy in short, Jim Bernstein fostered community-driven approaches to systems-level change.?Today, we're proud to continue his legacy through our initiatives and programs. In this edition of the Health Equity Digest, we'll explore Jim's impactful work, introduce our 2022-2024 Bernstein Fellows, and more.
FHLI's annual Bernstein Event will happen on October 2, 2024, at the UNC Friday Center. Find out more and get your tickets today !
The Legacy of Jim Bernstein
Dr. Jane McCaleb, 2020 recipient of the Jim Bernstein Community Health Career Achievement Award , was assigned to Jackson, North Carolina, in Northampton County, for a two-year term by the National Health Service Corps. Yet, she stayed for 35 years. The Office of Rural Health (ORH) recruited her, and, according to Dr. McCaleb, she largely remained due to the robust support its staff provided.?
When she arrived in Northampton County, the neonatal death rate was almost 22 per thousand, nearly double the state rate of 12. After three years, the North Carolina Office of Rural Health (NCORH) staff recruited a pediatrician who was married to a neonatal nurse. Within four years, the team recruited two family practitioners who brought a labor and delivery nurse with them.
Five years after Dr. McCaleb started, the neonatal death rate had dropped from 21.8 to 7.6, below the state rate of 8.4, thanks to her dedication and support from NCORH. During her award acceptance speech, Dr. McCaleb reflected on her experience:
"I was giving a talk at the University of South Carolina Family Practice Symposium on my work. A family physician in the audience stood up and said the countryside is littered with the bodies of family physicians who thought they could make a difference. Why did you? At the time, I had no answer. Since then, I've pondered this question, and this is what I know: Jim Bernstein, Bernie Patterson, and the entire staff at the Office of Rural Health always had my back." — Dr. Jane McCaleb
You can read our blog series to learn more about Jim's impact and the evolution of FHLI. In case you missed it, check out The Legacy of James D. Bernstein: Part 1 for details about his early work founding the North Carolina Office of Rural Health (NCORH). In our latest post, The Legacy of James D. Bernstein: Part 2 , we dive into Dr. McCaleb's story and Jim's nationwide impact.
The Bernstein Event
Jim passed away in 2005, and since 2006, we have hosted the Bernstein Event every October to honor his legacy. If you have not joined us before, you can expect to network with statewide community health leaders, public officials, and grassroots advocates. We'll also celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating class of Bernstein Fellows , welcome our next cohort, and honor outstanding health leadership in our state.
Each year, we recognize dedicated public health leaders for their remarkable contributions. We're excited to announce our 2024 awardees! This year's Community Achievement Award recipient is Joseph Bell, MD (Lumbee), and the Career Achievement Award recipient is Barbara Pullen-Smith, PhD.
At the event on Wednesday, October 2 , you can learn more about their incredible work in advancing health access and equity in North Carolina.
Jim Bernstein Health Leadership Fellows
In 2006, we also launched the Jim Bernstein Health Leadership Fellows program. Inspired by Jim's vision, this initiative supports future leaders dedicated to improving health in rural and underserved communities across North Carolina. We are thrilled to celebrate our next graduating class of Bernstein Fellows at this year's Bernstein Event.
Fellows are mid-career health professionals from diverse fields, including primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, oral health, public health, and social work. They embody Jim's leadership qualities: self-starting, resourceful, dynamic, motivated, mature, resilient, communicative, problem-solving, and collaborative.?
Since the program began, 94% of Bernstein Fellows have remained in North Carolina to continue their work in creating healthier communities.
Our Fellows have spent the past two years developing and implementing individual projects to improve the health of their communities. Some Fellows plan to continue their project work after completing the Fellowship. Learn more about our 2022-2024 class and the contributions to advancing health access and equity :
Jamie Burgess-Flowers, MSW, LCSW, Assistant Professor and Director of Integrated and Applied Behavioral Sciences at High Point University | Project: The Workman School of Dental Medicine (WSDM) Connects Initiative
Jamie developed the WSDM Connects Initiative to address community-identified oral health needs through innovative strategies that leverage the resources of an academic dental medicine training program. The ongoing, multifaceted initiative builds partnerships that bridge oral health care gaps to sustainably improve outcomes and enhance well-being.
Khristian Curry, MPH, Project Director for the North Carolina Institute of Medicine | Project: The Uplifting Black and Brown Lactation Success (UBBLS) Conference
Khristian partnered with the NC A&T Pathway 2 Human Lactation Program to lead the planning committee for the UBBLS Conference, which aims to strengthen connections among maternal health professionals, dismantle structural barriers to entry and retention, and promote professional development.
Dr. Brandy Harrell, LCAS, CCS, LCSWA, SAP, DAC, Chief of Staff for FHLI | Project: Rural Resiliency, An Innovative Approach to Integrated Care
Brandy contributed to the Recovery Together ENC coalition, which supports substance use disorder (SUD) recovery for justice-involved individuals (anyone who has interacted with the criminal justice system as a defendant. She created the behavioral health service line at Kinston Community Behavioral Health Center, provided education about whole-person care at Family Accountability and Recovery Court (FARC) meetings, and helped secure funding.?
Ashley Jarrett, BSN, RN, Assistant Health Director for the Burke County Health Department | Project: Building a Street Medicine Team in Rural WNC
Ashley aimed to create a mobile backpack medicine team to deliver primary and mental health care to Burke County's unsheltered residents. The ongoing initiative involves building a multidisciplinary coalition, addressing the social drivers of health, and using design thinking for patient-centered care.
Savannah Junkins, MPAS, PA-C, Director of Integrated Behavioral Health at Freedom Hill Community Health | Project: Expanding Harm Reduction: Integrating Syringe Services Programs and Primary Care
Savannah integrated evidence-based harm reduction strategies into a primary care setting at Carolina Family Health Centers (CFHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center in eastern North Carolina that offers substance use treatment. She partnered with two local health departments to become an extension site for established syringe services programs (SSP).
Shaunessy Lofton, MPH, Senior Project Manager at Partners in Health | Project: Empowering Change: Impact of Community Health Workers in Transforming Clinic Systems and Equity
Shaunessy assessed a pioneering health equity pilot program by examining the integration and influence of Community Health Workers (CHWs) within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Through a structured reflection on their contributions and impact, she sought to highlight the role of CHWs in driving systemic change and advancing health equity.
Rachael Pennell, MSW, LCSW, Director of Integrated Behavioral Health at Charlotte Community Health Clinic | Project: Suicide Safer Care
Rachael standardized suicide risk screening, severity assessments, and safety planning at a nonprofit health center using a multiphase approach, including a needs assessment, staff training, developing and implementing new clinical and internal procedures, and community education and prevention strategies.
Bernstein Fellows Program Leaders
As we prepare to celebrate our 2022-2024 class of Bernstein Fellows in October, we also want to recognize the dedicated leaders who make the fellowship possible. Lisa Tyndall, PhD, LMFT, Interim Director and Senior Project Manager of the Center of Excellence for Integrated Care (COE), an FHLI program, supports the fellowship internally.
She coordinates with the director Hugh Tilson, Jr, JD, MPH, and volunteer mentor Randy Jordan, PharmD, JD, MPA, who have generously devoted hundreds of hours to guiding fellows through their projects, facilitating educational meetings, leading team-building activities, and fostering connections with community organizations throughout the state.
Hugh Tilson serves as the Bernstein Fellows Director. He also directs the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC) Program and is an associate dean and assistant professor at the UNC School of Medicine. At NC AHEC, Hugh manages the budget, conducts health workforce planning, and fosters academic collaborations. Before his current role, he spent over 20 years at the NC Hospital Association, rising to executive vice president and interim president. Governor Roy Cooper also awarded him the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his outstanding service.
Randy Jordan serves as the Bernstein Fellows Volunteer Mentor and will be stepping down from his position this year. He retired as CEO of the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics in 2022. Exemplifying FHLI’s whole-person, whole-community approach, Randy transformed the association into a powerful advocate for its 72 member clinics, providing essential services to uninsured and underinsured residents from 2016 to 2022. He also served as CEO of HOPE worldwide, an international humanitarian aid organization, from 2008 to 2015.
Thank you for all you do for our Bernstein Fellows and for making the fellowship a rewarding, invaluable experience!
Help Us Celebrate the Public Health Leaders of Today
FHLI envisions a North Carolina where communities guide solutions to the problems they face, creating a state where everyone has an equal opportunity to attain their full health and well-being. We hope you will join us in advocating for this reality and carrying forward Jim’s legacy of community-driven approaches to systems-level change. Together, we can make a lasting impact.