Rural Health
Resources by State: North Carolina
Community Voices from North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots Program: Implications for Designing and Evaluating Programs to Address Upstream Drivers of Health
Describes experiences of participants in North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots program, including enrollees, care managers, and staff at community-based organizations. The program tested impacts of providing services to eligible Medicaid members to address upstream drivers of health in 3 predominantly rural regions of the state.
Author(s): Alida Austin, Katie Huber, Brianna Van Stekelenburg, Kody Kinsley, Rebecca Whitaker
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, Milbank Memorial Fund
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Describes experiences of participants in North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots program, including enrollees, care managers, and staff at community-based organizations. The program tested impacts of providing services to eligible Medicaid members to address upstream drivers of health in 3 predominantly rural regions of the state.
Author(s): Alida Austin, Katie Huber, Brianna Van Stekelenburg, Kody Kinsley, Rebecca Whitaker
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, Milbank Memorial Fund
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Putting the Roadmap to a Comprehensive State Graduate Medical Education Strategy into Practice: State Perspectives
Explores ways in which Missouri, North Carolina, and Wisconsin are planning and implementing aspects of their state graduate medical education strategies. Offers insights for other states investigating ways to sustain a rural healthcare workforce and considering a "grow your own" approach to expanded residency training.
Author(s): Lori Rodefeld, Raquel Davis, Erin P. Fraher, et al.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Explores ways in which Missouri, North Carolina, and Wisconsin are planning and implementing aspects of their state graduate medical education strategies. Offers insights for other states investigating ways to sustain a rural healthcare workforce and considering a "grow your own" approach to expanded residency training.
Author(s): Lori Rodefeld, Raquel Davis, Erin P. Fraher, et al.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Is Access to Primary Care Clinicians Improving in North Carolina? A 2025 Update
Blog post providing updated information on the ratio of North Carolina population to primary care clinicians. Provides county-level maps with shadings showing better or worse access to primary care as of 2025 and percentage change in access from 2017-2025.
Author(s): Evan Galloway
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Sheps Health Workforce NC, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Blog post providing updated information on the ratio of North Carolina population to primary care clinicians. Provides county-level maps with shadings showing better or worse access to primary care as of 2025 and percentage change in access from 2017-2025.
Author(s): Evan Galloway
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Sheps Health Workforce NC, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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The Economic Impact of North Carolina's Hospitals
Reports on the statewide and regional economic contributions of 113 hospitals across North Carolina. Features statistics including number of hospitals by county designation and number of beds, with breakdowns by nonmetropolitan, micropolitan, and metropolitan areas.
Additional links: Infographic, Technical Documentation
Author(s): Sara Nienow, Carly Dotson
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Healthcare Association
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Reports on the statewide and regional economic contributions of 113 hospitals across North Carolina. Features statistics including number of hospitals by county designation and number of beds, with breakdowns by nonmetropolitan, micropolitan, and metropolitan areas.
Additional links: Infographic, Technical Documentation
Author(s): Sara Nienow, Carly Dotson
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Healthcare Association
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North Carolina Mental Health & Substance Use Services Workforce Data 2024 Snapshot: Certified Peer Support Specialists
Presents statistics on North Carolina peer support specialists, including demographics, rate per 10,000 population with breakdowns by metro and nonmetro areas, and a county-level map showing rate per 10,000 population as of 2024.
Author(s): B.M. Lombardi, J. Headley, M.P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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Presents statistics on North Carolina peer support specialists, including demographics, rate per 10,000 population with breakdowns by metro and nonmetro areas, and a county-level map showing rate per 10,000 population as of 2024.
Author(s): B.M. Lombardi, J. Headley, M.P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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North Carolina Mental Health & Substance Use Services Workforce Data 2024 Snapshot: Certified Community Health Workers
Presents statistics on numbers of community health workers (CHWs) in North Carolina with breakdowns by metro and nonmetro areas, statistics on certification level, and a county-level map showing numbers of CHWs per 10,000 population as of 2024.
Author(s): B.M. Lombardi, J. Headley, M.P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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Presents statistics on numbers of community health workers (CHWs) in North Carolina with breakdowns by metro and nonmetro areas, statistics on certification level, and a county-level map showing numbers of CHWs per 10,000 population as of 2024.
Author(s): B.M. Lombardi, J. Headley, M.P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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North Carolina Mental Health & Substance Use Services Workforce Data 2024 Snapshot: Addiction Counselors
Offers statistics on number of addiction counselors in North Carolina, with breakdowns by type; demographics; county-level maps showing number of licensed clinical addiction specialists and certified drug and alcohol counselors per 10,000 population; and metro and nonmetro rate to 10,000 population by credential type, as of 2024.
Author(s): B.M. Lombardi, J. Headley, M.P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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Offers statistics on number of addiction counselors in North Carolina, with breakdowns by type; demographics; county-level maps showing number of licensed clinical addiction specialists and certified drug and alcohol counselors per 10,000 population; and metro and nonmetro rate to 10,000 population by credential type, as of 2024.
Author(s): B.M. Lombardi, J. Headley, M.P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model: Evaluation Report 3
Presents findings from the first two years of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model; the impacts of the InCK Model on navigation and coordination, utilization and expenditures, quality of care, and beneficiary and caregiver experience of care; and the extent to which service changes or disruptions occurred and impacted care delivery. Identifies award recipients serving rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Presents findings from the first two years of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model; the impacts of the InCK Model on navigation and coordination, utilization and expenditures, quality of care, and beneficiary and caregiver experience of care; and the extent to which service changes or disruptions occurred and impacted care delivery. Identifies award recipients serving rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Navigating Dual Burdens: Financial Burdens and Travel Burdens Among Rural-Dwelling Cancer Survivors
Evaluates the significance simultaneous financial toxicity and healthcare-related travel burden among 12 cancer survivors living in rural North Carolina. Details cancer survivors' responses to financial and travel burdens, including discussion of cost-saving methods, travel strategies, shared burden with caregivers, experiences with financial assistance programs, and more.
Author(s): Arrianna Marie Planey, Michelle L. Manning, Mindy Gellin, et al.
Citation: Cancer Control, 33
Date: 04/2026
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Evaluates the significance simultaneous financial toxicity and healthcare-related travel burden among 12 cancer survivors living in rural North Carolina. Details cancer survivors' responses to financial and travel burdens, including discussion of cost-saving methods, travel strategies, shared burden with caregivers, experiences with financial assistance programs, and more.
Author(s): Arrianna Marie Planey, Michelle L. Manning, Mindy Gellin, et al.
Citation: Cancer Control, 33
Date: 04/2026
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County-Level Social Determinants of Health and Suicide Mortality Trends Among Formerly Incarcerated Persons in North Carolina, 2010–2018
Assesses how county-level factors including educational attainment, unemployment, poverty, aging, racial composition, and rurality are associated with suicide mortality among formerly incarcerated people in North Carolina. Features statistics including mortality rate per 100,000 with breakdowns by year from 2010-2018 and rural or urban county.
Author(s): Monica E. Swilley-Martinez, Brian W. Pence, Kate Vinita Fitch, et al.
Citation: Heath & Justice, 14, 20
Date: 04/2026
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Assesses how county-level factors including educational attainment, unemployment, poverty, aging, racial composition, and rurality are associated with suicide mortality among formerly incarcerated people in North Carolina. Features statistics including mortality rate per 100,000 with breakdowns by year from 2010-2018 and rural or urban county.
Author(s): Monica E. Swilley-Martinez, Brian W. Pence, Kate Vinita Fitch, et al.
Citation: Heath & Justice, 14, 20
Date: 04/2026
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