News

UNC Family Medicine Launches Primary Care Behavioral Health Collaborative at East Pittsboro, Advancing Whole‑Person Care

The UNC Department of Family Medicine has launched UNC Health’s first private practice-based Primary Care Behavioral Health Collaborative, embedding critical mental health services directly into a primary care practice to improve access, reduce stigma, and intervene earlier for patients across the lifespan. The initiative, based at UNC Health Family Medicine and Pediatrics at East Pittsboro, … Read more

UNC Study Confirms Shingles Vaccine Effectiveness in Older Adults

Nadja Vielot, PhD, an epidemiologist in the UNC Department of Family Medicine, is lead author of a newly published study in Annals of Internal Medicine that provides real-world evidence for the effectiveness of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) in older adults. The research team conducted a target trial emulation using Medicare claims data from 2007 … Read more

UNC Family Medicine Awarded HRSA Grant to Train Residents in Street Medicine

The UNC Department of Family Medicine has been awarded a Primary Care Training Enhancement grant for Residency Training in Street Medicine (PCTE-RTSM) from the U.S. Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA). This initiative aims to increase the number of primary care physicians equipped to care for individuals experiencing homelessness in non-traditional clinical settings. The program … Read more

Coe Named Chair of Family Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine

Catherine L. Coe, MD, FAAFP, Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum in the UNC School of Medicine and Associate Professor of Family Medicine, has been named Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. She will begin her new role on January 5, 2026. Dr. … Read more

Graphic Warnings on Little Cigars and Cigarillos Drive Higher Quit Rates, UNC Study Shows

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill clinical trial found that graphic health warnings on little cigars and cigarillos significantly increase users’ intentions to quit and promote behaviors linked to tobacco cessation. These findings could provide the cigar-specific evidence the FDA previously lacked in efforts to require cigar warnings. Published in JAMA Network Open, … Read more

Building the Evidence: Dr. Ryan Paulus Launches National POCUS Research Collaborative with ABFM Grant

Dr. Ryan Paulus has been awarded a $75,000 American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Residency Learning Network Grant to establish a national POCUS Research Collaborative focused on advancing point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in family medicine. The collaborative aims to evaluate how POCUS can improve diagnostic accuracy, enhance clinical decision-making, and support better patient care in outpatient … Read more

The HOPE Garden: A Living Space for Wellness, Learning, and Legacy at Family Medicine

The UNC Department of Family Medicine is excited to share the growth of a new and meaningful space at the Aycock Family Medicine Building: the HOPE Garden, located on the lawn just up the hill from the building’s second-floor entrance. This project was made possible through funding from the UNC School of Medicine Reimagining Residency … Read more

Linda Myerholtz, PhD Honored with Susan McDaniel Distinguished Career Award

Linda Myerholtz, PhD, was honored with the Susan McDaniel Distinguished Career Award at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Annual Conference by the Collaborative of Family and Behavioral Health on May 6th, 2025. About the Award Established in 2015, the Susan McDaniel Distinguished Career Award recognizes the contributions of an STFM member who … Read more

RuralGME Program Receives STFM Innovative Program Award

The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RuralGME) has been recognized with the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Innovative Program Award. This honor highlights the program’s significant contributions to rural healthcare education and its impact on communities across the nation. Program Achievements and Impact Since its inception, RuralGME has made remarkable strides: 84 … Read more

Roberts Receives 2025 UNC Public Service Award

Caroline Roberts, MD, was awarded the 2025 Office of the Provost Engaged Scholarship Award for Engaged Teaching at the 2025 UNC Public Service Awards Ceremony held in April. Dr. Roberts was honored for her dedicated service to rural health care access through her role as Director for Rural Education with UNC School of Medicine, director … Read more

Barzin Appointed Chief Operating Officer, UNC Health Physicians

From Matt Ewend, MD, Chief Clinical Officer of UNC Health and President of UNC Physicians: Following an extended and highly competitive search, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Amir Barzin has accepted the position of COO, UNC Health Physicians (UNCHP), effective April 28. The role fills the vacancy left by Derek Wildman when he was … Read more

Enyioha-Led Study Highlights Effective Communication Strategies to Support Health Warning Labels on Little Cigars and Cigarillos Among Young Adults

A qualitative study published in BMC Public Health, conducted by lead author Chineme Enyioha, MD, MPH, and colleagues, aimed to design effective communication strategies to support health warning labels (HWLs) on little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), a tobacco product increasingly popular among young adults, particularly within Black communities. With nearly 9 million adults in the U.S. … Read more

Regulatory Landscape of Cannabis Warning Labels in US States with Legal Retail Nonmedical Cannabis

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Department of Family Medicine, including Professor Leah Ranney, PhD, MA, Assistant Professor Sarah D. Kowitt, PhD, MPH, and authors Sonia A. Clark, MHA, and Kristen L. Jarman, MSPH, have published a pivotal study in a special issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The … Read more

UNC Partners with Other Leading Universities to Launch National Dementia Care Initiative

In a groundbreaking effort to advance dementia care across the United States, researchers from UNC Chapel Hill have partnered with Emory University, the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, and the Alzheimer’s Association to establish the State Alzheimer’s Research Support (StARS) Center. This initiative, funded by a $17 million grant from the National … Read more

Hawes Appointed to National Resident Matching Program Board of Directors

Emily M. Hawes, PharmD, BCPS, CPP, was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Hawes began a 3-year service term on September 5, 2024, and will also be serving on NRMP’s Data Review and Research Committee (DRRC), which oversees policies related to data use and dissemination … Read more

NCDHHS, FIT Wellness Highlight Importance of Healthcare for the Formerly Incarcerated

FIT Wellness, part of the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition (NC FIT) Program, is dedicated to supporting justice-involved individuals by providing comprehensive behavioral health services and substance abuse treatment for patients with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). Recently, FIT Wellness and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), which supports the program, held … Read more

UNC Family Medicine Partners on Carolina Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program

UNC Family Medicine is a partner in the UNC Center for Aging and Health’s Carolina Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (CGWEP), which received a $5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance geriatric care across North Carolina over the next five years. The Carolina GWEP aims to improve health outcomes for … Read more

Vielot Receives K01 Grant to Reduce HPV Vaccination Disparities

UNC Family Medicine Assistant Professor Nadja Vielot, PhD, was recently awarded a four-year K01 grant totaling over $620K by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The grant, “Developing and piloting an intervention to reduce human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination disparities in rural adolescents,” aims to improve HPV vaccination … Read more

UNC Family Medicine Researchers Awarded Grant to Improve Cannabis Warnings

UNC Family Medicine faculty Leah Ranney, PhD, Sarah Kowitt, PhD, MPH, and team were recently rewarded a five-year, $2.9 million grant studying cannabis warnings. The award from the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will go towards research involving a legal analysis of existing cannabis warning regulations, interviews with cannabis regulators, the development of … Read more

UNC Family Medicine Annual Report Out Now

The Department of Family Medicine has released its 2024 Annual Report, which highlights the accomplishments of our talented faculty, learners, and staff members in meeting our mission of exemplary patient care, education, research, and service to the people and communities of North Carolina and beyond. Thank you to all who are part of a Department … Read more