Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE — Starting today, people and families in North Carolina who are enrolled in the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program can use their benefits to purchase hot food. This temporary flexibility applies to all 100 counties in North Carolina and the nearly 700,000 households enrolled in the FNS program. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure people impacted by Hurricane Helene receive assistance as soon as possible.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working with state, federal and local partners to help North Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Helene access needed health care. NC Medicaid has been granted additional temporary changes to help with continued care during recovery efforts.

STATEMENT — There is widespread damage and devastation following Hurricane Helene, and many participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) are impacted. There are more than 250,000 people participating in the WIC program statewide. WIC provides access to healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education and referrals for health care and community services.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working with state, federal and local partners to help North Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Helene access needed health care. Temporary changes to NC Medicaid will allow people to more easily refill prescriptions early, get medically necessary services, be admitted to a nursing home and more.

PRESS RELEASE — Access to safe and potable water remains a top concern in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Currently, approximately 160 boil water advisories remain in effect and 27 water plants are closed and not producing water. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is sharing guidance on actions people can take to ensure water is safe and to prevent waterborne disease or illness after the storm.

STATEMENT - The NCDHHS Livestream Fireside Chat and Tele-Town Hall: Understanding Seasonal Vaccines and Respiratory Health In North Carolina scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, has been postponed due to impacts of Hurricane Helene across the state, especially the severe impacts in western North Carolina.

PRESS RELEASE — On Sept. 26, 2024, Congress extended the deadline allowing victims of recent Food and Nutrition Service benefits theft to apply for replacement benefits. The deadline for requesting replacement of stolen benefits is now Dec. 20, 2024. The federal provision allowing for replacement of stolen benefits was previously set to expire Sept. 30, 2024.

PRESS RELEASE — **This project is postponed until Spring 2025** The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to prevent and eliminate the spread of rabies. Beginning next week, Wildlife Services will be distributing the annual oral rabies vaccine for wild raccoons in Western North Carolina.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how seasonal vaccines, including flu, COVID-19 and RSV, help protect communities against severe illness, hospitalization and long-term health complications. The event will be moderated by Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, M.D., NCDHHS’ State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer.

MEDIA ADVISORY — Credentialed media are invited to attend the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service’s kick off event to announce the unveiling of the All Ages, All Stages NC – A Roadmap for Aging and Living Well Plan. This multisector plan for aging is designed to help enhance the quality of life for all North Carolinians as we get older. The plan comes at a time when the number of older North Carolinians is growing rapidly. Today, nearly two million North Carolina residents are age 65 or older — that number is expected to rise to three million by 2050.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host its Annual Assistive Technology Expo, "Breaking Boundaries, Empowering Lives," on Oct. 3, 2024. The event will take place from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center, 1101 Gorman St., Raleigh, NC 27606. There will also be a virtual option for those who cannot attend in-person.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today published the 2024 Health Disparities Analysis Report. The report offers a comprehensive view of the effects of health disparities on health outcomes across North Carolina and highlights opportunities for improvement and action.

MEDIA ADVISORY – North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley is attending the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) 2024 INSPIRE Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m. in Asheville, N.C. ARC will announce $11.5 million in funding for 39 projects in nine states, including North Carolina, to support substance use recovery initiatives. Secretary Kinsley, a member of the Substance Use Disorder Advisory Council, will participate in the announcement and a SUD Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem panel discussion moderated by ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is encouraging everyone 6-months and older to get their seasonal flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious illness, hospitalization and long-term health complications from viruses. Both vaccines have been updated for the new flu and COVID-19 virus strains that will continue to spread this fall and winter.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services along with FIT Wellness, part of the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program (NC FIT), invites credentialed media on a tour and panel discussion on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at the FIT Wellness clinic in Raleigh. This event highlights efforts to expand access to behavioral health services for people involved in the justice system, as an estimated 50% of people in prisons and jails in North Carolina identify as having a mental health need and 75% identify as having a substance use disorder.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services this week announced a funding opportunity for providers to support recruitment and retention for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). The investment is part of a series of initiatives to support DSPs, who provide vital services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and play a critical role in the state’s behavioral health workforce. The department is also developing a free online DSP certification program in partnership with the North Carolina Community College System and building a digital platform to support networking and connect DSPs to employment opportunities.

PRESS RELEASE — More than $554,000 in food benefit dollars have been stolen from North Carolina’s Food and Nutrition Services participants since Aug. 18. No further fraudulent activity has been reported since Sept. 6, 2024, when NCDHHS implemented a block on online transactions originating from Connecticut, Florida, and New York that appeared to be tied to fraudulent activity.

PRESS RELEASE — During Suicide Prevention Week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the release of a new report, Transforming North Carolina’s Behavioral Health System: Investing in a System That Delivers Whole-Person Care When and Where People Need It. The report outlines the state’s expansive and strategic efforts to transform the public behavioral health system to deliver high-quality, equitable, accessible care that meets people where they are in their communities.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Thursday, Sept. 12, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how educators and community leaders can address youth vaping and best support North Carolina students.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced a confirmed case of measles (rubeola) in a child in Mecklenburg County. This is the first measles case reported in North Carolina since 2018. The child was likely exposed to measles while traveling out of the country. Fortunately, the parents kept the child at home after returning to North Carolina except for one medical visit, during which appropriate precautions were taken to avoid spreading the virus. To protect patient privacy, no further information about the patient will be shared. NCDHHS’ Division of Public Health is working closely with the Mecklenburg County Health Department to ensure readiness to detect and respond to other possible measles cases or exposures.