By Ellie Kollme UNC Media Hub Dr. Amir Barzin, a family medicine physician and the chief operating officer at UNC Health, starts each morning with a solitary run to clear his mind before the day begins. The routine, he said, helps him manage the daily pressures of working in health care — pressures that many […]
Posted inSubstance Use
The rescue mission at the heart of NC’s opioid crisis — and the money it can’t reach
By Taylor Knopf Six years ago, Jami Mundy was released from the Richmond County jail. She said she didn’t want to use drugs anymore. The previous year, she had overdosed nine times, and she wanted a better life for herself and her then-12-year-old daughter. With few places to go, Mundy ended up at the Richmond […]
Posted inRural Health
NC pitches $1 billion plan to overhaul rural health system
By Jaymie Baxley North Carolina is seeking $1 billion from the federal government for a wide-ranging plan that could reshape rural health care across the state. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services hopes to secure the funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, an initiative created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act […]
Posted inCharlotte Ledger
Gene Woods, CEO of Atrium Health’s parent company, gets a 49% pay boost, to $25.8 million
By Michelle Crouch Co-published with The Charlotte Ledger Advocate Health CEO Gene Woods’ compensation surged to $25.8 million in 2024, a 49 percent jump from the $17.3 million he earned the previous year, according to a recent tax filing (see full IRS form 990 at the bottom of the page). Woods’ total pay leading the […]
Posted inHealth Inequities
Raleigh café builds community through shared meals
By Ashley Fredde Since she was a child volunteering at soup kitchens and food pantries with her parents, Maggie Kane has carried a question: “Why was I on this side? Why am I so lucky?” The invisible line that separated those who served and those who received inspired her to create a space where no […]
Posted inState Health Policy
NC budget stalemate deepens strain on safety nets, health system, advocates and providers say
By Ashley Fredde The cracks in North Carolina’s safety nets are widening under the compounding pressure of a months-long budget stalemate, and that’s putting the state’s most vulnerable residents at risk of falling through. That was the message delivered to Democratic members of the North Carolina state Senate last Wednesday. The public hearing at the […]