Novant Health Art of Remarkable Care

Novant Health Invests in Well-Being of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teachers and Staff through Innovative Thrive Together Initiative

Novant Health and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) are prioritizing care for teachers and staff through the Thrive Together program.

The robust two-year initiative highlights the interconnectedness between healthcare and education, while acknowledging the shared challenges of two industries — and two of Charlotte’s top employers — that aim to serve every member of the community. 

CMS is among the largest districts in North Carolina, with almost 20,000 employees and a student population of more than 148,000. 

Novant Health is working hand-in-hand with CMS to address burnout, as a recent study from the National Education Association says 67 percent of educators say burnout is a “very serious” problem, post-Covid.

The Thrive Together program has already seen successful early results, engaging in nearly 2000 wellness encounters through its dedicated care services. The program supports well-being, resiliency resources and clinical care to the school system’s team members. The partnership is designed to strengthen employee engagement, prevent burnout and expand access to convenient healthcare services for educators across the district.

The innovative and customized commitment is the result of conversations with CMS leadership to identify opportunities where Novant Health could reinforce existing employee wellness efforts and create new, tailored programs that prioritize resilience and whole-person health. 

Key components of the partnership include resiliency and well-being training, concierge care coordination, expanded primary care and wellness access, executive health services and a dedicated well-being coordinator.

The Art of Remarkable Care: The Intersection of Art and Healing Sparks A Year of Creativity Across Region

Innovative initiative engages local artists to amplify healing power of art for patients, care teams across Charlotte community and beyond

The Art of Remarkable Care, an initiative launched by Novant Health in April 2025, is celebrating its first year of ground-breaking success.  

Positioned at the intersection of healthcare, community and culture, the initative is truly innovative and the first of its kind, investing in belonging and connection by using the arts as a clinical-adjacent tool to improve well-being for patients, caregivers and the broader community. 

Everyone has the chance to feel The Art of Remarkable Care: patients, families, clinicians and community members benefit from embedded arts experiences in everyday healthcare environments. 

The initial $500,000 investment quickly sparked creativity at more than 10 Novant Health facilities across the Charlotte region, in the form of programming and art installations that were seemingly limitless in iteration:

• More than 300 local artists answered the call for submissions which turned into installations, paid opportunities, murals and partnerships.
• Visual art exhibits were hung in hospital-based galleries, featuring art from providers, patients and the community.
• Live performances and music programming popped up in the most unexpected places: The Charlotte Symphony played a concert at the Michael Jordan Clinic in North Charlotte, to a parking lot packed with families, friends and neighbors.
• Community partnerships with legacy organizations were key, including Charlotte Is Creative, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Charlotte Ballet, Charlotte Symphony and more.

“The Art of Remarkable Care reframes what constitutes ROI, especially in a region so heavily driven by dollars and data,” says Kristen Howard, Novant Health Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Governance Officer. “It makes care visible, and felt, not just clinical. It’s redefining what ‘Remarkable’ means in this region.”