Press Releases

Open enrollment for Medicaid managed care begins today in 27 counties. From July 15 through Sept. 13, 2019, more than 300,000 households with nearly 540,000 people in Medicaid can choose a health plan to provide their Medicaid services, along with a primary care provider.

Six rural North Carolina communities will share $1.2 million in federal grant funds to strengthen and expand their response to opioid use disorder with increased planning; prevention; evidence-based treatment, including medication-assisted treatment; and recovery service delivery.

Funding is available to help North Carolinians in crisis pay utility bills or secure fuel or cooling resources. 

Because many Fourth of July celebrations include grilling, picnics and other outdoor food events, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is promoting easy steps everyone should take to avoid foodborne illnesses associated with summer heat.

Today, at the opening of the 2019 Opioid Summit, Governor Roy Cooper highlighted the state’s progress in addressing the opioid epidemic over the last two years and launched the updated Opioid Action Plan 2.0 to continue to combat this issue in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Social Services is holding a town hall meeting Wednesday, June 5 in Hickory to receive public comment on improving child welfare in the state.

Heading to a beach, lake, river or pool this holiday weekend? Officials at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services caution swimmers to take steps to ensure water safety, including keeping a close watch on children and young adults and avoiding rip currents at the coast.

With sweltering temperatures forecast over much of North Carolina for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, public health officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are urging people to take steps to protect themselves from heat-related illnesses. 

To help those struggling with substance use disorders and enhance public health prevention efforts, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is focusing efforts to reach patients at risk for hepatitis A in the state-operated Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Centers.

To boost North Carolina’s response to the opioid crisis, R.J. Blackley Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center in Butner recently became certified as an opioid treatment program for people with opioid use disorder. 

With multiple measles outbreaks occurring in the United States, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging preventive measures and reminding everyone that vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against measles.

“The cost of doing nothing is not nothing,” John Owen, mental health consumer, told Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D, at a roundtable to discuss the impact of untreated behavioral health on communities and the challenges of accessing care for those who need it.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is seeking job applicants to work at the new Broughton Hospital in Morganton, following final acceptance of the new state psychiatric hospital by the State Construction Office.

Chronic viral hepatitis affects more than 230,000 people in North Carolina, and because many more may have hepatitis but do not realize they are infected until they have symptoms, Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May as Hepatitis Awareness Month, and May 19 as Hepatitis Testing Day.

As warmer weather arrives in North Carolina, the Division of Aging and Adult Services is partnering with the N.C. Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers to distribute fans to eligible recipients through Operation Fan Heat Relief May 1 – Oct. 31.

We know that events like this are stressful and there is no right or wrong way to feel. People can experience a wide range of emotions as anxiety manifests differently in everybody. Signs of distress can include: changes in sleep, appetite, energy or substance/medication use and physical manifestations such as headaches or stomach aches. The important thing to know is that there are resources to help people cope with the ramifications of traumatic events. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Social Services is holding a town hall meeting Friday, May 3 in Winterville to receive public comment on improving child welfare in the state. 

North Carolina families with young children can now take advantage of free online parenting support programs. The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) offers advice and ideas to help parents create a positive home environment for their children.