Here are the winners in the 2013 Health Care Heroes Health Care Executive category.

HEALTH CARE EXECUTIVE-Honors an individual whose job performance is considered exemplary by people within their organizations, peers and community members.

Donna Bost
TITLE: Vice president of special hospitals and support services
ORGANIZATION: New Hanover Regional Medical Center
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “She is known by her peers to be dedicated, hard working and able to get the job done … As a leader over many NHRMC departments, she empowers by example. She always gives her best efforts, and she challenges those around her to meet those same high standards.
The nominee has filled a number of leadership roles in the community – some which she has been asked to fill, and others which she has pursued – and has handled them all with skill, grace and respect for all.
[Bost] has shown this community, for over 30 years, her willingness to go way beyond all expectations to serve patients, her co-workers and the community.”
– Haskell Rhett, Leadership Wilmington director

Terry Gentry
TITLE: Practice manager for Coastal Family Medicine Center
ORGANIZATION: New Hanover Regional Medical Center
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Mr. Gentry is the practice manager at Coastal Family Medicine, which serves a large number of complex uninsured and underserved patients. In this setting, he has constantly worked to improve access and quality care for our patients.
… We are a training site for medical students and resident physicians. He participates in their education extensively, helping them understand important principles of practice management … He fully understands that while his main job is to run our practice, teaching the next generation of physicians how to operate within and improve the health care system is just as important.
… I would describe Mr. Gentry as an administrator with a family physician’s heart.”
– Janalynn Beste, Coastal Family Medicine program director and chairwoman

Charles Long
TITLE: CEO
ORGANIZATION: The Davis Community
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “For 25 years, Charles Long has been an advocate for seniors and has used his passion to develop new
programs and services that make the not-for-profit Davis Community a place where employees choose to work and residents desire to live.
Over the last decade, Charles has led the effort to create true and lasting change within the 48-year-old campus in Porters Neck.
Instinctively knowing that there was a ‘better way’ to provide dignity and quality care in a long-term care setting, Charles became active in the development and construction of Champions Assisted Living in 2000, and in 2009 was named CEO for the entire campus.
 … Charles Long is a Health Care Executive who gets involved, finds solutions and keeps his focus always on those in his care.”
– Julie Rehder, The Davis Community marketing and community relations administrator