Chief Executive Officer
MOUNTAIN AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER, INC. (MAHEC) I is seeking a CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
MAHEC, located in Asheville, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving the western 16 counties of North
Carolina. As one of nine regional AHECs, MAHEC is one of the most successful AHECs in the country, and with
over 850 employees and an annual operating budget of $100 million, it is the largest non-profit in Western
North Carolina.
The Search Committee for the next MAHEC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is looking for a leader who will build
on the foundation established by Dr. Jeff Heck and others over the last 47 years. They are looking for a leader
who will bring expertise and the ability to continue the growth and expansion of services MAHEC offers to the
communities it serves.
MISSION STATEMENT
The NC AHEC Program provides and supports educational activities and services with a focus on primary care in
rural communities and those with less access to resources to recruit, train, and retain the workforce needed to
create a healthy North Carolina. Located in Asheville, MAHEC is one of nine centers in the NC AHEC Program
and serves the western part of our state.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHALLENGES
MAHEC created the UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when
the UNC School of Medicine established a branch campus in Asheville in 2012 to train third- and fourth-year
medical students. In 2017, MAHEC expanded existing programs and launched new ones that formed the
backbone of UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, which includes branch campus schools of medicine, public health,
dental, and pharmacy programs.
MAHEC, as the sponsoring institution for graduate education programs, trains residents in family medicine,
obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, psychiatry, and dentistry. Since the change in ownership of Mission
Hospital to HCA and its interest in expanding graduate medical education, along with the legacy programs,
MAHEC will be sponsoring residencies and fellowships in a growing number of disciplines including internal
medicine, surgery-critical care, addiction medicine, emergency medicine, and psychiatry consult liaison.
In order to train the students, residents, fellows, and a myriad of other healthcare related learners, MAHEC
owns and operates 11 clinical practices in family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, dentistry, and
internal medicine. These practices provide a needed safety net for low and no-income patients and annually
provides more than 160,000 patient visits.
Grant funding provides the opportunity for MAHEC to serve a much greater population than it could otherwise.
MAHEC excels in its grant writing capabilities and its even greater ability to implement and manage funded
projects. MAHEC received over $15 million in awards during the 2020-21 fiscal year addressing a broad range
of issues from COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination to developing workforce strategies.
In addition to the above specified programs, MAHEC has contractual relationships with over 100 other partners
in the state and region to provide such services as school nursing, behavioral health, opioid use disorder
treatment, and educational innovation.
Annual funding from the state provides for programs that support the advancement of healthcare in rural
North Carolina and requires an ongoing effort to continue existing appropriations and develop new
relationships with members of the North Carolina General Assembly. Establishing and managing relationships
with a for-profit hospital system that is the major participating institution for MAHEC graduate medical
education programs is paramount to the success of the myriad of graduate medical education programs
sponsored by MAHEC. The cost to operate the clinical programs which entails balancing faculty productivity
with faculty teaching time can present budgetary issues. Prioritizing programs and capital projects and the
related expenditures along with managing individual expectations perhaps results in the biggest challenges.
STRATEGIC PLAN
MAHEC has organized its Strategic Plan into broad areas with several specific goals under each that are
reviewed and updated biannually. The categories are UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, foundational principles,
medical education, clinical practice, continuing professional development and research, and budget and
finance. For example, under medical education, one goal is to have 50% of graduates practicing in Western
North Carolina and under budget and finance, a goal is to have the annual budget vary no more than 2%.
MAHEC uses its strategic plan to ensure that it is meeting its many goals.
ROLE OF THE CEO
MAHEC is not only an AHEC, it is also a branch campus of the University of North Carolina and a multispecialty
practice. As the ultimate leader of MAHEC, the CEO is responsible for the strategy, the culture of the
organization, and the financial stability of all operations. In addition, the CEO is accountable to the hospital
leadership for all of its GME programs, the State AHEC Program, the UNC Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy,
Public Health, and Dentistry, and for the more than 100 other partners in the state and region through
MAHEC’s contractual partnerships. The CEO is expected to work closely with all external agencies, the General
Assembly of North Carolina, and other elected officials to ensure that MAHEC is fulfilling its mandated mission.
The CEO shall be the chief administrative and executive officer of MAHEC and shall report to the MAHEC Board
of Directors, acting as a non-voting member of the Board. The CEO has complete authority to manage the
affairs and execute the policies of MAHEC, subject to the direction and control of the Board.