Willson to chair Health and Wellness Trust Fund

Raleigh, N.C.  —   Dr. Charles Willson, an ECU pediatrician, is the new chair of the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission.

Willson was unanimously elected at the commission’s July 16 meeting. 

Dr. Charles Willson

He succeeds Gov. Beverly Perdue, who has chaired the commission since its inception in 2001. Willson has served on the commission since 2001, has chaired the Research, Education and Prevention Task Force and remains a member of the 
Obesity and Wellness Task Force. 

“Dr. Chuck Willson has been a committed and highly valued member of the commission and a passionate advocate for the health of North Carolina’s citizens,” said Perdue. “I am confident that the commission with continue its critical mission with the benefit of his exceptional leadership.”

A pediatrician and dedicated child advocate, Willson is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU and serves as co-director of the Center for Children with Complex and Chronic Conditions. He also worked for 19 years in private practice. 

Willson has served on the Executive Committee of the N.C. Pediatric Society since 1986 and is a former president of the North Carolina Medical Society. He is also a member of the N.C. American Medical Association delegation.

Willson has been involved in the development of a physician-led primary care case management model for Medicaid patients in North Carolina. He held the position of medical director for the Community Care Plan of Eastern Carolina for 12 years, serving more than 100,000 patients in 27 counties.

Created by the General Assembly in 2000 to allocate a portion of North Carolina’s share of the national tobacco settlement, the HWTF has invested $199 million to support preventive health initiatives and $102 million to fund prescription drug assistance programs. More information is online at http://www.healthwellnc.com.