A Black mayor in Western North Carolina reflects on a conversation with his grandmother, who fought for civil rights and the Voting Rights Act 50 years ago. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision last week, that fight continues.
The 2023 closing of Martin General left 21,000 people without access to emergency health care. In a county where nearly a third of the community relies on Medicaid, the consequences have been severe.
When we are counting pennies, fearing layoffs or looking for work, watching crops die, or bills pile up, we often retreat and retrench, close others out. But to stare this down, to build the change we need, there’s no way we can do this but together.
The opioid crisis has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of North Carolinians. While some patients are able to access medication to treat addiction, most adults seeking treatment still struggle to access medications for Opioid Use Disorder.
When people lose insurance, they often rely on emergency rooms. But ERs were never intended to replace primary care, doctors warn. North Carolina emergency rooms are not built for what’s coming.
“For the first time since 2008, I had insurance,” Weaver said. “It has made my life completely different. It’s been a gift.”
Across eastern NC, emergency care services aren’t always easy to come by and often require long wait times or distant drives. The consequences can be devastating.
Former teacher of the year Kimberly Jones, once a rural area public school student, says state lawmakers should offer the same opportunities to rural students that are offered to those from wealthier areas.
Mission Hospital nurses and their patients are in the path of several runaway trains at once. But Mission’s struggles are not just about a single hospital: This is a national problem.
After the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits and growing uncertainty surrounding Medicaid, more North Carolinians are finding themselves without coverage. For those who’ve lost health insurance, free clinics and providers offer help in uncertain times.