Dr. Letitia Hazel Named Chief Medical Officer for SouthLight Healthcare

Dr. Letitia Hazel, M.D.

Letitia Hazel, M.D., has been named Chief Medical Officer for SouthLight Healthcare, a behavioral health organization that provides integrated substance use and mental health services to more than 5,000 people each year. She is a Board Certified Family Medicine physician with nearly 25 years of experience in family medicine and behavioral health.

Dr. Hazel brings tremendous expertise in family medicine to SouthLight at a time when integrated care has never been more important. She has dedicated her career to clearing barriers to care and will bring a collaborative leadership style to her engagements with our team and community partners.

Adam Hartzell, SouthLight CEO

Dr. Hazel attended Wake Forest University School of Medicine and completed her residency training at the University of Maryland, where she became a chief resident. She has strong roots in the Triangle community and returned to NC to join the faculty at Wake Forest Family Medicine and completed a Faculty Development Fellowship with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 

My philosophy regarding patient care is to treat the “whole person,” which means addressing not just their medical concerns but psycho-social factors as well. I also believe “The sum of the parts is greater than the whole” so working with a strong team is extremely important to me. That is what drew me to SouthLight.  

Dr. Letitia Hazel, M.D.

Dr. Hazel also held positions as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Director of Student Health Services at NC Central University, and Medical Director of Student Health Services at North Carolina State University. She has served as a physician in several behavioral health organizations, most recently specializing in medication-assisted treatment. 

She has served on the board of directors of numerous organizations, including Lincoln Community Health Center, BRIDGES, an academic leadership program for women, and Triangle Figure Skating Club. She currently serves as team physician and President of the Board of Directors of Formation Synchronized Ice Skating.

Dr. Hazel joins SouthLight at a time of tremendous growth with expanded services, including becoming Wake County’s only Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic and the first and only Opioid Treatment Clinic in North Carolina that has both morning and evening dosing hours.

Dr. Hazel is a member of SouthLight’s Executive Team, which includes:

• Chief Executive Officer Adam Hartzell
• Chief Operating Officer Erika Carey
• Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Rinaldi

Learn more about SouthLight’s services here.