2020 Election Candidate Questions

Jul 20, 2020

Position Title: Health Access Manager

Reports To: Executive Director

Status: Full-time, exempt

Location: North Carolina: hybrid/remote with statewide travel

Hiring Salary Range: $62,000–$68,000

Supervisory responsibilities: None currently

About the North Carolina Alliance for Health

The North Carolina Alliance for Health brings together community voices, bipartisan leaders, businesses, and partners across the state to advance practical policy solutions grounded in local experience and designed for statewide impact. Together, we improve health outcomes while reducing long-term healthcare costs, expanding access to care, strengthening the workforce, and helping communities thrive. 

About the Role

As federal funding cuts and policy shifts threaten public health and Medicaid coverage, the North Carolina Alliance for Health (NCAH) is committed to fighting for North Carolinians’ continued access to affordable care. In alignment with NCAH’s commitment to public health and ensuring health access for all, the Health Access Manager will lead and coordinate Keeping NC Medicaid Strong – a statewide coalition focused on protecting and advancing Medicaid in North Carolina.

This role requires strong skills in coalition management, stakeholder communications, and policy analysis. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, a skilled communicator, and committed to access to care in North Carolina.

Key Responsibilities

  • Coalition Management & Leadership

    • Manage NCAH’s health access portfolio, with a primary focus on Medicaid policy and related public health issues. 
    • Convene and grow a diverse coalition of organizations, advocates, and community partners.
    • Facilitate Keeping NC Medicaid Strong coalition meetings by setting agendas, supporting discussions, and ensuring follow-through on action items.
    • Work with the Executive Director to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including advocacy groups and community leaders.
    • Manage project timelines, budgets, deliverables, and grant requirements; identify risks and recommend adjustments to keep work on track. 
    • Engage Medicaid beneficiaries, grassroots organizations, and communities most affected by health access barriers in campaign planning, messaging, and advocacy. 

 

  • Policy & Legislative Work

    • Monitor and analyze federal and state policy developments affecting Medicaid and health access; advise leadership on emerging opportunities and threats.
    • Draft policy briefs, talking points, and testimony targeted to a variety of audiences.
    • Represent the coalition with media and relevant public forums.
    • Work closely with the Executive Director to influence policy outcomes.

  • Advocacy & Campaigns

    • Implement advocacy campaigns, including grassroots mobilization and digital outreach.
    • Prepare coalition members for legislative meetings, press events, and other advocacy opportunities.
    • Track campaign progress and report on outcomes to the coalition and funders.

  • Communications & External Relations

    • Serve as a representative for NCAH’s healthcare access work in meetings with key stakeholders, funders, and the media, providing timely updates, reporting recent developments, and sharing relevant information.
    • Translate complex Medicaid and healthcare policy issues into clear, compelling messages for diverse audiences.
    • Collaborate with the communications team to draft fact sheets, advocacy toolkits, talking points, and digital content.
    • Support coalition members in amplifying unified messaging.

  • Organizational Management

    • Work with the Executive Director to support Medicaid-related grants, including budget tracking, deliverable management, and funder reporting.
    • Ensure projects are executed effectively, on time, and in alignment with NCAH’s strategic goals.
    • Contribute to funding proposals, funder cultivation, grant reports, and sustainability planning for NCAH’s health access portfolio. 
    • Develop annual goals, strategies, work plans, and performance measures for NCAH’s health access portfolio in collaboration with the full team.
    • Establish and track campaign goals, performance indicators, partner engagement, policy progress, and outcomes; use findings to improve strategy and support funder reporting.
  • Team Participation & Collaboration
  • Work closely with NCAH staff, consultants, and coalition partners to align strategies and coordinate communications.

    • Uphold NCAH's mission, vision, and values in your daily work.
    • Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that values diverse perspectives and lived experiences.
    • Support colleagues across projects by contributing expertise in policy, advocacy, and coalition management.

 

Qualifications

  • Minimum two to four years of health policy advocacy or NC Medicaid program experience.
  • Strong project-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines, budgets, and deliverables.
  • Familiarity with the North Carolina General Assembly, state agencies, and state policymaking processes.
  • Demonstrated ability to facilitate diverse groups, navigate differing perspectives, and build consensus.
  • Commitment to racial, geographic, disability, and economic equity.
  • Ability to work independently and adapt to rapidly changing policy conditions.
  • Willingness to travel within North Carolina and occasionally work outside regular business hours.

 

How to Apply: To apply, send your resume and cover letter to admin@ncallianceforhealth.org by September 4, 2026.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020! Have Your Voice Heard!

Voter Information

Voters will be able to vote in the 2020 election by absentee by-mail, in-person early voting, and Election Day voting. No special circumstance is needed to cast an absentee ballot. You can request one here.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is possible that additional changes will be made to the voting process. Check the NC State Board of Elections COVID-19 page for updates and more information.

Questions for Candidates

As you encounter candidates on the campaign trail and at candidate forums, consider asking their opinion on these important health policy topics.

HEALTH EQUITY

Facts

  • Significantly more Black people are considered obese (41.3%) compared to white people (30%), while slightly more Latinx people are considered obese (31.2%) compared to white people.
  • In 2016, 17.9 percent of North Carolinians smoked. However, 26.2% of American Indians smoked. And, although Black Americans smoke fewer cigarettes and start smoking cigarettes at an older age, they are more likely to die from smoke-related diseases than white Americans.

Suggested Questions

  • What does health equity mean to you?
  • What policies do you support to advance health equity?
  • What is a workable solutions for achieving health equity in North Carolina?

ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD

Facts

  • More than 2 million North Carolinians lack access to healthy, affordable food. This includes nearly 500,000 children under the age of 15.
  • More than 1.1 million children participate in school meal programs every day in NC, and nearly 60% of them qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

Suggested Questions

  • What policies do you support to increase access to healthy food?
  • Many states have passed policies that encourage schools to purchase local food for school meals. Do you support more of our schools buying food grown and produced in our state? If so, how would you like to see this done? If not, why not?
  • What do you think is a workable solution to increase access to healthy food in underserved communities?

ACTIVE LIVING

Facts

  • In 1969, 41% of students lived within a mile of school and 89% of them walked or biked to school. In 2009, 31% of students lived within a mile of school, and only 35% of them walked to school.
  • Less than 35% of parents report that their children got 60 minutes of physical activity every day in the past week.

Suggested Questions

  • What policies do you support to ensure that our children are getting enough physical activity?
  • How would you support active modes of transportation, including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure?
  • What do you think is a workable solution to address the lack of safe spaces to be active in communities across North Carolina?

TOBACCO USE PREVENTION AND CESSATION

Facts

  • More than 28% of high school students use tobacco products and more than 23% of NC high school students use e-cigarettes, an 894% increase since 2011.
  • Nearly 70% of smokers want to stop smoking.

Suggested Questions

  • What policies do you recommend to address the rising use of e-cigarettes among young people?
  • What recommendations do you have to increase access to cessation services?
  • What do you think is a workable solution to decrease the state’s high rates of tobacco use?

Other Posts

North Carolina Alliance for Health Applauds Health and Nutrition Investments in State Budget

Progress made on Medicaid, food security, and healthy opportunities while shifting SNAP costs to counties.The North Carolina Alliance for Health welcomes key investments included in North Carolina’s FY 2026-27 budget, recognizing the work of legislative leaders in...

North Carolina is Stronger with SNAP

For over 1.4 million North Carolinians, SNAP is more than just a program—it’s a vital lifeline. SNAP helps put nutritious food on the table for children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and hard-working families across our state. When our neighbors can afford groceries, our whole community benefits.

Congress Can Act Now Before SNAP Cost Shares Wreck State Budgets 

Kate Hanson, Founder and Executive Director, Meals4Families What Is SNAP? SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps individuals and families with low income or no income afford groceries. It is our nation’s largest anti-hunger program, supporting tens of...

Take Action-Protect Youth from Vaping and Nicotine

Youth vaping is an epidemic and North Carolina is one of the few states without a tobacco retailer permit system or an aligned age-21 sales law. Solly’s Law (HB 430/SB 318) would change that—ensuring stronger protections for our kids. This bill honors Solomon “Solly”...

NCAH Update

On January 6, 2025, Abby Carter Emanuelson will become the next executive director of the North Carolina Alliance for Health. Abby’s skills, expertise, and deep commitment to NCAH’s mission, vision, and values make her the ideal leader to guide NCAH into its next...

2024 Election Results

FEDERALPresidentNorth Carolina was one of the battleground states for control of the presidency and, once again, Republican Donald Trump won the state by a safe margin of 50.95% to 47.56%. He appears to have outperformed many of his key suburban/rural districts by at...

Resources for Communities Impacted by Hurricane Helene

We are deeply saddened by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene across North Carolina. Many of our communities are facing devastating and significant challenges in the storm's aftermath. In this difficult time, we want to share some resources that may provide...

NCAH Statement on S527

Surprise Amendment to ABC Omnibus Bill (S527) Creates Dangerous New Exemption to North Carolina Smoke-Free Law A Statement by Morgan Wittman Gramann, Executive Director, North Carolina Alliance for Health Today, the North Carolina General Assembly passed dangerous...

Short Session Begins

Things change quickly on Jones Street. A few days ago, you may have heard us say that we expected short session to be short. Then the revenue forecast was updated. The State has $1.4 billion more than expected, and, as the saying goes, more money, more problems, and a...

New grants will help public schools provide nutritious school breakfast to more children to support their health, development and learning

Governor Cooper Directs $1.4 Million to Expand School Breakfast Programs New grants will help public schools provide nutritious school breakfast to more children to support their health, development and learning RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that he is...

Translate »