
‘Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt’
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NC dental board gets robust response to proposal to change sedation rules
By Anne Blythe A widow’s push to change the sedation rules for North Carolina dentists has struck a nerve in the dental profession. The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners has been considering a proposed rule change that among other things would require dentists and oral surgeons to have a certified registered nurse anesthetist…

These undergraduates help connect patients in Duke’s ER with food, housing and utility support
By Clarissa Donnelly-DeRoven On a sunny day last September, 20-year-old Haripriya Dukkipati walked into Duke’s emergency room for her first volunteer shift. The day started off slow. She and another student volunteer approached some patients and introduced themselves. Then they asked whether the patients would like to be screened for any “unmet social needs,” namely:…

What is the state of medical marijuana legalization in North Carolina?
By Elizabeth Thompson As Americans across the country observe 4/20, a day that recognizes cannabis, North Carolina remains one of just 13 states that have not legalized medical marijuana. That may not be the case for long. A bill in the North Carolina Senate, the NC Compassionate Care Act, would make medical marijuana legal for…

Should advanced practice nurses in NC have more independence from physicians?
By Rose Hoban When you add a half million people to a state’s health care system, can providers keep up? That’s one of the questions that North Carolina legislators raise as they discuss expanding Medicaid access to some 500,000 to 600,000 more people in this state. The fear is that adding nearly 5 percent of…

Providers worry as Medicaid winds down coverage for OT and PT done via telehealth
By Clarissa Donnelly-DeRoven Before the pandemic, Valerie Fox almost never used telehealth — nobody did at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, where she works as a behavioral health occupational therapist. Now, many patients request it. “Especially with the VA, a lot of people come from a lot of different parts of the state…

Can NC reduce the number of children in crisis who end up in limbo? Advocates hope a new plan can help.
By Anne Blythe Whenever children are removed from their homes as social workers and others try to protect them from abuse, neglect or other dangerous situations, it can be emotionally wrenching for them. Some have been even further traumatized in North Carolina recently by having to sleep in the offices of social service departments, in…