Alexander County

shows people on a dias who are wearing masks to prevent the transmission of COVID

Coronavirus Today – Nov. 23 – Mask mandate tightened; Greensboro toughens enforcement

November 23, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Nov. 23 – Mask mandate tightened; Greensboro toughens enforcement - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper tightens mask order as NC COVID-19 case counts jump quickly. "We are in danger," he said as he ordered stricter enforcement of mask mandates.

By Anne Blythe Gov. Roy Cooper minced no words on Monday when he gave an update on North Carolina’s COVID-19 trends and metrics. “We are in danger,” Cooper told reporters during an afternoon briefing. “This is a pivotal moment in our fight against the coronavirus. Our actions now will determine the fate of many.” The […]

Shows a brunette woman in a dark dress standing at a podium, with a grim, determined look on her face as she looks at the camera. She's worried about the state of North Carolina's COVID outbreak. IN the upper right hand corner, a sign language interpreter gestures with his hands.

Coronavirus Today – Nov. 12 COVID spread in rural NC; Testing for holiday travelers and college students; Insurance and travel testing

November 12, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Nov. 12 COVID spread in rural NC; Testing for holiday travelers and college students; Insurance and travel testing - North Carolina Health News

North Carolina passes a ‘troubling milestone’ in COVID-19 case counts, as the coronavirus spreads through rural counties.

By Anne Blythe As North Carolina’s COVID-19 case counts rise steadily, the tightening grip of the coronavirus is having a disparate impact on the state’s rural counties. The rate of infections per capita has become alarmingly high in many rural North Carolina counties, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, […]

A field scientist drags a cloth across the ground to gather ticks

Ticks continue creeping southward in North Carolina

August 5, 2020 by Greg Barnes

Ticks continue creeping southward in North Carolina - North Carolina Health News

The coronavirus pandemic may have slowed reporting of tick-borne diseases in the state, but the insects are more prevalent than ever and are heading south, some carrying relatively new diseases.

By Greg Barnes Alexis Barbarin isn’t sure why North Carolina is reporting fewer cases of tick-borne diseases this year. Normally, by this time, hundreds of cases would have been reported, said Barbarin, the state’s public health entomologist, whose job it is to track diseases transmitted by insects. Instead, she said, only 76 confirmed and probable […]

The Appalachian Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina may benefit from the ARC's recovery ecosystem model. The area has a quickly growing outbreak of COVID-19

New dollars target opioid misuse, workforce revitalization in WNC

September 11, 2019 by Liora Engel-Smith

New dollars target opioid misuse, workforce revitalization in WNC - North Carolina Health News

Twenty-nine western North Carolina counties could benefit from a new Appalachian Regional Commission initiative that will invest in workforce training and treatment options for people with addiction.

By Liora Engel-Smith Targeting some of the epicenters of the national opioid epidemic, the Appalachian Regional Commission announced a plan to revitalize the workforce in communities ravaged by addiction. The agency, whose mandate is to promote economic prosperity in 420 counties in 13 states, including North Carolina, outlined a plan to bolster and link programs […]

A county by county map of US colored to show opioid death risk, including access to medication-assisted treatment

Forty-one N.C. counties classified as “high risk” in new opioid study

July 23, 2019 by Yen Duong

Forty-one N.C. counties classified as “high risk” in new opioid study - North Carolina Health News

In a national study, researchers classified 41 North Carolina counties as “opioid high-risk” with few providers of medication-assisted treatment and many opioid-related deaths.

By Yen Duong While conversations about the national opioid epidemic often focus on hardest-hit states such as Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, few people have analyzed county-by-county trends, where those state’s policies can make a difference. But a new study, published last month in an open-access version of the Journal of the American Medical Association, […]

Life Expectancy Gap Widens for Appalachia

August 30, 2017 by Rose Hoban

Life Expectancy Gap Widens for Appalachia - North Carolina Health News

Smoking, high rates of diabetes, obesity heart disease and poor birth outcomes contribute to worsening life expectancy in Western NC.

By Taylor Knopf While life expectancy and infant mortality rates continue to improve across the United States, the Appalachian region struggles to keep up. Infant mortality is 16 percent higher in Appalachia than other areas of America, according to a study published in Health Affairs this month called “Widening disparities in infant mortality and life […]

shows run down loolking building at the end of a worn path

Paying for Mistakes: North Carolina’s 10 Most Penalized Adult Care Homes

August 1, 2017 by Carolina Public Press

Paying for Mistakes: North Carolina’s 10 Most Penalized Adult Care Homes - North Carolina Health News

A look at the flawed system for citing and fining failing adult care homes across North Carolina - the third part of a series created by NC Health News publication partner Carolina Public Press.

By Frank Taylor and Michael Gebelein Adult care homes in North Carolina provide housing to large numbers of people with mental illness and physical disabilities, and these facilities face legal requirements to provide adequate supervision, nutrition, medical care and safe facility conditions. A regimen of county and state inspections monitor the quality and safety of […]

shows the outside of the main building for DHHS in Raleigh

Who’s Watching: Investigation Raises Doubts About Adult Care Home Inspection System

July 28, 2017 by Carolina Public Press

Who’s Watching: Investigation Raises Doubts About Adult Care Home Inspection System - North Carolina Health News

Despite a complex and costly system designed to keep the state’s adult care home system running smoothly, serious complaints and incidents persist.

by Frank Taylor and Michael Gebelein Inspectors in one North Carolina county oversee dozens of adult care homes, but facilities there received no state penalties for years, even against facilities operating at the lowest level. In another location, county officials worked with the state to close a troubled facility. In yet another county, an adult […]

Investigation: NC Adult Care Homes System Under Fire, with Oversight Inconsistent, Unreliable

July 27, 2017 by Carolina Public Press

Investigation: NC Adult Care Homes System Under Fire, with Oversight Inconsistent, Unreliable - North Carolina Health News

A 6-month investigation of adult care homes by NC Health News partner Carolina Public Press shows a spectrum of problems, ‘gaping hole’ in NC oversight of housing for those with mental illness.

by Frank Taylor and Michael Gebelein Carolina Public Press In the early morning hours on Dec. 17, 2014, a fire broke out at A New Outlook of Taylorsville, a 34-bed adult care home that sits at the end of a winding residential street in hilly rural Alexander County. Like other adult care homes across North […]

Award-winning Goldsboro Child Care Center Spreads Gospel of Healthy Living

June 7, 2016 by Thomas Goldsmith

Award-winning Goldsboro Child Care Center Spreads Gospel of Healthy Living - North Carolina Health News

Child care centers around the state are trying to stem the growing tide of obesity. By Thomas Goldsmith Alissa Merritt loves it when her 5 year old daughter Gracie toddles up to her with a piece of fruit or a vegetable to ask, “This is a healthy snack, right?” Merritt attributes Gracie’s knowledge of healthy […]

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