Newby, a native of Elizabeth City, NC, came to the Upstate in November 2004. He received a B.A. degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a graduate degree from Yale University. Involvement in the community includes the area March of Dimes Board, Urban League of the Upstate Spartanburg Board and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He also recently accepted an invitation to join the 100 Black Men of the Upstate organization.

Since his arrival, he has sparked a revolution in healthcare, incorporating activities to stir community involvement that address health and wellness. Among these are a Back to School Health Fair at an area recreational center and Project House Calls with the local Housing Authority. Through these efforts Newby, his staff and more than 50 community partners provide healthcare education and family and children services to residents.

From these efforts, in 2006 more than 1,000 children received vision, hearing, audiological, speech and body mass index screenings. The health fair also provided a fun day with outdoor activities, local music, raffles to give away bikes and distribution of school supplies and backpacks.

Project House Calls sends a nurse to visit housing authority residents and arranges doctor visits and transportation for the elderly patients. Additional efforts for ReGenesis Community Health Center include cancer education, low-to-no cost mammograms, prostrate cancer screenings and hypertension screenings.

"We believe you have to be out in the community to make the difference," says Newby.

George Newby grades the condition of healthcare for African-Americans as being extremely poor. He states that rates for disease among African-Americans are higher, specifically referring to breast cancer rates. However, hospitalization rates are lower. This results in higher death rates for black women.

His work will change disparity data through more awareness efforts and concentration of services offered. In 2007, he plans to expand operation into Cherokee County and he would like to move into Union County as well. He wants to pursue more developments in HIV and AIDS education and for service to the elderly. He is also involved in a strategic process to see where service levels currently are and where they need to go.

Newby and his wife of 25 years, Carolyn, are parents to two sons, Jonathan, 25, and Joshua, 17. He enjoys cooking, golf, good food, wine and cigars.