Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE — North Carolina’s innovative Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) reduced health care costs by an average of $164 per month for NC Medicaid beneficiaries, according to the results of a study announced today by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The study, conducted by the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina, found the program led to a significant shift in patient care. HOP participants had fewer emergency department visits and hospital stays and more visits with less-expensive outpatient providers like primary care practices.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the first round of SUN Bucks benefits for summer 2026 will reach more than 1 million children, with $121 million distributed to eligible families across the state in this first issuance alone.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reminds residents to enjoy outdoor activities safely this summer season. As warmer weather arrives, NCDHHS is sharing tips on water safety, heat protection and food safety to help prevent illness, injury and death.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will hold a virtual media availability at 12:30 p.m. today with public health leadership who will be available to answer questions as North Carolina closely monitors the hantavirus outbreak on board the M/V Hondius.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is closely monitoring the recent hantavirus outbreak on board the M/V Hondius. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed one person from North Carolina was on board and evacuated with all remaining United States passengers to the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s National Quarantine Unit. To protect their privacy, no further details will be shared about this individual. There are no current cases of hantavirus in North Carolina. The risk of infection in North Carolina remains extremely low.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced that 45 students across North Carolina are graduating this academic year from the NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative (CWEC), marking a significant step forward in the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the state’s child welfare workforce.

MEDIA ADVISORY — J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center (JIRDC) will host a hiring event from 5 to 8 p.m. on both Wednesday, May 13 and Thursday, May 14, 2026.

PRESS RELEASE — The Surry County Emergency Services team of Josh Booker and Josh LeCrone claimed the top honors at the 34th annual North Carolina Paramedic Competition held on Sunday, May 3, in Winston-Salem, earning the state title for the first time as a team.

PRESS RELEASE — As temperatures rise, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is urging North Carolinians to "Fight the Bite" by taking measures to reduce their risk of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases. In 2025, more than 1,000 cases of tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses were reported statewide.

PRESS RELEASE — As Governor Josh Stein proclaims May as Mental Health Awareness Month, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reaffirms its commitment to increasing access to care and highlights mental health services available across the state.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the selection of organizations to serve as leads for the North Carolina Rural Organizations Orchestrating Transformation for Sustainability (ROOTS) Hub for the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program (NCRHTP). Together, these organizations will work as regional networks connecting medical, behavioral health, and social supports as North Carolina increases access to care for rural communities across all 100 counties.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The 34th annual North Carolina Paramedic Competition will be held Sunday, May 3, at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Six groups from across the state will compete for the title of Top Paramedic Team during the annual NC Emergency Medical Services Expo.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Aging is partnering with the state area agencies on aging and local service providers to distribute fans to eligible recipients through Operation Fan Heat Relief from May 1 – Oct. 31, 2026.

PRESS RELEASE — The latest data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services shows major improvements in the health and well-being of people across the state. The newly released 2024 death data shows North Carolina’s infant mortality rate declined to the lowest rate in state history, and overdose-related deaths decreased by more than a third in the same time frame. During this same year, the state marked major investments in health with Medicaid expansion, historic behavioral health funding from the North Carolina General Assembly, and national opioid settlement funding.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced Melanie Bush as the next Deputy Secretary of Medicaid for the NCDHHS Division of Health Benefits. In this role, Deputy Secretary Bush will continue to provide leadership, strategic direction, operational oversight, and managed care supervision for NC Medicaid, which serves more than 3 million North Carolinians who rely on these critical services. Deputy Secretary Bush’s appointment remains contingent upon confirmation by the North Carolina General Assembly.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is raising awareness of Legionnaires’ disease as cases have increased statewide and globally in recent years. North Carolina reported 310 cases in 2025 compared to 201 cases in 2024.

Press Release — NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai and NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson will appear in front of the NC General Assembly House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform this morning. The Committee has invited them to share and respond to questions about NC Medicaid’s work to identify and address fraud, waste, and abuse. 

PRESS RELEASE — Today Governor Josh Stein joined Senator Natalie Murdock, the Legislative Black Caucus, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to recognize Black Maternal Health Week and raise awareness of ongoing disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

MEDIA ADVISORY — Credentialed media are invited to join NCDHHS leadership, Trillium Health Resources, Southeastern Integrated Care and the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina for a ribbon-cutting at a new adult/child Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) on Friday, April 17, at noon. Kelly Crosbie, NCDHHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders, will speak at the event.

MEDIA ADVISORY — Credentialed media are invited to join the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health’s Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (IVPB) for a virtual media availability to introduce the North Carolina Injury Data User Toolkit, a new resource designed to help users better understand, interpret and apply IVPB data in North Carolina. This interactive session on Wednesday, April 15 at 11 a.m. will demonstrate the toolkit’s features and show how IVPB data can be used to improve data literacy and support data-informed decision making.