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This week, NCDHHS announced recent updates to the NC State Health Improvement Plan (NC SHIP), which include priorities for addressing the full set of factors that impact a person’s health and updates data on the progress of improvement.
The plan addresses other factors that influence health, such as social and economic factors, and suggests interventions that support education, access to healthy food, air and water quality, and access to care. It also recognizes the pressing concerns related to behavioral health, including mental health, substance use disorders and suicide prevention, as part of whole-person health.
The 2023 NC SHIP places particular importance on Medicaid Expansion as a critical element in improving health care access and reducing disparities. On Dec. 1, 2023, NC will begin Medicaid Expansion, giving 600,000 North Carolinians access to health care.
The plan reflects the insights and contributions of the NC SHIP Community Council, which includes other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, businesses, community members, philanthropies and academia. If you are interested in joining the council, fill out the NCSHIP Community Council Interest Form. |
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NCDHHS Staff Receive Governor's Awards for Excellence
NCDHHS staff from Caswell Developmental Center and Jacki Russell, NCDHHS' director of the Division of Disability Determination Services, were honored this week with the Governor's Award for Excellence, the highest honor a state employee may receive for dedicated service to the state and the people of North Carolina. Nine employees at Caswell saved the residents after a fire broke out at the Kendall 103 facility on Feb. 28, 2023. Watch a video to find out more about how the Caswell staff risked their own safety to prioritize the safety and well-being of the residents who were unable to care for or defend themselves. Additionally, Jacki Russell, NCDHHS' director of the Division of Disability Determination Services (DDS), was honored with the Governor's Award for Excellence in Outstanding Government Service for addressing staffing shortages, large disability claims backlogs, and outdated technology to transform the DDS into one of the highest-performing organizations of its kind in the nation. Watch a video to find out more about how Jacki's solutions-oriented commitment to DDS has reshaped the division's culture and transformed it into a high-performing organization that benefits the many North Carolinians seeking disability support. |
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Project SEARCH Internships Help Students with Disabilities
NCDHHS is in partnership with Alliance Health, the Wake County Public School System and Embassy Suites to help implement Project SEARCH, where interns with disabilities are spending their senior year of high school working and learning at a hotel in Cary. Project SEARCH interns complete a program that consists of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through multiple internships. Project SEARCH began at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and is headquartered there. It currently has 787 sites across 48 states and 10 countries. Last year, more than 73% of Project SEARCH interns nationwide found competitive, integrated employment at the conclusion of their internships. NCDHHS' Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provides funding to Community Partnerships, Inc., which provides job placement and coaching after the internship with Project SEARCH. When the interns complete the program, they go to work in jobs that pay a competitive salary and work alongside other people with and without disabilities. Read more about how these interns will gain independence and real-world experience, leading them to competitive, integrated employment, in a newsletter article. |
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Executive Order Directs Action to Advance Environmental Justice
This week, Gov. Cooper issued Executive Order 292 directing bold action to advance environmental justice. The environmental justice movement began here in North Carolina in 1982, with community protests in Warren County opposing a proposed hazardous waste landfill. Executive Order No. 292 builds upon the work that began more than 40 years ago. The Order defines environmental justice as the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin or Tribal affiliation, in agency policies and programming that affect human health, well-being, quality of life and the environment. The Order reestablishes the Secretary of Environmental Quality’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board as the Governor’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The Order also directs Cabinet agencies to develop environmental justice goals and directs the Department of Information Technology to develop an Environmental Justice Hub, including a statewide environmental justice mapping tool and additional information about environmental justice resources across state government. Read more about what the Order directs state agencies to do in a news release.
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Alcohol-Related Fatalities Reduced in Latest Report
NCDHHS' Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch recently met one of its goals to reduce the number of alcohol-related fatalities in North Carolina by 10 percent from the 2016-2020 average of 405 to 364 by the end of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023. The branch exceeded that goal with the latest crash data report from the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, which indicated that there were 336 alcohol-related fatalities for FFY 2023. This is a 17% reduction from the 405 average alcohol-related fatalities from 2016-2020. The branch indicated that meeting this goal would not have been possible without the collective efforts of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, North Carolina law enforcement agencies and officers, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the North Carolina Courts System, and the support shown by the US military, law enforcement, and the public at Breath Alcohol Testing Mobile Unit community education events. Thank you to the Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch for helping to keep North Carolinians safe! |
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