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NCDHHS is joining southeastern states, insurers and national leaders in health care and public health for a collaborative effort to combat the congenital syphilis crisis.
Congenital syphilis rates are on the rise nationwide. The South makes up a third of the U.S. population but accounts for more than half of reported congenital syphilis cases. In North Carolina, there have been seven neonatal and stillbirth deaths due to congenital syphilis so far this year.
In October, NCDHHS convened the Southeastern Congenital Syphilis Payer Summit in Raleigh to bring together representatives from Medicaid, public health and the CDC to discuss partnerships to help reverse this devastating trend. A key outcome of this partnership was defining the screening standards and collaborating with Southeast health providers to implement those standards:
- Women should be tested for syphilis three times during their pregnancy: At their prenatal visit, between 28-32 weeks of gestation and at delivery.
- Newborns should not be discharged from the hospital until the mother’s delivery syphilis test results are known.
NCDHHS is also launching a health care provider outreach campaign to increase screening of pregnant women in all settings, increasing access to rapid tests for syphilis and HIV and launching a media campaign this week to help raise awareness about the importance of syphilis testing for all sexually active individuals. To learn more about syphilis and where to get tested, go to the NCDHHS website. |
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New Dashboard for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
NCDHHS has launched a performance dashboard for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to highlight how the national crisis center network is being used in North Carolina. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline connects North Carolinians via call, chat or text to a trained crisis counselor who will listen, offer support and provide community resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 988 is a state-federal partnership between NCDHHS and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. It was implemented nationwide in July 2022. The dashboard shows North Carolina is successfully meeting demand for the 988 service and outperforms national averages in several key areas. The 988 performance dashboard provides useful information on contact volume, answer rates, speed of answer, age ranges and reasons for calling. It also indicates call volume for specific populations. 988 is available to anyone, anytime. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. |
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Help with Heating Costs Available for Low-Income Households
Older adults and people with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements can now apply through county social services departments (DSS) for the state's Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). The federally funded program helps low-income households with a one-time payment directly to their heating vendor to offset the high cost of warming their homes during the cold weather months. Payments will be distributed automatically to heating vendors beginning in December 2023 if a member of the household is 60 or older, is a person with a disability receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services, is currently receiving food and nutrition services, and received a LIEAP payment during the 2022-2023 season. Beginning on Jan. 2, 2024, all other eligible people who meet the eligibility requirements may begin applying. Applications will be accepted from Jan. 2, 2024 to March 31, 2024, or until funds are exhausted. Households can apply online through the ePASS portal, by phone or by submitting a paper application through mail, fax or dropping it off at their local DSS. Go to the NCDHHS website for more information on the program. |
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More COVID Tests Available Through Federal Government
Every home in the U.S. is now eligible to order an additional four free at-home tests. If you did not order tests this fall, you may place two orders for eight tests. Your order of COVID tests is completely free – you won’t even pay for shipping. Go to covid.gov/tests to place your order. Before you throw out "expired" tests, check the FDA's website to see if your COVID-19 tests' expiration dates have been extended. The COVID-19 and flu vaccines are available for everyone 6 months and older. Because the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, the fall vaccine is designed to match the changing virus and help protect people from serious illness, hospitalization and death. Safe and effective vaccines are the best way to protect against COVID-19 and flu. Early testing and treatment can also help prevent flu and COVID-19 infections from becoming more serious in children. Treatment works best if started soon after symptoms begin. For more information on flu and COVID-19, including how to access vaccinations, testing and treatment in your community, visit vaccines.gov |
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Side-by-Side Webinar with Division of MH/DD/SUS
Join staff from NCDHHS' Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services on Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. to learn more about policies and programs that affect the Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Substance Use Services, and Traumatic Brain Injury community. The goal of these monthly webinars is to bring everyone together in one (virtual) place to share ideas for public policy that will improve the lives of North Carolinians. This group includes consumers, families, advisory groups, LME/MCOs, community members and partner organizations. This month’s topic is support for justice-involved populations. Register for the meeting and see a flyer (Spanish) for more information. |
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