Executives Talk Leadership, Community, Commitment at Health Equity Summit

Executives Talk Leadership, Community, Commitment at Health Equity Summit

CHARLOTTE, NC – Healthcare leaders and students from Greater Charlotte and Western North Carolina gathered at Queens University for our 2nd annual Health Equity Summit, May 16, 2025.

Organized in collaboration with Queens University’s MHA program, the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives North Carolina Chapter, and ACHE of Greater Charlotte’s DEI Committee, executives shared lessons they’ve learned leading teams and the role of health equity in how we serve our communities.

• Leadership requires listening

  From left to right: “Leading High-Performing Teams” panelists Sebastien Girard, Alicia Campbell, Tri Tang, and moderator Tobias Stanelle

  At the “Leading High-Performing Teams” discussion, executives from Atrium Health and Novant Health spoke to the importance of psychological safety.

  Alicia Campbell, Vice President and Facility Executive for Atrium Health Pineville, explained that representation does not equal inclusion.

  “You cannot have an inclusive team by merely having presence,” she said. “You have to have a team that feels empowered, has that psychological safety.”

  When it comes to building consensus, Sebstien Gerard, SVP and Chief People Officer at Novant Health, encouraged leaders to get feedback from all stakeholders. “In every decision, we have to find a way to include as many people as we can,” he said. “Everyone can have an opinion, but not everyone has a vote.”

  Tri Tang, VP and Facility Executive of Atrium Health Lincoln, noted that leaders must be able to receive feedback.

  “How you respond will be the true test of your leadership,” he said. “You have to have a learning mindset. You have to be willing to embrace words you don’t find warm and fuzzy.”

• Lessons learned from Hurricane Helene

  From left to right: “Beyond the Storm: Health Equity, Leadership & Access after Hurricane Helene” panelists Michael Lewis, Melina Arrowood, Danny Scalise and Moderator Natalie Micale.

  For “Beyond the Storm”, sponsored by the Western NC Healthcare Executives Committee, healthcare leaders from areas hit hard by the Hurricane Helene disaster recalled their experiences.

  Danny Scalise, Public Health Director for Burke County, described the immediate aftermath. Flooding and toppled trees created challenges to reaching vulnerable people who live in hilly areas.

  “Most of them are poor and a lot of them are senior citizens,” Scalise said. “You kind of get a trifecta of something that’s not really equitable.”

  Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, brought in 1,200 workers in preparation for the storm, according to Melina Arrowood, Chief Operating Officer for the hospital.
  Once Helene hit, Asheville flooded, and lines of communication were down.

  “We were passing notes and using radios to communicate with one another, with no way to get access to anything,” she recalled.

  Michael Lewis, Director of Manufacturing for Baxter, explained how Helene flooded their North Cove, McDowell County plant and wiped out the bridge over the North Fork Catawba River used to access the facility.

  The 1.5 million sq. ft. plant is a major supplier of IV fluids to hospitals in addition to at-home renal bags for people with end-stage kidney disease.

  In the midst of disaster, all of the panelists emphasized collaboration, teamwork, and the power of community.

  “While these folks were giving blood, sweat and tears to get the plant back open, they were volunteering in churches, taking care of the people they loved,” he said.

  Arrowood and Scalise also spoke about ensuring that people administering care also received support.

  “We still need to take time to understand what’s going on in our life,” Scalise added. “I think we need to spend time working more with mental health professionals. We get hurt too.”

• Health Equity: the goal is change, not comfort

  
  Dr. Timothy L. Brown’s keynote session focused on creating a culture of health equity in organizations.

  “We’re too often treating equity as a program and not a principle,” he said.

  Brown, Senior Vice President, Health Solutions, at Aperitisoft, encouraged leaders to ask questions.

  “If we can’t talk about inequity, we can’t fix it,” he said. “The goal is not comfort, the goal is change. The most courageous thing you can do is tell the truth and create spaces where others can do the same.”

  Brown, DBA, challenged the audience to walk the halls of their clinics, volunteer regularly with underserved communities, and invite voices from the community to strategy sessions.

  “You don’t have to do everything, but we just ask you to do something,” he said.

Sponsor Spotlight

Morrison Healthcare – Gold Level Sponsor

Morrison Healthcare’s generous sponsorship covered ACHE of Greater
Charlottes members at the ACHE Congress 2025 NC Networking Event.

Morrison Healthcare is part of Compass Group USA, and a leading national
food and nutrition services company, proudly serving more than 950
hospitals and healthcare systems.

Morrison Healthcare together with Crothall Healthcare form Compass One
Healthcare – providing specialized patient experiences in food, nutrition and
support services in more than 1,600 locations with a combined 90 years of
healthcare experience.