July 19, 2024 — Casey Cooper, CEO of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, has been awarded the North Carolina Healthcare Association’s (NCHA) highest honor — the 2024 Distinguished Service Award. The award is given each year to an NCHA member executive whose contributions to the healthcare field have had a positive and lasting impact at the local, regional, state, or national level. Cooper received the award July 19 at NCHA’s Summer Membership Meeting.
Throughout his remarkable career, Cooper has demonstrated a commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes, leaving a lasting impact. One of Cooper’s most significant achievements occurred in 2023 when he played a pivotal role in working with Care4Carolina to advocate for the expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina.
His tireless efforts involved engaging with leaders across Western North Carolina, transcending political divides to secure support for Medicaid expansion. His impassioned advocacy, including addressing the state’s healthcare committee in Raleigh, was instrumental in achieving this historic milestone, expanding access to health insurance for approximately 600,000 North Carolinians.
“Cooper’s impact on the health and well-being of North Carolina cannot be overstated,” said NCHA President and CEO Steve Lawler. “His dedication, leadership, and advocacy have transformed healthcare delivery in the state and his contributions truly exemplify the spirit of service and commitment to excellence in healthcare.”
For nearly 30 years, Cooper, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI), has dedicated his life to addressing health disparities among Indigenous populations and across North Carolina. His leadership extends beyond his role at the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, which is shown through his service on various boards, including the Dogwood Health Board of Trustees, Western Carolina University, Mountain Area Health Education Center, NC Child, NC Rural Center, and the United South and Eastern Tribes Health Committee. His contributions to these organizations have significantly influenced healthcare delivery and community well-being.
Cooper has served the EBCI and his community since 1993 first as a Primary Care Nurse, then a Community Health Nurse, Nurse Educator, and as a Nursing Manager, before becoming the Health Director of the EBCI from 1999 to 2004. As Health Director he helped shape public health policy with a focus on chronic disease prevention and led a community wide initiative to assume the management responsibilities of the CIH from the Indian Health Services through an Indian Self-Determination Agreement. Cooper assumed his current role as CEO of CIHA in 2004.
Cooper is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University, holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a Former Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
About NCHA
Founded in 1918, North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) is the united voice of the North Carolina healthcare community. Representing more than 130 hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other healthcare organizations, NCHA works with our members to improve the health of North Carolina communities by advocating for sound public policies and collaborative partnerships and by providing insights, services, support, and education to expand access to high quality, efficient, affordable, and integrated health care for all North Carolinians.
For more information, contact:
Stephanie Strickland, NCHA, sstrickland@ncha.org, 919-677-4241
Brittney Lofthouse, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, brittney.lofthouse@cherokeehospital.or