Topics Related to Newsletters

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.
Lawrence Holliday, an employee at DHHS' Disability Determination Services, recently appeared on an episode of "Wheel of Fortune." It aired in the Triangle on Nov. 14. Holliday shared how he became a contestant on the game show and what the experience was like.
DHHS held its first-ever Native American Heritage Month event on Nov. 20 featuring members of the Lumbee tribe from Robeson County who were dressed in full regalia and provided native singing, dancing and storytelling.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services celebrated Antibiotic Awareness Week by announcing the winners of the “Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care Campaign' poster contest.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, MD, is the keynote speaker next week at the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) health care symposium Nov. 21–22, 2019 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Durham. 
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. 
Four DHHS employees were recently honored with 2019 Governor's Awards for Excellence: Mindy Jane Coleman of Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Center; Steven C. King of Broughton Hospital; Martha Swindell Brown of Cherry Hospital; and Dr. Susan M. Kansagra of the Division of Public Health.
In North Carolina, nearly 79,000 people sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2015. Of those, more than 1,800 died, more than 7,000 were hospitalized and nearly 70,000 were treated and released from emergency departments. For survivors, depending on the severity of a TBI, effects can include impairments related to thinking or memory, movement, vision or hearing, and to emotional functioning that may interfere with finding or keeping a job. This is an area where DHHS’ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) can help.
Planchard Named to 2019-2020 Class for Leadership North CarolinaRebecca Planchard, DHHS’ Senior Early Childhood Policy Advisor, is one of 55 civic and community leaders from across the state that make up the 2019-2020 class for Leadership North Carolina (LNC), a leadership engagement program.