Press Releases

In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are encouraging nurses, physicians, behavioral health professionals and others interested in volunteering to help people impacted by the storm to get connected with the appropriate resources and organizations

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced flexibility for families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to help those affected by Hurricane Florence. This temporary flexibility will apply to participants enrolled in the WIC program whose WIC office is closed or experiencing hardships related to impacts from the hurricane.  

As North Carolinians prepare for Hurricane Florence, officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are cautioning people about the risks of using gasoline-powered generators and outdoor grills and camp stoves that use charcoal or propane gas in enclosed spaces.

Today is Overdose Awareness Day in North Carolina. Proclaimed by Governor Roy Cooper, we're pausing today to remember loved ones lost to overdose and to learn what can be done to help those who struggle with substance use disorder. In 2016, four North Carolinians died each day from unintentional medication or drug overdose.

As North Carolina's tobacco-free schools law marks its 10th anniversary, the state has seen cigarette smoking reduce 50 percent among high schoolers since 2008, but the latest N.C. Youth Tobacco Survey, published in June, shows that more than 16 percent of North Carolina high school students use e-cigarettes, and 23 percent stated they are considering use of these products in the coming year.

Governor Roy Cooper has issued Executive Order No. 48, paving the way for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to immediately apply for $25 million in federal funding to combat the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

State health officials are encouraging residents and visitors to take precautions to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses following the death of a North Carolina resident from West Nile virus infection last week. This is the state’s first death from and first confirmed case of West Nile virus in 2018.

With back-to-school season approaching, health officials are reminding North Carolinians to ensure their preteens and teenagers are current on their vaccinations.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Bladen and Cumberland county health departments to test the blood and urine of up to 30 residents living near Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility for the presence of GenX and 16 other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS.

Governor Cooper today announced $1.5 million in grant awards to 12 community partners to implement projects that combat the opioid crisis by advancing the goals of the NC Opioid Action Plan.

Following press reports of numerous infant deaths associated with Baby+Co’s birthing center in Cary, North Carolina, Baby+Co agreed to a voluntary review of their clinical standards and operations by the NC Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) at the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Today, DHSR released its report on that review, which identified significant concerns regarding medical oversight and supervision of nurse midwives, the criteria used to admit and discharge patients, after-hours staffing, laboratory operations, documentation, and staff orientation and training.

North Carolina health officials are investigating the cause of severe bleeding in a patient following possible use of synthetic cannabinoids. The severe bleeding was caused by a condition that reduces the blood’s ability to clot.

North Carolina teen tobacco use continues to climb, with youth use rising by 1.2 percent to 28.8 percent based on results of the 2017 N.C. Youth Tobacco Survey, released today by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

A data dashboard developed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services shows the state is beginning to see success in its efforts to combat the opioid crisis. The oversupply of prescription opioids is being reduced and access to treatment and recovery services has increased.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging people to speak with their physician or local health department about hepatitis A and B vaccine, viral hepatitis screenings and treatment options.

QuitlineNC, North Carolina's telephone service that helps people quit smoking and other tobacco use, is offering eight weeks of nicotine patches combined with either nicotine gum or lozenges for free until the end of the month or while supplies lasts.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ State Center for Health Statistics has created an interactive map with a series of overlays showing social determinants of health indicators in North Carolina, including the economic, social and neighborhood, and housing and transportation status of residents across the state.

The important contributions of North Carolina’s strong public health system are highlighted this month by a proclamation from Governor Roy Cooper designating April as Public Health Month. Public health departments provide flu vaccines, screen for health issues, take precautions to keep disease from spreading and promote tobacco cessation efforts. 

Today the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released its Health Equity Report for 2018, which shows progress and areas for continued improvement for a healthier North Carolina.

Emergency department visits for opioid overdose in North Carolina have risen sharply, with preliminary data for 2017 indicating more than 5,700 visits, a nearly 40 percent increase in opioid overdose ED visits compared to 2016. The 2017 increase represents a doubling of the number recorded in 2009.