Press Releases

Governor Roy Cooper formalized the state's ongoing effort to monitor, prepare for and respond to the 2019 novel coronavirus (CoVID-19) with a state Novel Coronavirus Task Force.

North Carolina is among states rated as high performers in public health emergency preparedness measures by a nonpartisan, nonprofit that advocates for optimal health for people and communities through prevention of illness and injuries.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments to respond to the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak and assure the health and well-being of North Carolinians as resident

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released the final report on the public health investigation into an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in people who attended the NC Mountain State Fair held Sept. 6–15, 2019 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher, NC.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of North Carolina's Medicaid program, which provides health coverage for low-income adults, children, pregnant women, seniors and people with disabilities throughout the state. The NC Department of Health and Human Services will celebrate the milestone throughout the year with #NCMedicaidAt50 and by collecting stories on the impact of Medicaid in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Public Health is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments and health care providers to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that originated in Wuhan, China.

State leaders from the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services will be traveling across North Carolina over the next several months on a town hall listening tour to listen to the concerns and experiences of consumers, families and advocates. Meetings will be held in Wilmington, Winston-Salem and five other locations to be announced.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health (NC DPH) is reporting that a patient who was being tested for the novel (new) 2019 coronavirus is not infected with the virus. Negative results were received this evening from testing performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is investigating a possible case of infection with the newly discovered 2019 coronavirus. The individual recently traveled to China and passed through Wuhan City, where the outbreak originated, but had not visited the seafood and animal market that was linked to many early cases.
Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health & Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Kody H. Kinsley from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will testify Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. at the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on “A Public Health Emergency: State Efforts to Curb the Opioid Crisis.'

In conjunction with National Radon Action Month, the North Carolina Radon Program is distributing 3,000 radon test kits at no charge this month.

Twenty-three local health departments in North Carolina will receive a share of a $2.1 million award annually for up to three years to implement high-impact, community-level strategies to address the opioid crisis.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the first influenza-associated pediatric death for the 2019–2020 flu season. A child in the western part of the state died in December from complications associated with influenza infection.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) typically does not release individual autopsy reports and information prior to the completion of the case. However, given the public health concerns surrounding the Durham Housing Authority’s McDougald Terrace location, DHHS is sharing information about the carbon monoxide laboratory results today related to three infant deaths in Durham County.

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that North Carolina will receive $56 million in federal funding over the next seven years to support children’s health and well-being, improve access to high-quality early learning for families across the state and invest in the state’s early childhood workforce.

Influenza activity is rising in North Carolina as we move closer to the peak of the 2018-19 flu season. Although vaccination early in the season is preferred, it is never too late to get vaccinated and help protect yourself and others from the spread of this dangerous, sometimes deadly virus.

Today, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the selection of Prepaid Health Plans that will participate in Medicaid managed care when the program launches in November 2019. Contracts were awarded after careful evaluation of all responses to the Request for Proposal issued by DHHS on Aug. 9, 2018.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Rural Health is hosting six meetings across the state to gather stakeholder input regarding the J-1 Visa Waiver program and NC’s Loan Repayment and Incentive Programs under N.C. General Assembly Session Law HB 998. The meetings are open to the public and are intended to gather feedback about current processes and possible program modifications to help ensure maximum benefits to rural North Carolina communities. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the Mountain Area Health Education Center to increase the number of doctors who graduate from North Carolina residency programs with the training necessary to provide medication-assisted treatment for patients with opioid use disorder through a grant awarded to the state by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying people living near Chemours’ Fayetteville Works Facility about their concerns related to GenX and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.