Our new NCPeds president, Theresa McCarthy Flynn, MD, MPH, FAAP, has a clear focus for the next two years.
“First and foremost, we will continue the critical work that NCPeds has always done including promoting policies that help kids and fighting for pediatricians so those kids can get excellent care,” she said. “In addition, we have the chance to re-build the pediatric workforce pipeline, getting the message out that kids are important and that taking care of them is fun and rewarding.”
Developing the next generation of pediatricians will be a huge focus of her presidency. NCPeds has already kicked off this work by hiring a full-time Workforce Director and is planning other strategies such as interest groups, partnerships, mentor programs, and preceptor supports.
The goal is to reach anyone interested in pediatrics and give them the tools and supports they need to successfully enter practice.
“The pandemic really put the whole field in a moment of crisis, and we need to recruit and train the future workforce to continue to provide excellent care to the kids,” she said. “Pediatrics is the best job in the world! I want to share that message with anyone and everyone thinking about joining this field.”
Theresa first joined the NCPeds Board in 2002, when Dr. Peter Morris invited her to serve as the Medical Affairs Champion for the Board. In August 2024, she began her term as NCPeds President.
During the interim years, Theresa served on a number of NCPeds Committees, including Policy, Membership, and Strategic Planning. She has also served previously as both Treasurer and Secretary.
“NCPeds is amazing. It is a gathering of committed, passionate, capable, open-minded and open-hearted people who work together with a laser focus on what’s best for kids in the state,” she said. “A lot of what we do is behind the scenes and incredibly impactful. Many things that were pipe dreams turn into reality when NCPeds gets involved.”
She has seen the organization make an impact statewide by advocating for Epi-Pens in all North Carolina schools, by shaping Medicaid Transformation, by urging a number of COVID relief measures including $25 million in state dollars for practices who may not have qualified for federal relief, and by merging HealthChoice into Medicaid.
Theresa is a primary care pediatrician with WakeMed Physician Practices and Adjunct Assistant Clinical Instructor with the UNC School of Medicine. She moved to WakeMed from the Wake County Health Department, where she provided primary care services for more than twenty years. Prior roles also include chairing the Wake County Child Fatality Prevention Team and Community Child Protection Teams, and providing medical consultation for the Wake County Public School System.
Throughout her career she has worked with children from varied backgrounds including immigrants, children in foster care, and children with learning disabilities. But one thing remains the same for every child. She delights in watching them and their parents grow and succeed. “It’s joyful work,” she says.
Theresa received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a Masters in Public Health degree from UNC Chapel Hill and her Medical Degree from Duke University. She completed her residency at the University of California San Francisco.
Theresa lives in Raleigh where you can find her spending time with her husband Matt, her three sons, and her three dogs. In her spare time she enjoys cardio drumming and hip-hop dance classes. She is also deeply involved in her Secular Franciscan community.
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