Newsletter Articles

North Carolina’s DeafBlind community is celebrating the 10th anniversary of a remarkable program called “iCanConnect,” which distributes at no charge to eligible North Carolinians with both hearing loss and vision loss specialized equipment and software designed to enable distance communication, such as over the telephone or in a meeting room.

Nearly 24,000 services have been delivered to nearly 3,000 NC Medicaid beneficiaries as part of the Healthy Opportunities Pilots since the program began in March 2022.

Gov. Cooper has proclaimed November as Diabetes Awareness Month, recognizing that more than 1 million adults report being diagnosed by a health care professional and more than 72,000 are estimated to be diagnosed with the disease annually in North Carolina. 

Two projects from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services – the Energy Provider Portal and the Encounter Processing System – have been selected as finalists for the NC TECH Awards for the best use of technology. The NC Tech Awards is North Carolina's only statewide technology awards program that recognizes innovation, growth and leadership in the tech sector and is presented by the NC TECH (North Carolina Technology Association).  

Facial pain ranges from acute to chronic, from tissue injury to nerve injury. Facial pain conditions include cluster headaches and temporomandibular joint/disorder (TMJ/TMD), to lesser known neuropathic pain conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia, geniculate neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and anesthesia dolorosa.

Two North Carolinians have received the Stephen E. Sallee Assistive Technology Award for their efforts to promote access to and use of equipment that enhances the learning, working or daily living of those with disabilities.

Gov. Cooper has proclaimed October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, recognizing that one in eight women in North Carolina will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

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.

The 100 Counties in 100 Days campaign was a new initiative by NCDHHS’ Forensic Tests for Alcohol (FTA) Branch and other traffic safety partners to increase Driving While Impaired (DWI) awareness across the state by providing Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) mobile units in all 100 North Carolina counties during the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer — the period of time from Memorial Day to Labor Day when fatal vehicle crashes increase.

Three North Carolina WIC agencies – Buncombe County, Cabarrus Health Alliance and Toe River Health District – have been awarded the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for exemplary breastfeeding support practices.

Dr. Scott Shone, Director of the NC State Laboratory of Public Health, was recently appointed as the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) representative to the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC). This appointment will continue to lift up our North Carolina voice on a critical federal committee.

In its first quarter report, covering January through March 2022, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services outlined the state’s progress in initiating the implementation of priorities outlined in its Olmstead Plan.

Aligned with NCDHHS' priority to build a strong and inclusive workforce, the Division of Public Health (DPH) launched a targeted recruitment effort for internship placement in partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in May 2022.

This year, the theme for National Breastfeeding Month is Together We Can Do Great Things, which celebrates the power and impact of our collective efforts. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee’s vision of thriving families and communities cannot be achieved by any one person, or by just one organization. It happens with daily effort by us all, and by working together to make change. We look forward to celebrating all efforts in service to babies, families, and human milk feeding during August.

In recognition of the 23rd anniversary of the Olmstead ruling, NCDHHS is spotlighting stories that embody the principles of Olmstead in partnership with the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities and First in Families of North Carolina.