Betsy Sleath Awarded 30th Annual George L. Engel Award

At the Academy of Communication in Healthcare’s (ACH) 2025 International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH), #UNCPharmacy Regional Associate Dean Betsy Sleath was awarded the 30th Annual George L. Engel Award! This award recognizes Betsy’s outstanding research contributing to the theory, practice and teaching of effective healthcare communication and related skills. Betsy is a long-time… Read more »

Bianca Allison selected for Jefferson-Pilot Fellowship

Congratulations to Bianca Allison, MD, MPH on being a recipient of the 2025-26 Jefferson-Pilot Fellowship in Academic Medicine! Dr. Allison is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and also a researcher with the Child and Adolescent Health Services Program at the Sheps Center. The Jefferson-Pilot Fellowship in Academic Medicine is amongst the most… Read more »

Jeanna Campbell Honored with 2025 PARE Award

Jeanna Campbell, PhD, a postdoctoral trainee with the HRSA-funded NRSA Primary Care Research Fellowship at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, has been named one of the 2025 recipients of the Postdoctoral Awards for Research Excellence (PARE) at UNC. The PARE awards, presented annually by UNC Research, recognize outstanding postdoctoral scholars who… Read more »

Healthy Food First Trial Provides Clinical Evidence on how Different Food Delivery Models Can Reduce Food Insecurity and Improve Health Outcomes

The Sheps Center is proud to announce that results from the Healthy Food First trial were recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine (October 2025). This study, funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and conducted in collaboration with UNC Health and UNC’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health, provides clinical evidence on… Read more »

Sasha Zabelski accepted to prestigious AcademyHealth Program

Dr. Sasha Zabelski, a Program Manager with the Behavior Health Services Research Program at Sheps, has been accepted to the AcademyHealth Champions for Health Services and Prevention Research Program. The Champions for Health Services and Prevention Research Program (supported by the Doris Duke Foundation) will train health services researchers on best practices for policy communication… Read more »

Sheps Center researchers featured in The Well

ICYMI: The July 15, 2025 issue of THE WELL featured five Sheps Center researchers for their work to improve health care in rural areas. Read the article to learn more about the rural work Mark Holmes, PhD; Erin Fraher, PhD, MPP; Emily Hawes, PharmD, BCPS, CPP; Jacquie Halladay, MD, MPH; and Kristin Reiter, PhD are… Read more »

Sheps Center Provides Rural Hospital Financial Data to U.S. Senators

The Cecil G. Sheps Center received a request for rural hospital data from four U.S. Senators. In response, the Sheps Center provided data on indicators of financial vulnerability for rural hospitals across the country. Those indicators include whether Medicaid was a large payer and whether the hospital had three consecutive years of being nonprofitable. As part… Read more »

Undocumented Latina Mothers in NC Face Barriers to Healthcare and Public Benefits

A recent study, led by Dr. Brittany Raffa and team, highlights the unique challenges undocumented Latina mothers in North Carolina face when accessing healthcare and public benefits for themselves and their U.S.-born infants. Conducted through 20 in-depth interviews in Spanish, the research sheds light on how anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric shape these mothers’ decisions during… Read more »

Sheryl Zimmerman featured in UNC Research Stories

    We are proud to celebrate Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman — a true pioneer in aging and long-term care research, and a cornerstone of the Sheps Center community. As co-director of our Program on Aging, Chronic Illness, and Long-Term Care, and executive director of CEAL@UNC, Sheryl has helped shape UNC into a national leader in… Read more »

Mark Holmes named as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs

The Sheps Center is proud to announce that Dr. Mark Holmes has been appointed as the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. This esteemed position highlights Dr. Holmes’ exceptional leadership and his commitment to career development. Dr. Holmes has been a pivotal figure at the… Read more »

Sheryl Zimmerman on Animatronic Pets: A Comfort for Aging Adults

In a recent article by The Washington Post, Sheryl Zimmerman, co-director of the Program on Aging, Chronic Illness, and Long-Term Care at the Sheps Center and Professor in the School of Social Work, offered insights into the growing use of animatronic pets to support older adults. These lifelike robotic companions, designed to mimic the behaviors… Read more »