Newsletter Articles

Staff from the Elizabeth City, Washington and Wilmington unit offices of DHHS' Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) recently delivered supplies to the local YMCA in Bertie County to help residents who were impacted by Hurricane Isaias in early August.

The COVID-19 crisis has provided an important moment for NCDHHS' Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) to lead the country by offering innovative, digital professional development supports to all NC Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) teachers across the state. While in-person learning is strongly recommended for all NC Pre-K children, DCDEE is working proactively to ensure that families who may need to quarantine are able to continue to readily support their child's learning and stay aligned to their classmates.

Two new features have been enabled on www.ncdhhs.gov that help DHHS improve communication with the people we serve. 

NCDHHS staff are mobilizing across divisions to make progress on North Carolina's Early Childhood Action Plan. Department leaders recently spent two days working in cross-sector teams to strategize and make plans to leverage and align work in three priority areas for 2020.

Eleven nurses from the Division of Public Health are among recipients of the 100 Distinguished Public Health Nurses in North Carolina award as part of the Centennial Anniversary of the Office of Public Health Nursing.

Having health insurance is a big part of being healthy. If you don't have health coverage, consider enrolling for 2020 coverage through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15, 2019.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines the potential for integrating services addressing social needs and the social determinants of health into the delivery of health care to achieve better health outcomes and to address major challenges facing the U.S. health care system.

Gremeko Stuart, an executive assistant with DHHS' Division of Public Health, organized a relief effort to collect and deliver clothing and non-perishable items to the Hurricane Dorian damaged Bahamas.

A DHHS employee was a contestant in a singing competition; the Western Controller's Office and Broughton Hospital collected school supplies; Dix Café celebrates one year; and DVRS and DSB staff present at Raleigh Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities.

For young adults struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, the transition to college can be challenging. To put that into perspective, more than 570,000 people in North Carolina – or 6.3 percent of North Carolinians over age 12 – are living with a substance use disorder. 

Each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic Americans who came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Officials from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the NC Department of Public Safety participated with federal, state and local partners in a multi-state Ebola virus disease emergency preparedness exercise Nov. 4–8, 2019. 

Dr. Susan Kansagra Selected as President-elect of National Association of Chronic Disease Directors; DHHS Employee Competed in Singing Contest; Wilson County DSS Honored for Child Welfare Work; NC Medicaid's Pharmacy Director Featured in Video Series; DHHS Works with DIT to Address Broadband and Health in Rural Areas; Medicaid Team Provides Cookies for Ronald McDonald House; Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities presented "Be-yond Black and White 2: A Discussion on LatinX Health and Engagement in North Carolina".

Governor Roy Cooper recently issued proclamations for numerous awareness efforts and causes the NC Department of Health and Human Services is involved in with the support of partners throughout the state.