COVID-19 numbers are down across the board, yet the governor and health secretary continue to encourage people to wear masks and to follow a two-year-old emergency order.
All in Health
Attorney General Josh Stein announces two health care fraud sentencings
Attorney General Josh Stein today announced that James Aaron Lawson and Tanisha Latoy Darden each pleaded guilty to attempted medical assistance provider fraud. They were sentenced to 45 days in prison, with their prison sentences suspended in lieu of 18 months of supervised probation. Lawson was ordered to pay $1,020 and Darden was ordered to pay $855 in restitution to A Caring Heart, a Medicaid provider in Clinton.
Governor Cooper provides positive update on State’s COVID-19 trends, Encourages vaccination
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 key metrics and trends.
NCDHHS signs Health Equity Pledge, Continuing work to embed equity
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services joined approximately 40 cross-sector health care organizations committing to using and sharing high-level data about race, ethnicity, language and gender to inform best practices to promote health equity.
Governor Cooper - National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils unveils fitness centers
At 10 AM ET, Governor Roy Cooper will partner with the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC) to unveil new state-of-the-art DON’T QUIT! fitness centers gifted to three North Carolina schools. Perquimans County Middle School in Winfall, C.M. Eppes Middle School in Greenville and Northridge Middle School in Charlotte were selected as outstanding schools for demonstrating leadership in getting and keeping their students fit.
Financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccination are effective, finds evaluation of NC program by NCDHHS, NCCU and UNC-Chapel Hill
The $25 Summer Card pilot program operated by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) was successful in encouraging COVID-19 vaccination, according to a published research letter by authors from NCDHHS, the Advanced Center for COVID-19 Related Disparities (ACCORD) at the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and the Departments of Biostatistics and of Health Behavior at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill).
Data from North Carolina Long-Term Care Facilities Show Dramatic Impact of COVID-19 Vaccination
As COVID-19 cases surged this summer fueled by the Delta variant, hospitalizations and deaths among residents in North Carolina long-term care facilities were significantly lower than during the winter surge, as shown in data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
NCDHHS announces funding opportunity to serve justice-involved individuals as COVID-19 impacts overdoses
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released a funding opportunity that will award a total of $5.8 million to at least nine organizations statewide to increase access to high-quality opioid use disorder treatment for people in the criminal justice system.
NCDHHS expands demographic data on vaccine dashboard to help identify equity gaps
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has expanded its vaccine data dashboard to provide more statewide demographic data for COVID-19 vaccinations. Users will be able to see vaccination rates by race for age groups and ethnicity for age group. The information will be displayed on a new tab named “Additional NC Demographic Data” on the dashboard.
Hudson, Crenshaw sponsor bill to coordinate federal emergency health response
North Carolina's 8th District congressman is teaming up with a high-profile Texas counterpart to help sponsor a bill clarifying the federal government's response to health care emergencies.
Senate passes 'No Patient Left Alone Act'
Senate Bill 191, “No Patient Left Alone Act,” is headed to the governor’s desk. The bill passed the state Senate, 49-0, on Wednesday, Oct. 6.
Governor Cooper joins health care leaders to discuss pandemic’s impact on the Hispanic/Latinx community, signs executive order to extend Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council
Governor Roy Cooper held a roundtable discussion to hear from health care and community leaders about the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Hispanic/Latinx communities and thank them for their dedication. The Governor also signed an Executive Order to extend the Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.
Governor Cooper visits pharmacy to urge vaccinations and receive flu shot
Governor Roy Cooper and State Health Director Betsey Tilson got their flu shot today at Health Park Pharmacy in Wake County and encouraged North Carolinians to get their COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot.
Residents of Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania Counties can apply for help buying food after Tropical Storm Fred
Residents in three western counties impacted by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred can apply for help buying food through the Disaster Food and Nutrition Services (D-FNS), or Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) beginning Monday, Oct. 4, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced.
NCDHHS Awarded $9M from CDC to support statewide community health worker infrastructure
North Carolina’s Community Health Worker Initiative will expand as part of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (CCR) initiative. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a total of $9 million with $3 million per year distributed over the next three years.
Pfizer COVID-19 Booster Shots Available for High-Risk Groups
To strengthen and extend protections against severe illness, North Carolinians at high risk for serious illness or exposure, and who have been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech (COMINARTY) vaccine for six months or more, can now receive a COVID-19 booster shot.
N.C. COVID cases trending down, but experts say we will learn to live with virus
COVID-19 cases in North Carolina may actually be decreasing, even as media hysteria and local mask mandates rage on.
Food and Nutrition Services Benefits to Increase by 25% Starting Oct. 1
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced households enrolled in the Food and Nutrition Services program will see their benefits increase by 25% beginning Oct. 1, 2021, as part of a national re-evaluation of benefit amounts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More than 1.6 million people are enrolled in FNS in North Carolina
N.C. hospital suspends hundreds of healthcare workers without pay amid vaccine mandate
Winston-Salem based Novant Health has suspended more than 300 employees effective this week for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine. According to a press release from the hospital system, those who have not either had one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine or a first dose of Moderna or Pfizer will not be allowed to report to work. Those with one dose will have until October 15 to get the second one.
Attorney General Josh Stein reaches settlement with unlicensed for-profit medical technical school
Attorney General Josh Stein reached a consent judgment with Stepping Stone Phlebotomy LLC (also known as Stepping Stone Medical), a medical training program in Statesville he sued in June 2020 for operating without license.