Paul B. Harrison, former Wake County Medical Society Executive Director, died Tuesday, November 14. He was 79.
Harrison served 21 years as the Executive Director of the Wake County Medical Society (WCMS). In the role, he worked to advance the WCMS mission of developing a medical care safety net for indigent residents of Wake County.
In 2021, Harrison’s years of service to the Wake, and surrounding medical communities, were recognized with the John Huske Anderson Award, given annually to a layperson whose contributions have had a positive impact on the medical profession and public health.
Volunteerism became a big part of Paul’s life, with a focus on the least advantaged in our society. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps (Micronesia) and on the staff of the Peace Corps Agency in Washington, DC. In the Triangle, he served as a volunteer innkeeper at the Durham Ronald McDonald house, as a volunteer swim instructor for handicapped students in Chapel Hill, as a volunteer intake screener at the Wake County Open Door Clinic, and as a member of the boards of Urban Ministries of Wake County, The Triangle Community Foundation and Judea Reform Congregation in Durham.
Chip Baggett, CEO of the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) had this to say about Harrison: “It is rare to find a public servant who quietly goes about planting and nurturing the seeds of change. Paul’s contribution to the health and well-being of patients is enduring. I am grateful for his leadership.”
The North Carolina Medical Society extends its deepest sympathy to Harrison’s family and friends.
Read Harrison’s full obituary here.