Alan Dobson, M.D.
Works in developing the Community Care of North Carolina.

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Dr. Dobson is a family medicine specialist who runs the residency program at Northeast Medical Center. He has been the physician leader of a unique physician-led, care management program for Medicaid patients, Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC). CCNC is now active in 94 counties across North Carolina providing primary care medical homes for all NC Medicaid patients (650,000) and providing care/case management tools to the physicians (over 1400) caring for them.

The result of the CCNC program is that NC Medicaid patients have improved access to care, documented high quality of care, and more cost-effective care. In fact, Mercer, an independent auditing firm hired by the state, has documented over $120 million in savings during the last fiscal year. Savings are realized through fewer unnecessary ED visits and hospitalizations, and through more cost-effective prescribing of medications. Because of the robust primary care provider panel in these counties, patients have a choice of physician and are encouraged to take control of their health care by enhanced primary care wellness promotion and illness prevention visits.

Dr. Dobson received his undergraduate education at North Carolina State University. He attended medical school at Bowman Gray School of Medicine and completed his residency in family medicine at East Carolina University where he served as chief resident. After finishing medical training, Dr. Dobson founded Mt. Pleasant Family Physicians in 1983, known today as Cabarrus Family Medicine, P.A. with seven family medicine clinics, as well as a Psychological and Behavioral Medicine Clinic, and a Sports Medicine & Injury Clinic. He serves as President and CEO. Dr. Dobson founded and developed Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency in 1995 in conjunction with NorthEast Medical Center. He assumed and remained the role of Director until he assumed the role of Director of Graduate Medical Education in 2001.

Dr. Dobson was named the 1992 North Carolina Family Physician of the Year. In 1993, he was the recipient of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, a North Carolina community service award presented by Governor James Martin. The same year, he was a finalist for AAFP Physician of the Year. Dr. Dobson participates in many state and national activities. His past duties include: president of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, member of the NC Institute of Health, Senior Consultant for Health Policy for the NC DHHS, chair of the North Carolina Joint Committee on Medicaid, president and chair of the Board of the North Carolina Physicians Advisory Group, Chairman of the Board of Directors Cabarrus Community Care Plan, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Association of Family Practice Residency Directors. Dr. Dobson received the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians Distinguished Service Award in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2003. He received the Sports Medicine Person of Year Award from the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association in 1999. In December 2004, Dr. Dobson was presented the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. Lifetime Achievement Award for his life-long commitment to the specialty of Family Medicine. Dr. Dobson currently presides as one of the delegates to the American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates and is a board member of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. Dr. Dobson has many national healthcare and Medicaid Reform speaking engagements, most notably the Congressional Forum in Washington, D.C., the Iowa Joint Human Services Legislators Subcommittee and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, and the Georgia Legislative breakfast for Healthy Mother's and Healthy Babies Coalition hosted by Georgia's First Lady Mary Perdue and Lt. Governor Mark Taylor.

On July 1, 2005, Dr. Dobson became North Carolina's new Assistant Secretary for Health Policy and Medical Assistance with the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services. Among his many achievements, Dr. Dobson has been a devoted community supporter, helping Cabarrus County obtain $1,567,613 in grant funding to support healthcare accessibility for underinsured and uninsured individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid. Other grants supported faculty development for residency education, established a one-month educational experience for first and second year medical students at NorthEast Medical Center through the Cannon Foundation Grant Project, established decentralized and longitudinal educational training at four family practice centers in behavioral, nutritional, and community medicine through the Title VII Federal Training Grant, and established a coordinated sports medicine curriculum with Cabarrus County schools and Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency Program through the Cannon Foundation Grant.