FirstHealth of the Carolinas CEO Mickey Foster has received statewide recognition for his advocacy on behalf of hospitals, health care providers, patients and communities.
Foster was presented with the American Hospital Association’s Grassroots Champion Award during the North Carolina Healthcare Association’s annual summer meeting.
Award Recognizes Health Care Advocacy
The Grassroots Champion Award honors hospital leaders who help elected officials understand how public-policy decisions affect hospitals and the communities they serve.
The award also recognizes leaders who build community support for hospitals and advocate for patients and health care providers. Only one recipient is selected from each state annually.
North Carolina Healthcare Association President and CEO Josh Dobson praised Foster for bringing people together, building consensus on difficult issues and supporting policies intended to improve health care across the state.
The recognition highlights Foster’s work at both the local and statewide levels as hospitals respond to challenges involving access to care, staffing, rising costs and the changing needs of their communities.
Foster Has Led FirstHealth Since 2019
Foster has served as CEO of FirstHealth of the Carolinas since 2019. Before joining FirstHealth, he was president of The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro and a senior vice president for Cone Health from 2014 until 2019.
FirstHealth is a private, nonprofit health care network headquartered in Pinehurst. The organization operates four hospitals and serves communities across a 15-county region in the Carolinas.
The system includes Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, along with hospitals in Raeford, Rockingham and Troy. FirstHealth also operates primary and specialty care clinics, convenient care facilities, fitness centers, emergency medical services, home care, hospice and other community health programs.
Recognition Carries Local Significance
As one of the Sandhills region’s major health care providers and employers, FirstHealth plays an important role in both the local economy and access to medical care.
The Grassroots Champion Award recognizes Foster’s efforts to represent those interests while working with elected officials, other hospital leaders and community partners across North Carolina.
Sources: Sandhills Sentinel and FirstHealth of the Carolinas.
