Rural health expert chosen to lead UNC Health system and medical school
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- UNC Board names Dr. Cristy Page CEO of UNC Health and dean of medical school
- Page has prioritized rural health and expanded residencies and branch campuses statewide
- She succeeds Dr. Wesley Burks; UNC Health operates 16 hospitals and employs 56,000
One of the Triangle’s big three health systems will have a new leader when Dr. Cristy Page becomes CEO of UNC Health and dean of the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill on Monday.
Page, who specializes in rural health and primary care, joined the faculty at UNC in 2005 and has served in several leadership positions in recent years. She replaces Dr. Wesley Burks, who guided UNC Health through the COVID-19 pandemic and announced his retirement in April.
Page was named interim CEO and dean in July. Her appointment was made permanent by the UNC Board of Governors this week.
In nominating Page, UNC System President Peter Hans said she takes over at a challenging time in health care, when the extraordinary progress in science isn’t always available to people who need it.
“North Carolina is growing rapidly, yet rural communities still struggle with access to care. Mental health needs have deepened, and the demands on our health workforce are intense,” he said. “Dr. Page brings both vision and pragmatism to those challenges.”
Page is a native of Wilmington and first came to UNC as a Morehead Scholar to study psychology. She remained in Chapel Hill to earn a master’s degree in public health, followed by her MD at the medical school she now leads.
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Rural health care and strategies for getting more family medicine workers into small towns have been the main focus of Page’s research and writing. She helped drive the expansion of UNC’s medical residency programs and branch campuses across the state, Hans said.
“She has been a champion for improving rural health access, which is perhaps the single most challenging issue facing UNC Health,” he said.
UNC Health is a not-for-profit medical system owned by the state. It includes clinics, physician practices and 16 hospitals on 20 campuses across North Carolina, including two Rex campuses in Wake County and smaller hospitals in Clayton, Smithfield and Siler City. It employs about 56,000 people.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 11:46 AM.
