Stradley to begin on Oct. 24
Asheville, N.C. – Following a five-month national search, Impact Health has named Laurie Stradley, DrPH as its next executive director. Stradley will take on the role beginning Oct. 24 following Dionne Greenlee-Jones, who has served as interim executive director since March 2022. To ensure a smooth transition and no interruption to services for participants in the Western North Carolina Healthy Opportunities Pilot, Greenlee-Jones will remain in the interim position until Stradley officially begins and then transition to a new leadership role in support of the WNC HOP network that Impact Health leads.
“I’m honored and excited to step into the role of executive director at Impact Health, building on the strong foundation that has been laid,” said Stradley. “I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves in support of the staff and community partners who are working so hard to ensure the success of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot, improving the health and well-being of so many of our neighbors.”
“Laurie’s experience in health and wellness and addressing social determinants of health made her an exceptional choice to lead Impact Health,” added Dr. Susan Mims, Impact Health board chair and CEO of Dogwood Health Trust. “Her long-standing commitment and ties to Western North Carolina will be instrumental in expanding and supporting Impact Health’s network of human service organizations that are transforming North Carolina’s approach to Medicaid.”
A seasoned senior leader, Laurie has more than 15 years of executive experience in public health and early intervention healthcare. Most recently, Laurie has served as the chief program officer of the national non-profit, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, where she was the executive co-lead for Healthier Generation’s single strategy to convene and equip health, school, and community champions with an array of tools and resources that prepare them to equitably transform environments surrounding young people and their families. Prior to her work with Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Laurie served as the director of wellness at Mission Health, where she worked to improve employee health and wellbeing and develop population health strategies for the healthcare system. She was a founding member of the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness at UNC Asheville, holding the role of director of state and community collaboration.
“We are deeply grateful to Dionne Greenlee-Jones for stepping in as interim executive director while we continued to build this monumental pilot for our region,” said Dr. Mims. “She is an exceptional community leader whose experience made our HSO recruitment and network launch a success.”
A search committee, composed of executive committee members of Impact Health’s Board of Directors, Dogwood Health Trust leadership, and Impact Health employees, evaluated 49 applicants before selecting seven prospects to consider. After significant due diligence, the committee selected three candidates to advance for final consideration.
About Impact Health
Impact Health, a dynamic start-up entity created by Dogwood Health Trust, leads Western North Carolina’s participation in North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot program for Medicaid. As the network lead, Impact Health serves as a bridge between the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services, private health plans, and Western North Carolina’s human service organizations participating in the pilot. Please visit impacthealth.org to learn more.