When Linda Darden steps away as CEO of Trellis Supportive Care this coming June, there will be bittersweet moments, lovingly accompanied by enormous pride.
“What we do is just so powerful,” she shares. “Being part of making this kind of care happen has been an honor. Plus, it’s a great comfort to know the organization is strong and that our longtime Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Lalor, who is coming in as my successor, has a real knowledge of our culture.”
Linda holds a master’s degree in health administration from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC–Chapel Hill, and is a CPA-Retired in the state of North Carolina. In addition to her work with Trellis Supportive Care, she is engaged at the state and national level to support advanced illness care with a focus on caring for the aging.
After 18 years with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Linda began her tenure with Trellis Supportive Care in 2010, serving as both compliance and quality officer, and as senior vice president for clinical operations. She moved into the role of CEO in 2014.
“As a CEO, you’re obviously always looking down the road, but we also have to look closely at what we’re doing today,” she adds.
Many of those days that made up Linda’s past 11 years have featured some pretty special milestones.
“A definite highlight of my time as CEO has been the name change from Hospice & Palliative CareCenter to Trellis Supportive Care,” she explains. “We feel the rebranding launched in 2018 offers a more uplifting image – and a wider representation of the services we provide, including those in the home.”
In a mission that revolves around comfort and touch, the Covid pandemic provided an immense challenge that Linda feels the Trellis team faced with incredible grace under pressure.
“Seeing family members unable to visit loved ones was hard,” she says. “It was especially tough because we are all about offering comfort and support, to both patients and families, and we are BIG on hugs.”
Another milestone of her tenure, The Trellis Supportive Care Capital Campaign was completed in 2024 – providing for many updates and improvements to their KBR Hospice Home. Upgrades include smart beds that, among other things, can actually weigh patients right in the bed, and smart TVs that allow for full screen video chats with family members. Along with many other technological upgrades, Linda is proud Trellis is positioned very well for future success.
With plenty of personal moments and memories along the way, reading heartfelt comments from families has always been a much-needed bright spot for both Linda and the entire Trellis staff.
“After a hard day, reading those notes means the world to us,” she adds.
With roughly 300 employees, Linda knows those in administrative roles as well as those with direct patient care are proud to carry out this incredible mission.
“We invest a lot in making sure our staff is comfortable and connected,” she shares. “Trellis is positioned to be an employer of choice, committed to creating a culture of belonging for both our staff and prospective patients and families.”
Reflecting on the past 11 years, Linda feels she’s proudly brought a different perspective to the traditional CEO skill set.
“I hope future female leaders will be more quickly valued for their abilities, and I’ve tried to encourage and support other women in their leadership development,” she shares, hoping other female CEOs will do the same.
“Female leaders often suffer from imposter syndrome, fed by social discourse, and often – as I did – have to take salary cuts to navigate the direction of their careers. Women are underrepresented in higher level positions, and even more so, women of color. Each of us can reach back and lift up another woman!”
When her summertime retirement date arrives, Linda looks forward to more time with her friends and family – which includes two grown children – and she also expects to stay active in the community.
“From my Trellis experience, I will always carry with me the recognition of how important every day is – and the need to be present!”
Trellis Supportive Care is located in Winston-Salem at 101 Hospice Lane, 336.768.3972. As the first Hospice provider in the state, Trellis remains the largest nonprofit Hospice center in the Triad – opening the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home in 1998 to provide around the clock care to patients and families needing short-term inpatient or respite care. Visit trellissupport.org for more information, and follow them on Instagram @trellissupport.
