Goldsboro, N.C. — Dr. Lawrence Greenblatt, a highly respected physician, educator, and public health leader, has been appointed as the new State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). He will officially assume the role on Monday, June 2, 2025.
Dr. Greenblatt is renowned for his decades-long commitment to advancing high-quality care for medically and socially complex patients, as well as his influential leadership in medical education and behavioral health reform.
“Dr. Greenblatt is an innovator and public health advocate with a long track record of increasing access to mental and physical health care in North Carolina,” said NCDHHS Secretary Dev Sangvai. “He has the vision and experience needed to lead our state’s public health efforts as we work to create a healthier North Carolina for all.”
With a medical career spanning more than 30 years, Dr. Greenblatt served as a general internist and policy leader within Duke University Health System. His work has been instrumental in integrating behavioral health and addiction services into primary care settings, ensuring more cohesive and effective treatment for patients.
Since 2008, he has led Duke’s Medicaid Network—initially as Northern Piedmont Community Care under the Community Care of North Carolina network, and later as Medical Director of Duke’s Clinically Integrated Network during Medicaid transformation in 2021. Under his leadership, the network has served over 100,000 Medicaid enrollees and supported dozens of medical practices across the state.
“I am honored to be chosen for this important role in improving the health and well-being of the more than 11 million North Carolinians that call this great state home,” said Dr. Greenblatt. “As a physician and educator, I know the value of making sure every person has access to mental and physical health care when they need it and in the setting that is most appropriate for them.”
Dr. Greenblatt’s achievements include launching one of the first academic initiatives in the U.S. to promote safe opioid prescribing and expand treatment for opioid use disorder in 2012. He has also chaired the NC Medicaid Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and served as Secretary of the NC Medicaid Physician Advisory Group.
As a long-standing advocate for improved mental health care, Dr. Greenblatt has co-led the Durham Crisis Collaborative and actively participated in local planning for mental health and substance use services.
With this appointment, Dr. Greenblatt brings deep clinical expertise, innovative public health leadership, and a lifelong dedication to improving the lives of North Carolinians.
