Our Leadership

Carl S. Armato

Carl S. Armato is president and chief executive officer of Novant Health. He joined Novant Health in 1998 as vice president of finance and operations for physician divisions in both Charlotte and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Armato has also served as senior vice president of materials management and logistics for Novant Health. In 2003, Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center appointed Armato as chief operating officer and later promoted him to president and CEO in January 2004. He became president of Novant Health markets in 2008 and chief operating officer of the system in 2011. The board of trustees appointed him to his current position in January 2012.

He is a certified public accountant licensed in Louisiana, by the State Board of CPAs of Louisiana and in North Carolina, by the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Armato serves on the Vizient Inc. Board of Directors as well as the Vizient Inc. Audit and Finance Committee, the American Heart Association Southeast Board of Directors, the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, the American Hospital Association Committee on Health Care Strategy and Innovation, and the JDRF North Carolina Executive Council, where he is a founding member. His past service includes work with the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the American Hospital Association Governing Council, the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, Knights of Columbus, Mecklenburg Citizens for Public Education and the Friends of Scouting.

Frank E. Emory, Jr.

Frank E. Emory, Jr. is executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Novant Health. Emory oversees the legal, compliance, risk management, privacy, internal audit and government relations.

Prior to joining Novant Health in 2019, Emory served as a partner with international law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, where he was co-head of the litigation and labor group and managing partner of the Charlotte office.

Emory currently serves as the chair of the board of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, an appointment by Gov. Roy Cooper. In the past he has served as president of the Mecklenburg County Bar; a member of the North Carolina Board of Transportation; a member of the Duke University board of trustees; and the first African American and youngest chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission. Emory is a permanent member of the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit.

A native of Wilson, North Carolina, Emory graduated cum laude from Duke University as an Angier B. Duke Scholar, Duke University’s most prestigious academic scholarship. He received his law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law on a Morehead Law Fellowship.

John Gizdic

John Gizdic is the executive vice president and chief business development officer for Novant Health. In his role, he oversees Novant Health’s people and culture (or human resources department), including diversity, inclusion and health equity teams.

He joined New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) in 2005 as vice president of strategic planning and business development and later assumed the title of chief operating officer in 2013. Gizdic became NHRMC president in 2016 and became CEO in 2017. During his tenure, Gizdic played a vital role in supporting the improvement of patient care and growth of NHRMC. He led several key initiatives, including creating the physician network that became NHRMC Physician Group; leading Physician Quality Partners, the organization’s accountable care organization; facilitating numerous joint ventures in partnership with physicians, overseeing approximately $1 billion in capital projects; and spearheading an organization wide effort to improve safety, quality and efficiencies through Lean continuous improvement principles.

Prior to joining NHRMC, Gizdic was with Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) and during his 14-year tenure he served as vice president of administration and strategic services for Blue Ridge Health Care System, director of the CHS Management Company, and he worked in financial operations with Mercy Hospitals. He received a bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration from Pennsylvania State University and Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Administration degrees from Pfeiffer University.

Gizdic has been active in the community and the industry. He has served with the American College of Healthcare Executives, as chair of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Chamber Foundation/Cape Fear Future Foundation board, chair of the North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) Policy Development Committee, and is currently serving as chair of the NCHA board. He also served as the 2016 honorary chair of Relay for Life of Wilmington and as chair for the 2017 Cape Fear Heart Walk.

Fred Hargett

Fred Hargett is Novant Health's executive vice president and chief financial officer. He joined the health system in 2003 and most recently served as executive vice president of finance for Novant Health. Prior to that, Hargett held the position of senior vice president of financial planning for our health system.

Before joining Novant Health, Hargett served as manager of healthcare consulting at Ernst & Young in Charlotte, NC. At Ernst & Young, he led engagements in strategic planning, business development and financial forecasting.

Hargett graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health, a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is a certified public accountant licensed in North Carolina. In addition, he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Jeffery T. Lindsay

Jeffery T. Lindsay is Novant Health’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. He is responsible for operational performance and strategic growth of the health system. He oversees systemwide hospital operations and public safety. Lindsay has worked in healthcare for nearly 30 years and has been part of Novant Health since 1996.

Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and political science from Auburn University and a Master of Science in health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Prior to accepting his current role in 2014, Lindsay most recently served as president of Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and CEO of the Winston-Salem and eastern North Carolina markets. He began his career at Novant Health as vice president of cardiovascular services and has since served in numerous leadership positions, including president of several Novant Health hospitals and regional markets.

Lindsay is past board chair and lifetime member of the North Carolina Healthcare Association, past board chair for Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, and past co-chair for the Chamber’s successor organization, Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. He is currently vice chair-elect of the Winston-Salem Foundation and is a board member of Winston-Salem Alliance, Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Winston-Salem Symphony and the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.

Denise Mihal

Denise Mihal is executive vice president and chief nursing and clinical operations officer for Novant Health. Mihal leads clinical operations for all Novant Health hospitals, working directly with our facility nursing officers, surgical services, and trauma and emergency services leaders. She also oversees clinical operations for our central staffing and scheduling office, as well as our case management team.

Mihal began her career in healthcare as a registered nurse in intensive care. She joined Novant Health in 2000 as the administrator of Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital in Charlotte. She has served in a variety of roles since then, including chief operating officer of our greater Winston-Salem and Eastern markets and for Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, president of Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and president of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center.

She has a Bachelor of Science in nursing from William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, and a Master of Business Administration from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Pam Oliver, M.D. 

Pam Oliver, MD is executive vice president and president of Novant Health Physician Network. She is responsible for medical group operations, Care Connections and clinic safety and quality initiatives, as well as provider education, enrollment and engagement efforts. Oliver also co-leads Novant Health’s pharmacy teams, with clinical oversight for both the pharmacy and specialty pharmacy.

Oliver is a board-certified ob-gyn and has been practicing at Novant Health WomanCare since 2005. She has served in various leadership roles, including as submarket leader for specialty practices in the greater Winston-Salem market, physician service line leader of women’s services for the greater Winston-Salem market and senior physician executive for Novant Health Physician Network, supporting clinical and business strategy across the system.

Oliver received her undergraduate degree in biology and her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead Scholar and Board of Governors’ scholarship recipient. She also earned her master’s degree in public health (maternal and child health concentration) from the UNC School of Public Health while enrolled in medical school. Oliver currently serves as chair for the Forsyth County Infant Mortality Reduction Coalition. She is a member of the board of visitors for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also serves on the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund board. In addition, she has served on the Summit School board of trustees since 2015.

J. Dean Swindle

J. Dean Swindle is executive vice president and president of Novant Health Enterprises. In this role, he leads Novant Health’s independent business division focused on partnerships and investments that will create diversified revenue streams and transformational capabilities for Novant Health. He also co-leads Novant Health’s pharmacy team, overseeing growth efforts. Swindle has served as a strategic advisor for Novant Health since 2020.

Swindle previously served as president of enterprise business lines and chief financial officer at CommonSpirit Health and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) from 2010 to 2019. Before CHI, he served in a variety of leadership roles at Novant Health, including senior vice president of finance; executive vice president and chief financial officer; and president, ambulatory services and chief financial officer. Additionally, Swindle served as CEO of Concord Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and vice president of financial services at General Health System in Baton Rouge. He began his career with KPMG LLP in Jackson, Mississippi.

Swindle earned a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in Durham, North Carolina, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.