Dr. Kardie Tobb receives the 2026 Health Care Hero Award

The cardiologist at the Cone Health Medical Group in North Carolina was honored with the RISE Health Care Hero Award on Tuesday at the RISE Healthy Communities Summit.

ORLANDO, FL, March 24, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — RISE is proud to announce that Dr, Kardie Tobb, cardiologist with the Cone Health Medical Group, has been named the 2026 recipient of the RISE Health Care Hero Award.

The annual award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact on the lives of underserved populations through health care and social services interventions, exemplifying RISE’s mission to promote health equity for all patients. It is presented each year at the RISE Healthy Communities Summit, formerly known as The RISE Summit on Social Determinants of Health.

Dr. Tobb works with the Cone Health Medical Group, a provider-led network, delivers specialty and primary medical care to residents of North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad.

Dr. Tobb delivers specialty and primary care as part of the provider-led Cone Health Medical Group, which serves residents across North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad. Selected from an initial pool of 22 nominations and later chosen by the RISE community from five outstanding finalists, she earned this year’s honor for her long-standing work to address health disparities.

According to her nomination, Dr. Tobb recognizes that health disparities are not abstract statistics but lived experiences. They include the mother who delays care to avoid missing work, the elderly patient without transportation to appointments, and the child whose chronic condition worsens because specialty care is out of reach. Rather than turning away from these challenges, Dr. Tobb moves toward them. She intentionally practices in clinics, neighborhoods, and community spaces where the health care system has historically fallen short, guided by her belief that every person deserves dignity, respect, and access to quality care.

Dr. Tobb is known for delivering care with expertise, empathy, and a deep understanding of the social and economic forces that shape health. She listens without judgment, explains without condescension, and treats each patient as a whole person not a collection of symptoms. Her patients trust her not only because of her medical skill but because she sees them—truly sees them—in a system that often overlooks or misunderstands them. This trust is transformative. It leads to earlier interventions, better adherence to treatment, and improved long-term outcomes. It also fosters a sense of empowerment among patients who may have felt marginalized or dismissed in other healthcare settings. This approach builds profound trust. That trust leads to earlier interventions, stronger adherence to treatment, improved long-term outcomes, and a sense of empowerment among patients who may have felt overlooked or dismissed in other health care settings.

Her influence extends well beyond the exam room. Dr. Tobb is a builder of programs, partnerships, and pathways that expand access to care. She has developed community-based initiatives that bring preventive services directly to neighborhoods facing barriers such as transportation challenges, cost concerns, and limited awareness. By collaborating with schools, faith organizations, shelters, and local nonprofits, she helps ensure that health care is not confined to clinical settings but woven into the fabric of daily life. Through workshops, screenings, and outreach events, she equips individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to take charge of their health, recognizing that true wellness requires community engagement, trust, and sustained support.

Dr. Tobb’s leadership also shapes policy. She advocates for solutions that confront the root causes of health inequity—poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and systemic discrimination. Whether speaking to policymakers, health system leaders, or medical students, she brings clarity, urgency, and compassion to discussions about equity. She challenges institutions to rethink how care is delivered and whom it prioritizes, grounding her advocacy in the everyday realities of the patients she serves.

Dr. Tobb deserves this recognition, her nomination states because she is physician whose career reflects unwavering commitment to communities with the greatest need. Through her clinical excellence, advocacy, and deep-rooted compassion, she continues to transform lives, strengthen communities, and challenge the inequities that shape health outcomes in America. Her recognition as the 2026 Health Care Hero underscores the importance of leaders who advance equity where it matters most.

RISE is an organization created on the foundation of convening health care professionals for expert-led insights, continuing education opportunities, and meaningful connections. Our customers are established and emerging leaders that work for health plans, provider organizations, government agencies, health care technology brands, consulting and service vendors, and community-based organizations. Our mission is to make meaningful impact on the health care industry by bringing together like-minded professionals for learning, networking, and innovating.

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