Rachel D. Keever, MD, CPE, FACC, joined FHLI in 2025. She received her Doctor of Medicine with Honors from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and was a Rural Health Scholar under Jim Berstein’s leadership. She completed an Internal Medicine Residency and Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

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She is a cardiologist and obesity medicine physician, working in both rural and tertiary care environments. Dr. Keever achieved Certified Physician Executive (CPE) board certification through the American Association of Physician Leadership in 2016.

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She has served as co-chair for Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership’s Health Care Leadership and Management physician executive training program and was chair of the board of the Western Carolina Medical Society, on the board of the North Carolina Medical Society, and a councilor on the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Fellow of the ACC.

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Dr. Keever was inaugural faculty and medical director for the development of a Physician Assistant Program to increase primary care access in North Carolina. She was Chief Medical Officer, then Chief Executive Officer, of a novel physician-led joint venture for delivering improved and more equitable health outcomes through policy advocacy in managed Medicaid.

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She joined FHLI from her role as a Medical Executive at Johnson & Johnson Cardiovascular and Metabolism, where she worked to understand and reduce amputation disparities.

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Dr. Keever has served as a Guardian ad Litem, advocating for whole-person health across the lifespan.