Wayne UNC Health Care Names Dr. Jessie L. Tucker III President and CEO

Goldsboro, NC, October 27, 2020—Wayne UNC Health Care has named Dr. Jessie L. Tucker III, FACHE as President & CEO, effective Mon., Dec. 14.

A retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with over two decades of experience in executive healthcare leadership, Dr. Tucker has a long track record of gains in clinical quality, teammate engagement, financial performance and service line growth.

Janie Jaberg, FACHE, President & CEO of Wayne UNC since 2017, will leave the organization on Fri., Oct. 30, following a 30-year career in executive health care leadership.

“On behalf of our board, leadership and the Wayne UNC team, I would like to thank Janie for her leadership and commitment to our Wayne UNC family and surrounding community,” said Ken Gerrard, Chairman of the Wayne UNC Board of Directors. “We would also like to thank UNC for facilitating our nationwide search.”

With a strong focus on improving value and optimizing resources across the enterprise, Dr. Tucker is committed to continually improving outcomes for patients and families by innovating wellness, education and self-care options in the communities he has served.

Dr. Tucker has a Ph.D. in Administration-Health Services from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed a National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems Fellowship. He also holds a Master’s degree in Management from Bowie State University, an MBA from Troy State University and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), Dr. Tucker is also the 2007 recipient of the ACHE’s Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year. Throughout his career in healthcare, Dr. Tucker has also continued to teach, serving most recently as an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis.

“We look forward to Dr. Tucker and his family coming to our community and the success we together will achieve for years to come,” Gerrard said.

During her time at Wayne UNC, Jaberg ushered in a chapter of growth across four strategic focus areas – expansion of service delivery, medical staff and teammate development, clinical quality and patient engagement.

Among her key accomplishments has been a cultural focus on patients first, implementation of telestroke services, a significant increase in patient satisfaction as measured in survey scores, completion of a $47 million Surgery Center, recruitment of over 40 multi-specialty providers and her leadership of Fit for the Future – an initiative to bolster the health system’s bottom line in light of numerous healthcare challenges in the years to come.

Jaberg served on many community boards, including the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Wayne Action Teams for Community Health (WATCH), Wayne Community College and forged a collaborative partnership with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

Before Dr. Tucker’s arrival, the Wayne UNC team will welcome Dr. Alan Stiles as Interim President & CEO. A specialist in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Dr. Stiles brings over 40 years’ experience in the medical field and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Network Development and Strategic Affiliation with UNC Health. Dr. Stiles earned his medical degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also served as Chief Resident and Chair of Pediatrics. He also completed a 4-year fellowship in Neonatology at Harvard University.

About Wayne UNC Health Care: At Wayne UNC Health Care, our Mission is Patients First. Quality Health Care. Close to Home. Part of the UNC Health Care’s integrated network of primary and specialty providers, clinical programs and hospitals, WUNC’s 1,700 teammates and more than 150 physicians provide comprehensive medical services ranging from cancer care to surgery to women’s health.