Pope
RALEIGH — David Pope, president and CEO of Scotland Health Care System, was named North Carolina’s 2025 Community Star Thursday in recognition of his contributions to rural health care, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced as communities across the nation celebrated National Rural Health Day.
The annual Community Star award, coordinated by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, honors individuals, organizations, or coalitions making a positive impact in rural communities. Each state names one recipient each year.
Pope oversees a nonprofit network that includes Scotland Memorial Hospital, the Scotland Physicians Network (with 16 medical practices), Scotland Regional Hospice, Scotland Family Counseling Center, and the Scotland Memorial Foundation. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for improving health care delivery in rural and underserved areas.
Under Pope’s leadership, Scotland Health has launched several initiatives to strengthen rural care, including expanding recruitment and retention programs to bolster the nursing and medical assistance workforce, integrating community health workers into care delivery to improve access and coordination, and enhancing service lines that prioritize care for underserved individuals and families.
“Beyond health care, Dr. Pope’s leadership has touched every corner of his community,” said Maggie Sauer, director of the NCDHHS Office of Rural Health. “His work exemplifies how the power of rural drives resilience, creativity and connection — qualities that define this year’s National Rural Health Day theme, ‘Rural Rising.’”
“Today is an opportunity for our rural providers, partners and residents to celebrate their resilience, commitment to excellence and unwavering dedication to ensuring our rural health care is the best it can be,” said NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Health Debra Farrington. “This is a time to recognize the strides we’ve made and recommit ourselves to continued improvements for the well-being of every person who calls North Carolina home.”
“National Rural Health Day is always a day to pause and reflect here in North Carolina since our NCDHHS Office of Rural Health was the first such office established in the United States more than 50 years ago,” said Patrick Woodie, president and CEO of the NC Rural Center. “Our rural health legacy is unparalleled in this state and that is always worthy of celebration and grateful reflection.”
For more information about National Rural Health Day, including resources and tools, visit PowerOfRural.org. To learn more about the NCDHHS Office of Rural Health, visit the Office of Rural Health webpage.