Diversity and inclusion programs nationwide are facing gale-force headwinds, but Angel Moore, the vice president and CEO of Erlanger Community Health Systems, is leaning into that wind.
“When I got here, I was very intentional about creating the opportunity to have a diverse staff,” says Moore, winner of the 2025 Champions of Health Care Diversity/Inclusion award for individuals. “I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that, in some ways, our work is more challenging (than before), but I plan to continue to forge ahead, with an even greater sense of purpose.”
Moore, who’s in her 10th year, says having a culturally diverse staff comes down to a matter of establishing trust with the patients served by Erlanger Health Care Systems (EHCS).
“The core foundation in providing the best possible care to a patient is trust,” she says, “and trust comes from cultural sensitivity.
“My job is to create a composition of leaders and staff that’s reflective of the patient population we serve. How do you address unique characteristics in the makeup of a demographic without having a staff that looks like the patients? That’s the foundation of quality health care — you meet the patients where they are.”
According to EHCS statistics, 12,000 different patients made nearly 29,000 visits in 2024 to the ECHS clinics on Dodson Avenue, Lyerly Street and on the Southside. Some 83% of those patients were at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Lemon Williams, an ECHS board member who nominated Moore for the Champions of Health Care laurel, writes in his nomination that those numbers speak to her “success in reaching underserved populations.”
“The impact of (her) leadership on patient access is undeniable,” he writes. “She has demonstrated exceptional leadership, profound financial stewardship, and an unwavering commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare for the Chattanooga community, particularly its most vulnerable populations.
“Her strategic focus and operational excellence, combined with her deep understanding of healthcare law and policy, make her an exceptional leader,” Williams adds. “She has not only sustained but significantly enhanced the reach and impact of the Erlanger Community Health Centers. She is highly deserving of the 2025 Champions of Health Care award.”
Before Chattanooga, you served as chief operating officer for a health care network in Flint, Michigan, consisting of five primary care clinics, three dental clinics, two pharmacies and a vision center. What compelled you to pursue and accept the Erlanger job?
For one thing, Chattanooga reminded me a lot of Savannah, where I was born and raised. And I identified a number of gaps in health care in this community. I immediately recognized that this job needed a unique skill set — someone who’s grounded, committed to leading on the ground and would exercise humility in understanding patients and community members where they were.
Angel Moore
* Title: Vice President/CEO, Erlanger Community Health Centers
* Age: 48
* Education: Law degree, Michigan State University; undergraduate degree Shaw University, Raleigh NC
* Interests: All things family, nature, hiking, biking, spending time at the ocean, fishing, voluntering
* If you could change one thing about health care, what would it be?: Access for all. And when I say access, I mean access to basic, comprehensive primary-care services, without the financial burden on citizens.