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January marks the 10th anniversary of when North Carolina's smoke-free restaurants and bars law went into effect. A decade later, the law remains the strongest in the Southeast.

State employees from across North Carolina, including many from the Department of Health and Human Services, attended the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Program and John R. Larkins Award Ceremony on Jan. 17 in Raleigh. The annual event commemorates the life of Dr. King and celebrates the value of public service. This year's ceremony featured former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the first African American woman to hold this federal appointment.

North Carolina's Office of Emergency Medical Services (NCOEMS) Mobile Disaster Hospital was deployed Dec. 16 to aid Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital after a burst water pipe damaged more than 200 rooms.
The NC Medicaid Annual Report for State Fiscal Year 2019 is now available, offering a look at how NC Medicaid makes a difference in North Carolina.
The Social Security Administration reports that Social Security impersonation scams were on the rise in 2019 and have become the leading type of fraud reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Federal Trade Commission.
A North Carolina agency that developed a traumatic brain injury crisis management and de-escalation training video for first responders recently won national recognition for the project, which was funded by DHHS through a grant from the federal Administration for Community Living.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services is partnering this year with the NC Department of Transportation and its annual Bicycle Helmet Initiative to reduce bicycle injuries and deaths. The initiative distributes free helmets through various agencies sponsoring bicycle safety events.
Employees with the NC Department of Health and Human Services participated in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's 72nd annual Toys for Tots drive this year, gathering hundreds of toys for children in the community who may not otherwise receive a Christmas gift.
OEMS Chief Mitchell Honored by Rescue and EMS Association; Gilliam Receives Leadership Award from Benchmarks; Tomlinson Elected Section Councilor for APHA's Oral Health Section; Emma Sandoe Featured as Co-author in Health Affairs; IDD Team Member Angelia Lightfoot Builds Partnerships.
A simple battery interrupter assembled by Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services intern Sarah Gachuz is bringing joy to children with disabilities who can now activate battery-operated toys that previously posed a challenge for them to turn on and off.