Free and Charitable Clinic Vecinos Spearheads One-Stop Services Hub for Uninsured and Low-Income Residents of Western North Carolina

Jun 29, 2022 - Describes a new Community Health Hub in western North Carolina that will bring primary care, behavioral healthcare, dentistry, and other services together to serve uninsured and low-income rural residents, particularly the Spanish-speaking population. Describes the need for the project and its development, noting partnerships between Vecinos, a free and charitable clinic, and other regional rural-serving clinics and organizations.

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Gaps in NC Addiction Treatment Disproportionately Hit Rural Residents of Color

Jun 6, 2022 - Describes a CDC study of county-level access to buprenorphine and methadone as treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD), finding that more than 75% of counties nationwide do not have opioid treatment programs. Focuses on access in North Carolina, noting that out of 52 counties without treatment programs, 50 are rural, with disparities in access for Black, Latino, and American Indian communities.

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This Rural N.C. Farm Helps Formerly Incarcerated Women Build Back Their Lives, Careers

May 16, 2022 - Highlights the work of Benevolence Farm, a nonprofit in North Carolina that offers housing, agricultural employment, and re-entry support for recently incarcerated women. Describes the experience of a woman who went through the program, noting the challenges for rural criminal justice agencies and human service organizations to pursue rehabilitation other than jail, and the potential for programs like Benevolence Farms to offer a supportive environment.

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Filling Rural NC's Maternal Health Care Desert

May 11, 2022 - Describes efforts to address obstetric and gynecological care shortages in western North Carolina. Highlights the work of the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) to support the maternal health workforce through residencies, fellowships, and training programs, as well as a new online masters program through Western Governors University targeting mental healthcare, which is an additional gap in postpartum care.

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ECU Teams Up with N.C. Free and Charitable Clinics, Duke Endowment to Bring Diabetes Management Program to Uninsured in Eastern N.C.

May 5, 2022 - Describes Fresh Start, a new program to address diabetes and improve health outcomes for uninsured residents of rural Eastern North Carolina through a partnership between East Carolina University and member clinics of the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. Discusses the region's disparities of Type 2 diabetes and outlines the development of the program and its aims to provide nutrition coaching, produce delivery, and health counseling.

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