NCDHHS forms advisory committee for rural health transformation program
The committee will help guide a statewide rural health initiative supported by more than $213 million in first-year federal funding.
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced the membership of an advisory committee for the NC Rural Health Transformation Program, a statewide initiative focused on improving rural health care access and delivery.
NCDHHS announced the committee July 29. The department said the advisory committee includes more than 40 members representing community organizations, health care providers, elected officials and other partners.
The department described the program as a statewide initiative supported by more than $213 million in first-year federal funding from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. NCDHHS said the program is designed to address longstanding challenges in rural health care access and delivery.
North Carolina has more than 3 million rural residents, according to NCDHHS.
The committee will bring community, provider and regional perspectives into the design and implementation of the program. NCDHHS said the group will meet quarterly, with its first meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The first meeting is open to the public. People may attend in person at NCDHHS headquarters at 1915 Health Services Way in Raleigh or online through the department’s YouTube page.
NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai will chair the committee. Debra Farrington, NCDHHS deputy secretary for health, will serve as co-chair.
Sangvai said the program’s state plan grew out of engagement with communities it is intended to serve, and that the committee will help keep the work centered on access barriers, implementation challenges and sustainability.
The committee membership includes representatives from health care organizations, rural advocacy groups, state agencies, local government, tribal organizations, the State Health Plan, the Community College System, the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Commerce and the General Assembly.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
