CommWell Health Announces Retirement of Pamela M. Tripp, CEO, After Decades-Long Transformational Leadership
Four Oaks, N.C., February 17, 2026 — CommWell Health announced today that Pamela M.
Tripp, MEd, MSOM, will retire from her role as Chief Executive Officer in July 2026, concluding a
distinguished decades-long career marked by visionary leadership, national recognition, and a
steadfast commitment to advancing community health.
Tripp has served CommWell Health with distinction for nearly 18 years, guiding the organization
through significant growth, innovation, and excellence in integrated care. Under her leadership,
CommWell Health has experienced record breaking growth in southeastern North Carolina, with
over 15 practices spanning five counties, and creating hundreds of jobs, it has been recognized
as one of the nation’s premier Community Health Centers, known for strong quality systems,
patientcentered care, and a thriving workforce culture CommWell Health is an employer of
choice and recognized by Modern Healthcare as Best Place to Work and a provider of choice as
the organization benchmarks in the 92-100 in Patient experience scores which is greatly
contributed to CommWell Health’s Eagle Excellence culture blueprint.
Tripp’s transformational legacy includes, recently expanding services in Harnett County,
enhancing patient care by implementing top-tier cloud-based EPIC Electronic Health Record
systems, leading in the COVID pandemic and providing large-scale telehealth services,
innovative partnerships to provide school-based mobile dental care. In addition to leading
CommWell Health, Tripp has served on the executive board of Health Choice Network Inc. Also
serving in committees associated with the National Associations of Community Health Center,
Association for Underserved Physicians, NC Association of Community Health Centers, and is a
member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
A respected thought leader, Tripp is the author of The Culture Cure: Transforming the Modern
Healthcare System, a widely referenced work on the power of organizational culture to
transform healthcare delivery. She is a frequent keynote speaker at national and state
conferences and has been celebrated for her transformational leadership, mentoring, and her
unwavering commitment to health equity.
Tripp is also the founder of Corporate Transcendence LLC, a leadership and workforce
development company that supports healthcare organizations in building effective cultures,
strengthening leadership teams, and improving organizational performance in culture, quality
finance, and governance through mentoring, coaching and development.
“Leading CommWell Health has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life,” said
Pamela M. Tripp. “The people of this organization—our staff, providers, board members, and
community partners—are the heartbeat of our mission. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity
to serve and to help build a culture rooted in compassion, excellence, and accountability. I look
forward to continuing to support CommWell Health as it moves confidently into the future.
Throughout her tenure, Tripp championed initiatives that expanded access to care,
strengthened integrated service delivery, improved financial sustainability, and advanced a
culture of excellence. Her leadership earned CommWell Health the Joint Commission’s Gold
Seal of Approval, recognition by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and level 2 achievement of the
prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality award. She has positioned CommWell Health as
a model of operational quality and patient-centered service across southeastern North Carolina
and nationwide
“Pam has been a transformational leader whose vision, dedication, and deep understanding of
community healthcare have shaped CommWell Health for generations to come,” said Johnson
Tilghman, Board Chair. “Her passion for culture, leadership development, and service has left a
lasting legacy on our organization.”
The CommWell Health board of directors will work to appoint a new CEO before Tripp retires.
Following her retirement as CEO, Tripp will continue to support CommWell Health as Senior
Executive Advisor, extending her commitment to missiondriven, communityfocused healthcare.
Please follow CommWell Health on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit
www.commwellhealth.org for more information.
