In 2025, Cone Health strengthened system-wide alignment and public trust through clear, people‑centered communication supporting Strategic Vision 2030 and integration with Risant Health. Executive messaging, leadership engagement and storytelling connected team members to system priorities.
Media relations expanded regional reach by positioning clinicians as trusted experts and highlighting prevention, access and equity. WFMY 2 Your Well‑Being segments delivered regular wellness guidance. Key announcements, including state approval of the Cone Health Mebane Hospital and the Bernard J. Tyson Award for Pursuit of Healthcare Equity, increased visibility and reinforced leadership in value‑driven care.
Communications also elevated human stories and key leadership updates, such as a wedding outside Moses Cone Hospital, the retirement of CEO Dr. Mary Jo Cagle and the naming of Dr. Paul Krakovitz as Cone Health’s next CEO. Corporate events, including the Leadership Retreat, Women’s Heart Community Event, the Steven D. Bell Family Heart & Vascular Center opening, and major employee celebrations, strengthened culture and community engagement.
Marketing advanced Cone Health’s vision through integrated, insight‑driven campaigns. Vital Signs (images below) highlighted value‑based care. Ripple in Reverse and Where the Heart Lives showcased advanced cardiac capabilities. Additional campaigns elevated cancer care, pharmacy convenience, urgent and virtual access, and expanded orthopedics visibility across print, digital and billboard channels.
Our efforts delivered strong performance across key brand metrics. Cone Health continues to outperform all competitors across every measured age group in brand empathy, reinforcing the trust and emotional connection we have built with our communities. We maintained visible awareness and presence in the market, ensuring our message reached audiences consistently. These results underscore the effectiveness of our integrated marketing approach and validate our investment in campaigns that resonate deeply with patients and families.
Vital Signs Campaign Images
Investing in Local Impact
In the first half of 2025, Cone Health advanced its mission to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve by awarding $257,500 in community grants across four counties: Guilford, Alamance, Rockingham and Randolph. Through these investments, Cone Health supported programs that address social drivers of health, expand access to care and strengthen the community safety net.
Funding prioritized three key themes identified in our Community Health Needs Assessment:
- Food Security & Nutrition — from the Guilford Backpack Ministry providing meals to rural students to regional collaborations such as the Triad Black Faith Leaders & Black Farmers Network, delivering fresh produce and nutrition education in east Greensboro.
- Mental Health & Social Connection — supporting partners like Open Arms Healthcare, Hirsch Wellness Network and Alternative Resources of the Triad (IMPAQT GSO) to expand culturally responsive mental-health access, wellness programs and peer-support networks.
- Youth & Workforce Development — investing in initiatives such as Crossroads: Pathways to Success and Salem Academy and College to cultivate the next generation of health care professionals and empower young people through mentorship and experiential learning.
Together, these partnerships reflect Cone Health’s belief that improving health outcomes requires collective investment — combining clinical care, community collaboration and local leadership to build a healthier future for all.
Note: Second-half 2025 grant review totals will be reported following the December funding cycle.
Throughout 2025, hospitals and health systems across the state faced significant legislative challenges from the federal and state governments passing laws that impact the way we operate and care for patients.
In July, President Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which serves as one of the most consequential pieces of health care legislation since the Affordable Care Act. H.R. 1 made several changes to the Medicaid program to reduce federal spending on the program. New work requirements, for example, will add administrative complexity and are projected to reduce enrollment in Medicaid. Patients losing coverage are expected to delay care and, when those patients finally seek care, it is expected they will seek care at emergency departments.
In October, the federal government shutdown included the closure of two programs important to Cone Health’s efforts to provide value-based care: telehealth for Medicare patients and hospital-at-home, which enables some patients who need acute-level care to receive care in their homes, rather than in a hospital. Both programs enjoy broad support from patients, providers and members of Congress — and both programs have been shown to improve health at lower costs.
At the state level, the underfunding of the North Carolina Medicaid program led to reimbursement cuts to all Medicaid providers. Cuts of this size on relatively short notice significantly disrupts providers’ operations, which threatens their ability to provide care not only to Medicaid recipients but to all North Carolinians. Further, legislation introduced at the state level continues to show legislators’ increasing interest in getting more involved in how health systems operate, grow and care for patients.
With the increased attention on the cost of health care, we expect health policy to remain top of mind for our lawmakers at the state and federal level. The Government Affairs team, along with other Cone Health providers and employees, will continue to fight for Cone Health’s patients, and we appreciate the support of the communities we serve in our advocacy efforts.
