Dr. John R. Lumpkin has been the president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation since April 2019. He leads the organization in pursuit of its stated mission to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians through a focus on: expanding access to healthy food, supporting a healthy start in life for children, improving the physical conditions where people live by strengthening the ability of communities to improve health and expanding access to oral health services.
In addition to his role as foundation president, Lumpkin also serves as vice president, drivers of health strategy for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Most recently, Lumpkin served as senior vice president, programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), where he was responsible for the organization’s efforts to transform health, broaden access to stable and affordable health care coverage, build leadership and engage business toward building a Culture of Health in the U.S.. Before joining RWJF in 2003, he served as the first African American director of the Illinois Department of Public Health for 12 years.
Lumpkin is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, American College of Emergency Physicians and the American College of Medical Informatics. Among his previous leadership positions, he is past chairman of the board of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, as well as past chairman of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. He has also served on and advised, several federal-level committees and commissions to advance and improve health in the U.S..
Lumpkin is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters. In addition, his many distinctions and honors include the Arthur McCormack Excellence and Dedication in Public Health Award from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, as well as the Jonas Salk Health Leadership Award.
He earned his Medical Degree and Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree from Northwestern University Medical School and his Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois School of Public Health. He was the first African American trained in emergency medicine in the country after completing his residency at the University of Chicago and has served on the faculty of the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Chicago.
Lumpkin and his wife, Mary S. Blanks, M.D., a healthcare mediator, reside in the Chapel Hill area. They have two adult children.