Ernie Bovio, who has served as president of the Novant Health Coastal Region since 2024, has been named the regional president of UNC Health's Southeast Coastal Region. 

According to a Novant Health spokesperson, Bovio has departed the organization, and Laurie Whalin, president of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC), will serve in an "interim expanded leadership role."

Bovio will begin his new role in late April, according to a press release issued Monday. The regional president position is new to UNC Health and is designed to strengthen the provider's presence in the Southeast region, the release stated.

“For far too many families in the Southeast, accessing specialized care means a two-hour drive to Chapel Hill," stated Jeff Linday, president and chief operating officer at UNC Health, in the release. " Ernie's leadership will help change that, bringing the full strength of UNC Health's academic medicine closer to the communities that need it most, expanding specialized services and strengthening care coordination.”

Bovio previously served as president of UNC Health Rex in Raleigh before becoming president of Novant Health Coastal Region and NHRMC in January 2024. Bovio also served as the leader of UNC Health's Triangle East Region, including UNC Health Rex in Raleigh and Holly Springs, and UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield and Clayton, according to the release.

According to the release, Bovio will offer strategic oversight to the Southeast coastal region, which includes Onslow Memorial Hospital. UNC Health also has a Pediatrics program, a collaborative working relationship with Novant Health and the UNC School of Medicine in the Wilmington area, according to a spokesperson from UNC Health. 

According to a spokesperson, UNC Health is planning on adding "more specialists and more options" in the Wilmington area. UNC Health was one of three health systems intent on acquiring NHRMC before its $1.5 billion sale to Novant Health in 2021.

Check back for more details on this developing story.