The North Carolina Healthcare Foundation and The Leon Levine Foundation Support Hospital-Community Health Center Partnerships

Raleigh, NC —  The North Carolina Healthcare Foundation (NCHF) is launching a new four-year initiative to strengthen collaboration between hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), also known as Community Health Centers, across North Carolina. Supported by The Leon Levine Foundation (TLLF), this initiative aims to improve access to care, strengthen care coordination, lower costs and improve health outcomes for the state’s most vulnerable populations.
While hospital–community health center partnerships exist in some communities, organizations across the state continue to face challenges related to data sharing, care coordination, quality improvement, and sustainable partnership infrastructure. Over the past year, NCHF has engaged hospitals and safety-net providers to better understand these barriers and begin identifying opportunities to strengthen collaboration.  

Through this initiative, NCHF will support healthcare organizations in developing sustainable, patient-centered partnership models across the care continuum, with a focus on identifying best practices and resource gaps, advancing sustainable reimbursement strategies, strengthening data sharing and infrastructure, and co-designing practical tools to support scalable coordination.

“Strong partnerships between hospitals and community-based providers are essential to ensuring patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right setting,” said Josh Dobson, President and CEO of the North Carolina Healthcare Association. “This initiative will support shared learning and collaboration to better serve patients and strengthen North Carolina’s healthcare safety net.”

“Too many families face barriers to timely, coordinated healthcare,” Tom Lawrence, President and CEO of The Leon Levine Foundation, said. “This initiative strengthens how hospitals and community health centers work together so that underserved Carolinians can access the care they need, when and where they need it most.”

The initiative will roll out in phases beginning in 2026. Tools and insights developed through the project will be shared statewide to promote long-term sustainability and lasting improvement across North Carolina’s healthcare system.

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About North Carolina Healthcare Foundation
Established in 1964, the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation is the charitable non-profit, innovative and programmatic arm of the North Carolina Healthcare Association. The Foundation brings together diverse voices and perspectives to support community-based innovation and develop leading-edge programming to drive lasting change. Its goal is to power system-wide solutions, redefine the healthcare delivery system and improve the health and well-being of people in North Carolina and beyond. The Foundation works in concert with the Association to shape policy, inform the public and drive change.  

About The Leon Levine Foundation
Established in 1980 by Leon Levine (Founder and former Chairman of Family Dollar Stores, Inc.), The Leon Levine Foundation pursues its mission of “empowering underserved Carolinians to be self-sufficient and strengthening our Jewish community” by supporting programs and organizations that align with its four core mission areas: education, healthcare, human services, and Jewish values. Based in Charlotte, N.C., the Foundation invests in nonprofits across North and South Carolina with strong leadership, a track record of success, and a plan for financial sustainability. Learn more at leonlevinefoundation.org.