Women to Watch Awards Finalists – Health
Meet the 2025 finalists
HEATHER BOYKIN
Director of Community Based Palliative Care, Lower Cape Fear LifeCare
Describe your role and work that you do.
“As director for the community-based palliative care program, I wear many hats. I support clinical staff in several aspects, including clinical decision making, skill-building, and clinical quality, all with the goal of maintaining and fostering staff health while they deliver the highest quality care to patients and families navigating the journey of serious illness. I also contribute to program evolution and serve as an advocate for the specialty of palliative care at the state level.”
What are some of your career highlights so far?
“First and foremost, it has been and continues to be an absolute honor of a lifetime to be invited by patients and their families to walk alongside them in this journey of serious illness; this is why I do this work. I’ve enjoyed contributing to clinical journal publication, participating in research, speaking at the national level, palliative program building, and striving to become a servant leader for my colleagues in this specialty.”
How do you impact people?
“My hopeful impact is to lead with empathy every step of the way. Despite the difficulties of life, I strive to offer peace, kindness, and understanding to those around me, whether it be colleagues or patients and families.”
What sparked your interest in health?
“Since the very early age of nine, I knew I was put on this earth to serve others in need. I journeyed through various options to do this, from military service to ultimately joining a health profession: nursing. Helping others address health needs, even in the midst of illness, can have a huge impact on overall quality of life. I hold a very high regard for all aspects of health, from the psychosocial, spiritual, and physical.”
Anything else you want us to know about you?
“My hope is that each and every person I’ve ever cared for, whether in a dialysis chair, the clinic, or the hospital, knows that I deeply cherish the time and stories they’ve shared with me. I see their faces often in my mind, remember their words, and dedicate my service to every one of them. You are not forgotten. You are the reason I do this work. You know who you are. Thank you for inviting me into your lives.”
BLAIR DEEN
Senior Design & Construction Project Manager, Novant Health
Describe your role and work that you do.
“I oversee projects in (Novant’s) Coastal Region, specializing in acute care, multi-tenant ambulatory facilities, and aesthetic upgrades, focusing on design management. I coordinate cross-functional teams of internal project managers, team members, physicians, and external design consultants to deliver remarkable spaces that are functional, compliant, and visually cohesive. My larger collaborative team shapes and maintains standards for facility sizing, furnishings, and material specifications – ensuring consistency and supporting the delivery of high-quality health care environments.”
What are some of your career highlights so far?
“Managing a large portfolio has afforded me the opportunity to lead transformative initiatives such as the Scotts Hill Medical Campus and Michael Jordan clinics. Currently, I’m leading design on strategic, high-impact efforts like the Heart & Vascular Institute Tower and Master Facility Plan at NHRMC, and an adaptive reuse project at Midtown Medical Plaza. I also serve as Art Champion across all markets, to integrate local artwork, reflecting Novant Health’s commitment to community identity in our facilities.”
How do you impact people?
“By creating environments and experiences that support and inspire every user, from project teams and clinical staff to patients and visitors. I aspire to guide projects through complex processes with clarity, transparency, and empathy so spaces are rooted in human-centered design, as well as environments that meet functional and emotional needs. I aim to promote a culture of collaboration and idea sharing, believing that the best outcomes for those we serve emerge when every voice is heard.”
What sparked your interest in health?
“From an early age, I was drawn to careers like physical therapy, education, and architecture/design — fields where I could combine compassion, creativity, and problem-solving to improve people’s lives. My path ultimately led me to health care design, where I found the perfect intersection: the ability to create environments that foster healing, dignity, and trust. This field allows me to make tangible impacts through thoughtful design, continuously learn, and innovate as part of a dynamic, meaningful team.”
Anything else you want us to know about you?
“I have been blessed to call Wilmington home for twenty-five years and during that time experienced being a part of this amazing community in many ways including as a Seahawk, NHCS educator, small business owner, designer/ PM, coach, mother, and more. All of which deeply influence my approach to designing health care spaces, instilling a strong sense of love for our region and a commitment to understanding the needs and perspectives of those our facilities serve.”
CAROLINE KEELER
Physical Therapist/Menopause Coach & Owner, Inside Out Physical Therapy
Describe your role and work that you do.
“I opened Inside Out Physical Therapy to better help women discover, activate, and optimize their inner strength through physical therapy involving education, nervous system regulation, physiological wellness, manual work, and movement therapy, with the focus on the center of it all: the pelvic floor. Adding a Peri/Menopause Coaching specialty makes this approach even more effective for many of the women I support. ”
What are some of your career highlights so far?
“Every day feels like a celebration and victory. Taking a stroke patient horseback riding, who later went SCUBA diving. Taking a college-aged brain cancer patient, who couldn’t sit up when I met him, ice skating. I still hang an ornament he made me on my Christmas tree every year. Hearing from a seventy-five-year-old woman that she felt like she was twenty-three again with her husband. A mother of three who was able to climb the mountains of Machu Picchu, carry her sick child out of the jungle, and jump with abandon on a trampoline, without leaking or having pain. I don’t really remember my achievements as much as I do my patients’.”
What sparked your interest in health?
“Many of my family have been physicians. After falling off a racehorse and breaking my back, I went through extensive physical therapy. As much as I loved medicine, having grown up with it, I wanted to be in the trenches with people, doing the actual day-to-day work. After going through pregnancy and birth, I was further inspired to specialize in pelvic health and began my foray into helping women around pregnancy and birth back in the twentieth century. Now that I have gone through menopause, and I see so many women in this phase of life for pelvic physical therapy, that has motivated me to help women find calm in the chaos, and come out the other side, stronger than ever.”
Anything else you want us to know about you?
“I have an absolutely amazing daughter who is working with PPD/Thermo Fisher in a quest to cure disease and cancer. I have an absolutely amazing mom who was one of two women in her med school class. I have been surrounded and inspired by amazing and powerful women my entire life. I have had off-the-beaten path career dreams that had nothing to do with medicine and physical therapy. I wanted to be a truck driver and a jockey, a carpenter and a poet, and you can imagine how poorly that was received! I did actually ride race horses, I went to school for my CDL license and drove an 18-wheeler tractor trailer the year I turned fifty, have done some work with Habitat For Humanity, and am writing a book, although it isn’t poetry. I am beyond excited about the rest of my life!”
NICOLE MURRAY
Founder & Licensed Therapist, Emerge Counseling Center
Describe your role and work that you do.
“As a licensed therapist, my primary role is to provide compassionate support and guidance, ensuring that individuals feel seen and heard as they navigate various life challenges. I work with clients from diverse backgrounds, recognizing that each person brings a unique story shaped by their experiences. In addition to being a licensed therapist, I oversee my own practice, which includes a dedicated team of both coaches and therapists who are equipped and trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques. Together, we create a supportive and nurturing environment that empowers clients to confront their challenges. My practice focuses on challenging clients to emerge from their pain and into a place of healing and growth.”
What are some of your career highlights so far?
“My career highlights are not measured by awards or public recognition but by the profound impact I’ve made in people’s lives. Witnessing mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters heal and restore their families brings me immense joy. I take great pleasure in guiding those who feel bound toward a place of freedom and hope. Each success story reminds me of the importance of compassion and support in creating lasting change for individuals and families.”
How do you impact people?
“By creating environments and experiences that support and inspire every user-from project teams and clinical staff to patients and visitors. I aspire to guide projects through complex processes with clarity, transparency, and empathy so spaces are rooted in human-centered design; as well as environments that meet functional and emotional needs. I aim to promote a culture of collaboration and idea sharing, believing that the best outcomes for those we serve emerge when every voice is heard.”
What sparked your interest in health?
“Mental health has always been an integral part of who I am. I thrive on serving and helping others — it’s in my DNA. My interest in this field was ignited during my time as a child protective social worker, where I witnessed firsthand the impact of untreated mental health issues on individuals striving to function to the best of their abilities. This pivotal experience helped me to realize that I wanted to play a larger role in addressing these challenges. I see the need for this work even more now.”
REBECCA SCHWARTZ
Nurse Practitioner, Wilmington Health
Describe your role and work that you do.
“I’m a family nurse practitioner with a doctorate in nursing practice, providing primary care at Wilmington Health, city of Wilmington Clinic. My work focuses on chronic disease management, obesity treatment, preventive health, and advocacy. I am the administrator of the board of the North Carolina Obesity Society and collaborate with stakeholders within North Carolina on public health initiatives that expand access to care and health education.”
What are some of your career highlights so far?
“I’ve drafted grants to expand access to essential health care for vulnerable populations, helped establish the North Carolina Obesity Society, and continue to advocate for policy changes in obesity treatment. I’m passionate about precepting new nurse practitioners and supporting the next generation of primary care providers. Ultimately, the most meaningful part of my work is serving my patients and community — knowing I’ve made a positive impact on their lives and health is the most rewarding part of what I do.”
How do you impact people?
“I aim to create a care experience that’s evidence-based, empathetic, and accessible. I advocate for health care policies and practices that prioritize vulnerable and underserved populations. Whether I’m working one-on-one with patients or contributing to broader community initiatives, my goal is to close care gaps and make health more equitable. Earning the trust and confidence of my patients is one of the greatest honors of my life.”
What sparked your interest in health?
“Medicine and public service have been foundational parts of my life from an early age. … Health impacts every aspect of life, and I wanted to be in a role where I could both educate and empower people. Primary care gives me the privilege of building long-term relationships and being part of someone’s journey toward better health.”
To view the Women to Watch Awards Finalists main page, click here.
To view more of photographer Madeline Gray’s work, go to madelinegrayphoto.com.
To view more of photographer Sasha Sheldon’s work, go to sashasheldon.com.
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