Julie Freischlag, MD, became CEO of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in 2017. Since then, she has led the organization through the addition of two medical centers and guided it through integrations with Atrium Health in 2020 and Advocate Health in 2022.
Partnering with Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health allowed Wake Forest Baptist to become part of a much larger health system, with more hospitals and patient volume. That collaboration also led to the creation of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine campus in Charlotte, set to open in July.
Dr. Freischlag told Becker’s that open-mindedness and a willingness to do things differently have been key to managing the system’s growth. In-person connection with new teams and ensuring strategic alignment have been critical components of her leadership.
“All of that growth was exciting, but we also had to focus on adding new faculty, people and departments,” she said. “Spending time in Charlotte getting to know those faculty and departments so people knew who I was and learning what they wanted to happen was important.”
At the end of 2025, Dr. Freischlag will retire as CEO and chief academic officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, chief academic officer and executive vice president of Charlotte-based Advocate Health, and as executive vice president of health affairs at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.
As she reflects on her career, the moments of mentorship and leadership stand out most.
“The thing that threw me for a loop was the response to my retirement announcement across the country,” she said. “There were a lot of people saying what I’ve done to help them — whether it was through academics, clinical work, enhancing their careers, supporting them through mentorship — and that’s what’s given me the most joy.”
Dr. Freischlag, who previously held leadership roles at Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health and Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine, is also a vascular surgeon who teaches medical students. She will conclude her 38-year surgery career at the end of 2025.
She has already begun transitioning academic duties to Ebony Boulware, MD, and clinical operational duties to Davis Zaas, MD. In 2026, she will also serve as an ambassador to Advocate Health CEO Gene Woods and Wake Forest University President Susan Wente, PhD, for one year.
Dr. Freischlag will remain involved with IRCAD, the new surgical training program in Charlotte, which launches in September. She is also supporting other key initiatives ahead of her retirement, including the recent openings of a new emergency room and an outpatient surgery center, as well as the upcoming openings of a critical care tower in July and an eye institute in 2026.
In addressing the challenges facing academic health systems — including federal funding cuts to research and evolving National Institutes of Health policies — Dr. Freischlag said it is crucial for leaders to respond thoughtfully rather than overreact.
“You need to respond and listen, and see what you can do to accomplish your goals,” she said. “Look at how things may change as we go forward and anticipate that. Understand that there are changes coming across, that people are being challenged, but you need to show that you’re ready to go forward.”
She emphasized that academic health systems continue to deliver exceptional patient care while conducting research and training the next generation. Leaders, she said, must project optimism.
“Knowing that changes happen all the time — whether it’s financial, whether it’s COVID, whether it’s new policies and procedures — we can still move forward and do the best thing for our patients, our students and our residents,” she said.
Listening to early-career professionals is also crucial. Dr. Freischlag said she learns from the perspectives of younger physicians and medical students, noting their comfort with AI and electronic medical records.
Each year, a recent graduate from Wake Forest University interns with Dr. Freischlag, shadowing her in the clinic and operating room.
“Listening to them about how they see things and make it work gives me energy,” she said. “They look at things in a different way. So you think, ‘OK, we’re going to be alright.’ These new young people coming in have energy, they’re enthusiastic, and they don’t see any reason we can’t do as well as we are.”
Dr. Freischlag added that inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals has been priceless.
“It’s been a great career, and not all of it has been simple,” she said. “There’s going to be times that are hard, but as you keep going, having that North Star of doing the right thing, having energy to teach and train the next generation, taking good care of your patients — it’s all worth it, and you’ll come up with a life well learned and well earned.”
