Raleigh -- May 25, 2026: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Devdutta Sangvai has approved the merger of Vaya Health and Partners Health Management, a move set to create the state’s largest publicly governed behavioral healthcare entity. This consolidation, scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, 2026, following a successful readiness review, will significantly reshape how behavioral health care, intellectual and developmental disability services, and substance use support are managed for residents across 47 counties. This includes its continued management of Western North Carolina communities such as Buncombe, Henderson, and Haywood counties.
The combined organization aims to strengthen service delivery and improve access for thousands of North Carolinians. The new entity, which will operate under the name Vaya Partners, is designed to serve more than 222,000 members across its expansive service area. Officials from both organizations stated the merger is intended to create a larger, more coordinated entity with broader reach, fostering efficiencies and expanding support for patients, families, and providers.
This strategic move is part of ongoing efforts to enhance access and coordination within North Carolina’s public behavioral health system, focusing on integrated, whole-person care for individuals with complex needs related to mental health, substance use disorders, intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). For individuals currently receiving services through Vaya Health or Partners Health Management, officials confirmed that there will be no immediate changes to their benefits or providers.
The combined organization will be steered by an experienced joint executive team drawn from both legacy entities. Tracy Hayes, the current Area Director and CEO of Vaya Health, will step in as the Chief Executive Officer of Vaya Partners. Libby McCraw, CEO of Partners Health Management, will assume the role of Senior Deputy CEO, while Partners' Rachel Porter will serve as Deputy CEO. Governance will be overseen by a consolidated Board of Directors featuring balanced representation from both organizations, which will formally include a nonvoting Provider Advisory Council representative to ensure provider input remains central to future planning.
Behind the scenes, operational teams are currently reviewing both organizations’ provider portal platforms and IT infrastructures to determine a unified approach. In the meantime, contracted providers have been explicitly instructed to maintain their current billing, claims workflows, and authorization processes exactly as they do today until formal transition guidance is issued closer to the October launch date.
This consolidation marks the latest milestone in North Carolina's multi-year Medicaid Transformation, a state-guided strategy that has methodically reduced the number of local management entities (LME/MCOs) from eight down to just four. By combining Vaya’s 32-county region with Partners’ 15-county region, the newly created Vaya Partners establishes a highly connected, sustainable regional model designed to support the long-term financial and logistical viability of the state's public healthcare network.