Aug 5, 2026
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.
On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Dr. Susan Mims, CEO of the Dogwood Health Trust, about her lifelong commitment to population health and the 80% of factors beyond clinical care that shape well-being. Inspired by her work in Guatemala, she leads the place-focused foundation serving 18 counties in Western North Carolina, funding housing, education, and economic opportunity. Mims shares how flexible funding and collaboration grants helped the region respond to Hurricane Helene—including $30 million deployed within a week—and how Dogwood is documenting its disaster-preparedness learnings so others can benefit. She also explains why Western North Carolina is open for business, and shares her love of bluegrass and classical music.