Julia Wacker is the Vice President of Community and Behavioral Health at the NC Hospital Association. In this role, she develops state-level behavioral health policy and programmatic initiatives in support of NC hospitals and patients. Ms. Wacker is the co-author of the American Board of Pediatrics’ Performance Improvement Module on motivational interviewing. Ms. Wacker is…

Jai currently serves as the Program Manager for Opioid Initiatives at the North Carolina Hospital Association. He has over 10 years of public health experience working in both youth health and development and community wellness programs. He is completing his Masters in Public Health in Health Policy and Administration from the Gillings School of Global…

Dr. Susan M. Kansagra serves as Section Chief of Chronic Disease and Injury for the NC Division of Public Health.   She is trained as a primary care physician and has worked extensively on public health initiatives related to chronic disease and tobacco control.   Her previous roles include serving as Deputy Commissioner of the…

Dr. Houry leads innovative research and science-based programs to prevent injuries and violence and to reduce their consequences. She joined the CDC in October 2014. She has previously served as Vice-Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and as Associate Professor in the Departments of Behavioral…

NC Opioid Summit Josh Stein NC Attorney General

Josh Stein was sworn in as North Carolina’s 50th Attorney General in 2017. As Attorney General, he is focused on protecting North Carolina families from crime and consumer fraud. Stein has made combatting the opioid epidemic a top priority. His office drafted the STOP Act to reduce the number of people who become addicted to…

Hugh Tilson began serving as interim president of the North Carolina Hospital Association in January. Hugh came to NCHA in 1996 after practicing law in Washington, DC. He served as NCHA’s lead lobbyist for 16 years. In 2014 he became NCHA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the daily operations of NCHA and…

Kody Kinsley, NCDHHS

Kody H. Kinsley serves as the Chief Deputy Secretary for Health at NCDHHS. He leads state-wide public policy and operations that promote whole-person health by developing prevention methods, interventions, and systems of care for individuals living with mental illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and substance use disorders. To that end, he oversees…

Kody Kinsley, NCDHHS

Kody H. Kinsley serves as the Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health & Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at DHHS. He leads state-wide public policy and operations that promote whole-person health by developing prevention methods, interventions, and systems of care for individuals living with mental illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and substance use disorders.…

NC Opioid Summit, Mandy Cohen, NCDHHS Secretary

Dr. Mandy Cohen was appointed to the role of Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in January 2017 by Governor Roy Cooper. Secretary Cohen and her team work tirelessly to improve the health, safety and well-being of all North Carolinians. DHHS has 17,000 employees and an annual budget of…

NC Governor, Roy Cooper

Roy Cooper is a trusted leader and family man who is honored to serve as North Carolina’s Governor. Roy Cooper has spent nearly three decades in public service protecting families, keeping communities safe, and working to create jobs and improve schools. The son of a school teacher, he knows that education creates opportunity and he…