Health Equity Portfolio

Who We Are

To champion equitable health outcomes for the 10 million North Carolinians we serve, and support internal workforce Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, NCDHHS established a new Health Equity Portfolio in 2021 and hired its first Chief Health Equity Officer to lead the Portfolio. The Portfolio is composed of three offices: the Office of Rural Health, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Office of Health Equity. The new Office of Health Equity includes the former NCDHHS Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities combined with Latinx and Hispanic Policy and Strategy. The work of the Portfolio is grounded in NCDHHS’s commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce and advancing health equity within DHHS and across North Carolina.

Health Equity Portfolio Mission: Embedding equity through trust, collaboration, innovation, leadership, and quality service delivery.

Health Equity Portfolio Vision: Foster fair and just opportunities for all people of North Carolina to achieve their healthiest outcomes.

NC Strategic Housing Plan: The NC Strategic Housing Plan addresses the housing needs of individuals with disabilities, including people with disabilities who are currently receiving or eligible for NCDHHS-funded services at the state and local levels.

Health Equity Portfolio Strategic Priorities: The Health Equity Portfolio has worked to identify four strategic areas of focus in 2023 – Strategy, Operational Excellence and Daily Operations, Community and Partner Engagement, and HE and DEI Consultation and Technical Assistance.

Health Equity Portfolio Leadership Team

The Health Equity Portfolio is excited to present our Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Year in Review Report. This report showcases our key achievements over the past fiscal year, reflects on the lessons we've learned, and outlines our plans for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. Our focus remains on building sustainable equity efforts and expanding our outreach, infrastructure, operations, and partnerships to foster workforce belonging and health equity outcomes in North Carolina.

View the HEP's FY 22-23 Year in Review Report.
You can also view the FY 22-23 Report's One Pager and Summary Slide Deck.

Contact Us

Mailing Address

Debra Farrington, MSW, LCSW
Chief Health Equity Office and Deputy Secretary  
101 Blair Drive 
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603

Physical Address

101 Blair Drive 
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603