Washington, DC — The Weitzman Institute is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Primary Care Impact Awards: North Carolina’s Project AWARE/ACTIVATE and OneCare Vermont’s Comprehensive Payment Reform Program. These initiatives were selected for their demonstrated excellence, innovation, and clear impact on the delivery of primary and specialty care in their respective states. The awards were presented on May 14, 2025 during the annual Weitzman Symposium before a national audience.
Project AWARE/ACTIVATE implements a federally funded State Education Agency grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Since launching in 2018, the program has supported multiple school districts in improving the mental health outcomes of underserved children and adolescents. Using a three-pronged strategy to promote awareness, train school personnel, and connect students and families to mental health resources and supports, Project AWARE/ACTIVATE has reduced stigma and transformed access to behavioral health.
OneCare Vermont’s Comprehensive Payment Reform Program (CPR) is an innovative payment model developed to strengthen and sustain primary care practices across the state. The program transitions providers from the traditional fee-for-service payment model to a population-based, fixed, per-member-per-month structure that emphasizes value over volume. In addition to offering financial flexibility and stability, CPR reduces administrative burden, creates clinical flexibility, improves patient health outcomes, and creates high provider satisfaction.
“Winning the Primary Care Impact Award from the Weitzman Institute is a significant achievement for North Carolina’s Project AWARE/ACTIVATE, highlighting its excellence in implementing evidence-based school behavioral health supports,” stated N.C. Project AWARE/ACTIVATE Director Heidi E. Austin, EdD, MCHES®, CFLE. “This recognition underscores the program’s commitment to enhancing school climate and providing early intervention, serving as a model for similar initiatives nationwide. Receiving this honor during Mental Health Awareness Month emphasizes the collective effort to build resilient communities through collaborative mental health support.”
According to Tom Borys, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of OneCare Vermont, “It’s an honor for OneCare to receive the Weitzman Institute Primary Care Impact Award for our Comprehensive Payment Reform program. Shifting healthcare dollars to primary care is part of our strategy to improve health outcomes, and I hope this award is inspiration for further payment reform innovation that supports primary care practices and providers.”
“The Weitzman Institute was founded on the principle that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. This year, we were proud to bring back the Primary Care Impact Award, which honors an organization, individual, or team that truly embodies that core belief. This award recognizes excellence in leading initiatives that have made a clear, measurable impact on the delivery of primary and specialty care—whether through practice, research, education and training, or policy. Both of these programs exemplify meaningful innovation and a deep commitment to improving primary care,” stated Vice President of Moses/Weitzman Health System and Director of the Weitzman Institute, Dr. April Joy Damian.
About the Weitzman Institute
The Weitzman Institute is the first community-based research center established by a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Its mission is to inspire innovation through research, education, and policy to ensure that effective, efficient and equitable primary care is available to all.