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North Carolina News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Oct 25, 2024 - Provides overview of resources available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assist North Carolina farmers, businesses, and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Highlights loan and insurance programs for farmers, nutrition assistance for individuals and families, and financial resources available through USDA Rural Development.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Oct 20, 2024 - Announcement of new federal Community Liaisons program to assist communities impacted by Hurricane Helene with ongoing recovery efforts. Provides overview of ongoing programs including Disaster Recovery Centers and mass feeding sites serving impacted communities in rural North Carolina. Details additional resources including home inspections and Transitional Sheltering Assistance.
Source: The White House
Oct 15, 2024 - Highlights high rates of food insecurity in rural western North Carolina and how these challenges were exacerbated by Hurricane Helene. Features an Asheville-based food bank that offers food distribution throughout the region, but which incurred significant damages in the storm. Describes ongoing efforts to distribute food to storm-affected rural areas, including pop-up distribution sites, mobile kitchens, and state and federal assistance programs.
Source: NC Health News
Oct 11, 2024 - Presents overview of data from the Census Bureau's Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) program on North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene. Notes that 10 of the 27 counties under a major disaster declaration are predominantly rural; 20.2% of individuals living in the affected counties are classified by the CRE as having a high degree of social vulnerability to disasters. Explores CRE data on factors contributing to high social vulnerability in the affected counties, including age, disability, and housing quality.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Oct 4, 2024 - Explores factors contributing to low patient volumes at field hospitals erected in rural North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. Discusses how damaged power and communications systems may have hindered efforts to spread the word about the temporary services, and identifies collaboration with local AM radio stations as a potential workaround. Notes ongoing efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a range of local and national partners to locate missing persons and prepare for a potential surge in patient volumes.
Source: NBC News
Oct 1, 2024 - Highlights the role local radio stations have played in conveying important information for rural North Carolina communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Notes that previous storm-related emergencies prompted local leaders to prepare radio stations as part of their response efforts.
Source: Southern Living
Sep 30, 2024 - Highlights research project underway at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop a mobile imaging system to expand access to advanced medical screening in rural communities. Notes the importance of early screening for the effective treatment of a range of chronic health conditions, and the lack of both screening equipment and trained specialists in many rural areas.
Source: Chapelboro.com
Sep 27, 2024 - Announcement from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of additional resources to assist with the ongoing public health emergency related to Hurricane Helene. The public health emergency exists beginning September 23, 2024 in Florida; September 24, 2024 in Georgia; September 25, 2024 in North Carolina; and September 27, 2024 for South Carolina and Tennessee. Offers information and resources for those impacted and responding to the hurricane including CMS waivers, healthcare enrollment, a disaster toolkit, dialysis care, and medical equipment and supplies replacement.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Sep 6, 2024 - Offers overview of challenges for rural pharmacies in North Carolina and across the country, highlighting a recent increase in rural pharmacy closures. Discusses reimbursement, workforce recruitment, and volume purchasing as contributors to closures.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Sep 3, 2024 - Details a project piloted by the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) to build four "tiny homes" for use by medical students in western North Carolina. Notes that students have struggled in the past to find housing for their clinical rotations in the region.
Source: WLOS News 13

Last Updated: 10/28/2024