George H. Pink

George H. Pink is a Humana Distinguished Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds dual affiliations with the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and serves as Deputy Director of the NC Rural Health Research Program. His research focuses on healthcare finance, rural health policy, and hospital financial performance, with emphasis on rural healthcare systems and policy interventions.

Dr. Pink’s education includes a BComm in Marketing (University of Calgary, 1975), MHSA in Health Administration (University of Alberta, 1978), and PhD in Finance (University of Toronto, 1988). He has over 30 years of experience in healthcare management and consulting, serving on 100+ hospital boards and committees. He currently teaches courses in healthcare finance at the Gillings School.

His research spans rural hospital closures, Medicaid expansion impacts, and healthcare reimbursement strategies, with over 80 peer-reviewed publications and 250 international presentations. Notable contributions include analyses of rural hospital financial distress, FDA policy signaling, and rural healthcare access disparities.

Key awards include the 2013 National Rural Health Association’s Outstanding Researcher honor. He advises the Piedmont Health Service and actively engages in federally-funded rural health initiatives through the Office of Rural Health Policy.