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News & Opinion
Jails Are the Safety Net for Medical Crises but Some NC Counties Can’t Keep Up
Seated on lush forest land in the far west of the state, Graham County, the third-least populous county in North Carolina, is just one major medical emergency in its county jail away from completely depleting its budget. Much of the county’s land is United States Forest Service land, so its…
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News & Opinion
COVID-19 Creates Additional Challenges for Those Leaving Incarceration in NC
When Jeff Walker came out of incarceration, all he had were the clothes on his back. He was directionless, stigmatized. He didn’t have support. He didn’t have anything. That was five years ago. People leaving incarceration and reentering society in NC during the COVID-19 pandemic faced the same stigma, the…
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News & Opinion
Disability Groups Struggle with Abortion/Down Syndrome Debate
Liz Newton was over 30 when she and her husband decided they’d try to have another baby. They already had Clara Ruth and they wanted her to have a sibling. There was this feeling between them that their family was not yet complete. Her first pregnancy had been pretty rough.…
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News & Opinion
Searching for Answers While Living With Long-Haul COVID Symptoms
One day in late April, Perdensal Springs took longer than usual getting ready for her job transporting seniors for the nonprofit PACE of the Southern Piedmont. Lately, it’s been little things that get her tangled up: where she put her keys, had she made her lunch, what was her first stop.…
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News & Opinion
Psychiatric Patient Transport Left in Sheriffs’ Hands Despite Pitfalls
This is the third story in a three-part series about how more people in mental health crisis end up under involuntary commitment (IVC) for treatment and why that’s a problem, as originally reported and published by North Carolina Health News. You can read the first part here, which covers the…
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News & Opinion
As Nursing Home Visitation Restrictions Lifted, Questions Remain
Appalled when he saw blood mixed with the waste in his mother’s North Carolina nursing home toilet, Tim Wall called 911 emergency workers as well as quizzing staff at the facility to try to get answers. The information he got from EMTs and care providers during the Jan. 5, 2021…
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News & Opinion
Hospitals Face Staff Shortages as Coronavirus Hammers North Carolina
North Carolina’s hospitals are quickly filling up with patients stricken by the coronavirus, even as health systems in some of the hardest-hit regions — the Triad and greater Charlotte area — take steps to make room for a wave of new patients. The looming crisis is fueled by lack of…
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News & Opinion
Involuntary Commitments on the Rise Despite Warnings from Experts
This is the first story in a three-part series about how more people in mental health crisis end up under involuntary commitment (IVC) for treatment and why that’s a problem, as originally reported and published by North Carolina Health News. You can read the second part here, which covers efforts to…
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News & Opinion
Child Immunization Rates Dip During COVID-19 Pandemic
When Kim Wilson got pregnant three years ago, she joined an online community group for expectant and new moms. Members shared advice and offered support with few disagreements, except when the discussion turned to child immunization. Wilson recalls some moms being dead set against vaccinating their children, having bought into…
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