DukeWELL Leadership

Tara Kinard serves as the associate chief nursing officer for the Duke Population Health Management Office (PHMO). Prior to joining Duke PHMO, she served in a variety of roles with the Wake County Medical Society Community Health Foundation, including care management, practice/provider liaison quality and support, and leadership. She also served as a regional vice president for Community Care of North Carolina.

Tara is a driven and passionate leader with more than two decades of progressive experience in both acute and community settings, focused on improving care delivery across the care continuum for vulnerable populations. Tara has a commitment to patient-centered care and a passion for improving patient outcomes, care transitions, and addressing health disparities and unmet social needs that impact health. Tara is inspired by the team she serves and is dedicated to helping team members grow and achieve their professional goals. She is passionate about bringing together and empowering providers, multi-disciplinary teams, patients, and communities to deliver on common goals of improving health.

Tara obtained her nursing degree from Watts School of Nursing in Durham, her masters’ degrees from East Carolina University, and her doctorate of nursing practice degree with executive leadership specialty from Duke University School of Nursing. She enjoys spending time with family, can often be found on the Peloton leaderboard, and is active in extracurricular activities that involve her children.

"I am board certified in both ambulatory care and geriatric pharmacy practice and serve as assistant professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. I graduated from the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at UNC-Chapel Hill and completed a pharmacy residency in ambulatory care at Mission Hospital and the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville. Prior to joining Duke Health in 2012, I practiced in an outpatient clinic at Mission Hospital."

Dr. Churchwell serves as director of DukeWELL Care Management for PHMO's care management programs. She is fully licensed as a mental health counselor and clinical addiction specialist with over 15 years of administrative and clinical experience working with children and adults of varying backgrounds who suffer from chronic health concerns. Ms. Churchwell’s work supporting and advocating for underserved communities locally and internationally are a driving force personally as well as professionally. Ms. Churchwell is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and Tennessee State Universities. She completed her doctorate in the Counseling and Counselor Education program at North Carolina State University, where she researched patient perceptions of trust and trust development in patient-provider relationships within primary care clinics that serve marginalized populations. Dr. Churchwell was awarded a Counseling Fellowship from NBCC and Affiliates in 2017.

Melissa has been a part of Duke Health since 2005. She worked clinically as both a pediatric ICU nurse and lung transplant coordinator. She also served as the Patient Safety Officer at Duke Raleigh Hospital, and most recently lead the Duke Connected Care Provider Relations team. Melissa holds a Master of Health Administration from Pfeiffer University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety and is passionate about partnering with healthcare providers to improve the safety and quality of care we provide to our patients across the continuum.

I am a clinical pharmacist and adjunct assistant professor of clinical education at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. I graduated from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in 2004 and worked as a community pharmacist from 2004-2010. I completed my residency at WakeMed Health & Hospitals. My interests include working with patients to help control their diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

I am from upstate New York and moved to the North Carolina area to be closer to my grandchildren. I have 29 years of nursing experience in many different specialties, including over 15 years working as a nursing leader in inpatient, outpatient, and procedural units. I am certified in gastroenterology nursing and nurse management and leadership. My focus is always keeping the patient in the center and ensuring the safety and quality of care to patients we serve.

I have over a decade of nursing and leadership experience. Serving in clinical and operational roles in inpatient, outpatient, and community settings have provided me with a unique perspective on the patient experience within healthcare systems. I am passionate about improving access to care and reducing health disparities.

I have been a registered nurse for 9 ½ years. I have spent the majority of my career managing an ENT and oral surgery outpatient clinic here at Duke. Nursing has created many opportunities for me professionally, and with evolving healthcare, I especially love learning new things daily. I particularly enjoy caring for the entire patient, extending beyond diagnosis. Duke has given me so many opportunities to grow within the organization and I especially look forward to my growth and how I can share my knowledge here in population health.

Nursing is not a job, but a calling to serve others. I have a passion and desire to make the community safer and healthier for all populations. I would like to impact the gap of care for all populations, race, age groups, and cultures. 

"I am a certified pharmacy technician who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2013 with a Bachelors of Arts in Biology. I have retail pharmacy experience dates back to 2009 at Kerr Drug and continued working in the pharmacy through college before becaming nationally certified in February 2012. I provide general pharmacy and administrative support to DukeWELL care managers and conduct home visits to Medicare patients in Wake and Durham Counties in order to obtain accurate medication histories and support safer medication use."

I was born in Jamaica and relocated to New Jersey. I received my Bachelors Degree from North Carolina Central University and Masters Degree from Howard University. I am currently a Licensed Professional Counselor, and my career experience includes behavioral health services working with children, adolescents, and adults. I enjoy traveling, reading, listening to music, and spending time with my children and family. I have a passion for helping others to be their own best advocates.

I am a licensed counselor with extensive experience in community mental health. I love taking a collaborative approach with other providers to meet the needs of those we serve through education, support, and linkage to resources. I am excited about starting my journey here at Duke Health. 

This new position combines my love of my thirty years of nursing experience, five years of clinical mental health experience, and fourteen years of supervision experience. I love that I am doing more clinical work, and I am able to “breath the same air as my clients/patients” again. I am so excited to be employed at Duke Health! I am back in a familiar place!

After graduating from Watts School of Nursing here in Durham, I started my nursing career at Duke University Hospital (DUH) on 8300: Adult Medicine in March of 2012. In November of 2013, I joined the DUH emergency department, where I was able to hone my critical thinking skills while caring for a diverse and complex patient population. I love problem solving, being a part of a team, and helping others.

My nursing experience includes medical-surgical and endoscopy nursing, informatics, staff development and education, as well as clinical instruction with Duke University School of Nursing. These roles have helped form and shape me as a nursing leader. What I enjoy most is mentoring and encouraging staff in their professional development. Sharing best practices, providing support, and helping staff to reach their professional goals is so rewarding.

I have worked for Duke for 25 years and enjoy helping patients and their loved ones become proactive in their healthcare needs.

I am a dedicated mother, wife, daughter, friend, and patient advocate who uses my skills and experience as a registered nurse to empower individuals to be the driver in their healthcare journeys and live their healthiest lives.

I am a clinical mental health and substance abuse counselor with experience as a team lead, guiding patients through overcoming adversity to achieve personal growth. I enjoy leading a team as it allows for the opportunity to support fellow professionals, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone can thrive and make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

I have been a registered nurse since 2004 with a background in women’s health, outpatient surgery, case management, and as an adjunct clinical instructor. Empowering patients to achieve and maintain their health goals prompted me to continue my education so that I could better serve others, and my various roles have helped to shape me as a nursing leader and educator. What I enjoy most is mentoring and encouraging others in their personal, health, and professional goals, as well as helping them to reach those goals through support and encouragement.

I graduated from Watts School of Nursing in 2011 and have been part of the Duke family ever since! I graduated in 2016 with my BSN from the University of Mount Olive. I have worked in both inpatient and ambulatory settings throughout my career, specifically in general medicine and infusion nursing. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, cooking, decorating, and spending time with my fur babies. I am passionate about quality, patient-centered care and what DukeWELL has to offer patients and their families.

I was born and raised in Wilson, North Carolina. Things I enjoy doing include volunteering, arts and crafts, event planning, and reading. I graduated in 2012 with my BSN from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. I started my nursing career with Duke in 2012 as a new graduate RN. I love the work that I do and enjoy working with and for DukeWELL! I decided to make Durham my new home. The area has a lot to offer and has been a part of my growth. I met my husband here and recently started a family. Currently, I am most excited about being a boy mom!

I was born in California and raised in Shelby, North Carolina. I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2009 (Go Tarheels!) and earned a Master's in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University in 2017 (Go Eagles!).  I enjoy trying new foods, great music, reading, traveling, softball, and trying to salsa dance. I have a daughter who keeps me on my toes. Spending time with her and my other family members and friends truly makes me happy.

I have 14 years of nursing experience with a background in General Surgery, PACU, Pre-Op, and Telephonic Behavioral Health (focusing on depression and anxiety). Nursing is my passion and I truly enjoy making a difference in the lives of those in which I provide care.

I have 24 years of Nursing experience. I enjoy making a difference and helping any way I can!

I am a native of Greenville, NC. I received my Bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University and my Master’s degree in Social Work from East Carolina University. I am Provisionally licensed in NC in Social Work and fully licensed as an Addiction Counselor in NC and VA. I am currently a Clinical Supervisor Intern for Substance Use and a part-time Adjunct Professor for UNCG and GTCC. I love traveling and being a mother and an advocate for those suffering from the disease of addiction.

I was born and raised in Benton Harbor, Michigan. I came to North Carolina in 1994 to earn my Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Augustine’s College (Go Falcons!) and I received my Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University (Go Flames!).  I’ve been blessed with a great group of friends and family.  I enjoy making new memories with my loved ones through traveling, listening to music and dancing.

I have a been a registered nurse for eight years with a background in long-term care, sub-acute rehab, med-surg, specialty infusion, and multi-specialty clinic. What I most enjoy about nursing is the ability to oversee patient care and ensure the highest level of service for our patients and their families. It is especially fulfilling to see our patients' overall health improve.