News

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

Documentary Featuring LEADoula Program Wins Emmy Award

The LEADoula program (formerly the Alliance for Black Doulas for Black Mamas) was an integral part of the WRAL documentary Critical Term: Why are Black Mothers and Babies Dying?, which recently won a regional Emmy Award. The documentary features LEADoula founders Venus Standard, MSN, CNM, (UNC Family Medicine, which hosts the program) Jacquelyn McMillian Bohler, … Read more

FIT Wellness Receives $5.5 Million Investment from NCDHHS

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services NCDHHS is investing $5.5 million to expand the FIT Wellness program, part of the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program (NC FIT) led by Evan Ashkin, MD, in the UNC Department of Family Medicine. The investment aims to improve reentry services for the justice-involved population. FIT … Read more

Ruiz Highlights Community Efforts at UNC Chatham Hospital in Improving Rural Maternity Care

Assistant Professor of Family Medicine Jesus Ruiz, MD, has published an “Innovations in Primary Care” article in Annals of Family Medicine addressing the community impact on UNC Chatham Hospital’s Maternity Care Center. The article, “Closing the Gap: How a Community Effort Can Improve Rural Maternity Care,” addresses how UNC Chatham Hospital, a critical access hospital in Siler … Read more

Family Medicine, Internal Medicine Named National HIV Residency Pathway Consortium Site

UNC was recently named a National HIV Residency Pathway Consortium Site and awarded a year-long $68,000 grant to support its efforts in training family medicine and internal medicine residents in caring for people with HIV. UNC’s site Investigators, Family Medicine’s Rick Moore, MD, and Internal Medicine’s Louise Rambo King, MD, have a storied history of … Read more

Piedmont Health Announces New CEO

Piedmont Health Services (PHS) has announced that Daniella Jaimes-Colina, Ph.D., will become the organization’s next chief executive officer. Dr. Jaimes-Colina, who brings a wealth of experience in public health administration and strategic planning, will be the first female to lead the organization. She will succeed current CEO Brian Toomey, MSW, who will officially step down … Read more

Adams Serves as Head Team Physician for US Track & Field at Pan American Games

Nailah Adams, MD, MS, CAQSM, was the head team physician for USA Track and Field for their 2023 Pan American Games contingent in Santiago, Chile, October 20th-November 5th. During this 2-week experience, Adams worked with a multidisciplinary team, including Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, Massage Therapy, and Sports Psychology, to take care of athletes and supporting … Read more