Newsletter Articles

September is National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. Sickle cell disease is a group of conditions that affect hemoglobin, which allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Red blood cells that contain sickle hemoglobin are inflexible and can stick to blood vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops blood flow.

Seven of North Carolina’s local Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) agencies have been nationally recognized as 2025 WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence recipients by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), honoring their outstanding efforts to support breastfeeding families across the state.

On Aug. 25, NCDHHS’ Deputy Secretary of Health, Debra Farrington, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of ECU Health’s new Behavioral Health Hospital in Greenville. The ECU Health Behavioral Health Hospital is scheduled to welcome patients in September with 144 beds to serve both adults and children.

This week, NCDHHS hosted an event celebrating 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The landmark legislation was passed on July 26, 1990, to expand access and opportunity for all Americans with disabilities.

How telecommunications has changed since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and how it continues to improve, to help people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind.

On June 20, NCDHHS Secretary Sangvai attended and spoke at the Pride Month celebration held at the Governor's Executive Mansion in Raleigh.

This week, NCDHHS leadership came together at the i2i conference to talk about the Olmstead Plan. This plan helps people with disabilities get the support they need to live the lives they want in their communities.

The DCFW Difference, a new digital campaign, includes website resources to highlight the powerful, statewide impact of NCDHHS’ Division of Child and Family Well-Being (DCFW). This webpage showcases the depth of DCFW’s work and serves as a go-to resource for learning about the programs within the DCFW portfolio. 

NCDHHS has a North Carolina Problem Gambling Program (NCPGP) to provide and support effective problem gambling prevention, education, outreach and treatment services. NCPGP is funded by the N.C. Education Lottery and supported by NCDHHS’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services.

With more than 6,000 disability claims from people impacted by Hurricane Helene and strained phone/postal service communications, NCDDS advocated for a federal policy exception to contact people applying for disability benefits by email. The team dubbed the project: “You’ve got mail.”

As part of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, NCDHHS' State Laboratory of Public Health hosted dozens of K-12 students for a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fair on April 22. This free, interactive event invited budding scientists of all ages to explore the lab as part of the annual NC Science Festival, known as SciFest, sponsored by RTI International.

North Carolina’s Assistive Technology Program (NCATP) presented at an Assistive Technology (AT) Resource Fair in Webster on April 11, hosted by Southwestern Community College (SCC).

NCDHHS, in partnership with the Positive Childhood Alliance of NC (PCANC), kicked off Child Abuse Prevention Month on Tuesday, April 1, with a pinwheel planting event at Pullen Park in Raleigh.

NCDHHS is excited to announce the Experiential Learning and Opportunity Internship Program. This program allows sophomore, junior, senior and graduate students enrolled in a four-year college or graduate program located in North Carolina to participate in a 10-week internship working with professionals in NCDHHS.