Newsletter Articles

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with RTI International, local health departments, the Harm Reduction Coalition and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop collaborative solutions to opioid use and related public-health problems in eight western North Carolina counties.

The Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) initiative provides an alternative to nursing facilities for low-income adults who meet Medicaid's criteria of needing nursing facility services but are able to live in a community setting. PACE is an adult day health program for seniors age 55 and up, and features medical care, meal services, physical therapy, activities, socialization, therapeutic recreation and restorative therapies in one location.

Senior Director for Employment Services Claudia Horn and Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division Director Tara Myers each won the Director’s Award from the Marketing Association for Rehabilitation Centers, Inc. (MARC). The awards were presented at the organization’s annual meeting and awards luncheon in October. MARC represents a consortium of 14 community rehabilitation programs that provide training and employment services for people with disabilities in western North Carolina.

Thirty-three Department of Health and Human Services employees were nominated for the Governor’s Awards for Excellence this year, one of the highest honors a state employee can receive.

The Secretary's speech was part of a seminar held for professionals in the fields of Adult Protective Services, guardianship social work and addiction. It aimed to develop a basic knowledge of issues, challenges and opportunities surrounding the opioid crisis that particularly affect aging and vulnerable adults and their families.

Laketha M. Miller, the Director of the DHHS Office of the Controller, has been selected to receive the 2017 State Controller’s Fiscal Integrity Award. The award is presented to a state employee or agency that has demonstrated a record of exemplary adherence to the ethical principles of fiscal integrity and honesty, worked to sustain open government, and earned a reputation for fairness and service to the citizens of North Carolina.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services wants all North Carolinians to be as healthy as possible, and having health insurance is a big part of that. If you don’t have health coverage, the Department encourages you to enroll for 2018 through the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov by next week’s deadline of Friday, Dec. 15.

A team from DHHS’ Division of Public Health placed second in the Tortoise Division in the 16th Miles for Wellness Challenge. 

Chris Hoke, Chief of the Division of Public Health’s Office of Regulatory and Legal Affairs, was presented the Ronald H. Levine Legacy Award on Jan. 18 during the statewide Public Health Leaders’ Conference in Raleigh. 

Several DHHS divisions joined the Lumbee Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Program to celebrate Ability Day, their 10th anniversary of serving individuals with disabilities in its tribal territories.

DHHS’ Division of Public Health partnered with the City of Raleigh Museum to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1918 epidemic with an exhibit designed by COR Museum Research Educator Ed Longe that guides visitors through North Carolina’s experience and response to the epidemic, and what science has learned about handling epidemics today and for the future.

DHHS employees increased their giving for the 2017 State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC) donation drive, with donations exceeding 2016 totals by more than 10 percent.

The Division of Public Health has “Gone Red' again this year with a new online messaging campaign to support the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women initiative and promote cardiovascular health and physical fitness.

The N.C. Medicaid Office of Compliance and Program Integrity (OCPI), part of DHHS, and N.C. Department of Justice Medicaid Investigations Division (MID) held a joint training for their teams at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.

The Governor's Awards for Excellence is the highest honor a state employee may receive. The annual award program is designed to acknowledge and express appreciation for outstanding accomplishments that do not fall entirely within the scope of normal duties, but are in the nature of a major contribution reflecting credit on the person and state service. The deadline for DHHS nominations for the North Carolina Governor’s Awards for Excellence is March 12.