telemedicine

shows a health care provider in a mask holding a folder talking to a patient who's als in a mask.

As COVID strain on health systems magnifies, preventative care has not yet bounced back

December 15, 2020 by Liora Engel-Smith

As COVID strain on health systems magnifies, preventative care has not yet bounced back - North Carolina Health News

Canceled doctor’s appointments and delayed medical procedures have caused a dip in child vaccinations and cancer screenings. A sizable chunk of those patients have not yet caught up on their care.

By Liora Engel-Smith As the coronavirus quickly spread across the United States in February and March, hospital systems, fearing a flood of patients and worried about having enough personal protective equipment for their workers, suspended many routine appointments and elective procedures in a move to conserve resources. When clinics and hospitals resumed appointments and surgeries […]

Job-based health insurance costs are up 4 percent this year, 55 percent in past decade

October 11, 2020 by Kaiser Health News

Job-based health insurance costs are up 4 percent this year, 55 percent in past decade - North Carolina Health News

Insurance cost increases are in the single digits, but they're still more than the increasing rate of inflation, driven, in part, by uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Phil Galewitz Kaiser Health News Health insurance costs for Americans who get their coverage through work continued a relentless march upward with average family premiums rising 4 percent to $21,342 this year, according to a study published Thursday. The annual survey by KFF found workers on average are paying nearly $5,600 this year toward […]

Florida’s cautionary tale: How gutting and muzzling public health fueled COVID fire

August 29, 2020 by Kaiser Health News

Florida’s cautionary tale: How gutting and muzzling public health fueled COVID fire - North Carolina Health News

As the nation starved the public health system intended to protect communities against disease, staffing and funding fell faster and further in the Sunshine State, leaving it especially unprepared for the worst health crisis in a century.

Laura Ungar and Jason Dearen, The Associated Press and Hannah Recht August 24, 2020 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On a sweltering July morning, Rose Wilson struggled to breathe as she sat in her bed, the light from her computer illuminating her face and the oxygen tubes in her nose. Wilson, a retiree who worked as a […]

Shows a group of eight people each wearing masks and holding out their arms to be at a distance from one another.

Will COVID-19 help move primary care physicians away from the fee-for-service model?

August 19, 2020 by Rose Hoban

Will COVID-19 help move primary care physicians away from the fee-for-service model? - North Carolina Health News

The “medical MacGyvering” that took place early in the pandemic wasn’t limited to emergency physicians jerry-rigging personal protective equipment or ICU docs using FaceTime to connect patients to families. Small primary care practices also pivoted hard, but it’s come at a cost.

By Rose Hoban When Karen Smith went to Jamaica in March, she planned a working vacation. The Hoke County primary care doctor, whose practice thrives with about 3,000 patients, was in the island country to do some medical mission work when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported there. She’s a little unclear on the […]

A hand holds an iPhone with the Plume website open.

Telehealth offers transgender people a new way to receive hormone therapy, during the pandemic and beyond

July 8, 2020 by Hannah Critchfield

Telehealth offers transgender people a new way to receive hormone therapy, during the pandemic and beyond - North Carolina Health News

The COVID pandemic has paved way for virtual visits to continue for transgender patients, offering easy - and private - access to hormone replacement therapy and other care.

By Hannah Critchfield Taylor made the video call from the car. The vehicle was as familiar as an office by now – before the pandemic hit, it was where 27-year-old Taylor changed into dresses before going out with friends, and where they wiped the makeup off their face before returning home each night. It was […]

Teletherapy in the Age of COVID-19

June 3, 2020 by Melba Newsome

Teletherapy in the Age of COVID-19 - North Carolina Health News

The mental health crisis brought on by the pandemic has helped speed up the adoption of teletherapy.

By Melba Newsome Maudeb Maybin suffers from PTSD and uses a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy. Part of his overall maintenance plan includes seeing a therapist to help him cope with his depression issues. But just traveling to and from his appointment can take hours. “It was a huge coordination effort to go anywhere, whether […]

a woman at a podium speaks to a mostly empty room. the only others there are wearing masks, as they're social distancing because of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Today – May 26 – Cooper, Trump, GOP convention; Alamance speedway defiance; Hang on Mandy, Mandy hang on

May 26, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 26 – Cooper, Trump, GOP convention; Alamance speedway defiance; Hang on Mandy, Mandy hang on - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper announces the creation of the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office.

Trump tweets, NC awaits GOP Convention plans Gov. Roy Cooper and his public health team are awaiting information from the Republican National Committee for how the political organization would stage its convention in August amid the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump called out Cooper in a series of tweets on Monday, threatening to move the […]

A physician in a white coat is sitting in front of a computer to do a virtual appointment via telehealth

COVID breathes life into North Carolina’s rural telehealth, but broadband remains an obstacle

May 14, 2020 by Liora Engel-Smith

COVID breathes life into North Carolina’s rural telehealth, but broadband remains an obstacle - North Carolina Health News

The coronavirus pandemic forced providers to see many of their patients virtually. In rural North Carolina, where the broadband infrastructure is lacking, that transition can be challenging.

By Liora Engel-Smith Though he doesn’t see patients face-to-face these days, Dr. Charles Sawyer still carries his prescription pad. The 87-year-old doesn’t often write prescriptions by hand anymore, but there’s something about the familiar feel of the pad in his coat pocket, he said. Sawyer, a primary care physician at Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, […]

Shows a photo of a sunrise to signify new beginning after coronavirus

A ‘new norm’ after the coronavirus pandemic

April 12, 2020 by Greg Barnes

A ‘new norm’ after the coronavirus pandemic - North Carolina Health News

The novel coronavirus has brought death and devastation, but professionals from different walks of life say it could also bring positive changes once it finally subsides.

By Greg Barnes It’s hard to find an upside in all of this. The coronavirus has killed thousands of people across the country and sickened hundreds of thousands more. It has shuttered big factories and small businesses alike, leaving millions unemployed. It has crippled the economy and drained large savings from personal retirement accounts. It […]

cancer hospital in Charlotte, image of the building

Cancer care in the age of COVID-19

April 6, 2020 by Melba Newsome

Cancer care in the age of COVID-19 - North Carolina Health News

Medical facilities are struggling to balance patient care while limiting the risk of exposure, especially for their most vulnerable patients.

By Melba Newsome In the four years since Doris Castevens was diagnosed with lung cancer, she has been a fixture at the Atrium Levine Cancer Center. For all her treatments including surgery, targeted therapy, radiation, chemotherapy and counseling, her husband Joe has been right by her side. That all changed with the arrival of the […]

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