Welcome to our newsletter! 

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about our organization and how our work throughout the region supports people and organizations to improve community health. Do you have feedback or suggestions to share? Reach out! 

In this Issue:

• Highlights and Reflections from 2023
• View From Here WNC National Spotlight
• Partnership Highlight - University of North Carolina Asheville – UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Master of Public Health (MPH) Program
• WNCHN Recommendations
• ...and more!

As the new year kicks off, we want to say a big thank you to all of our amazing partners and take a moment to reflect on all the great work that happened in 2023. WNC Health Network:

• Expanded our WNCHN team from 5-7! With the addition of Brandon Romstadt, Communications Coordinator and Laila Johnston, Engagement & Advancement Specialist, WNCHN is better positioned to support health in WNC!

• Launched View From Here WNC campaign in 19 counties and EBCI, covering 4 priority health issue areas
• Formed the WNC Health Communicators Collaborative Steering Group
• Represented WNCHN & the WNC Health Communicators Collaborative in several national and state-wide meetings and groups
• Adrienne Ammerman, WNCHN Communications & Improvement Specialist, was awarded the 2023 Information Futures Fellowship with Brown University School of Public Health
• Had the opportunity and honor to support, as part of a small consulting team, a substance use-focused “community learning process” in Mitchell and Yancey Counties. This process required deep engagement with people across both counties—including people in recovery and with other lived/living experiences—to share experiences related to substance use and learn together from them to identify ideas for actions

• Was invited to participate in Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Results-Based Accountability (RBA) Training as an instructor for the third year in a row, supporting the training of 240 people across the state.
• Grew our partnership with UNETE, leveraging each of our strengths to better serve the people in our region through support from the National Council on Aging (NCOA)
• Excited with the participation, dedication and enthusiasm of members of the Regional Data Team and WNC Healthy Impact Data Workgroup in drafting the 2024 Community Health Survey
• And finally...a huge shoutout to the 20+ consultants we worked with in 2023. From videographers, photographers, graphic designers, and media specialist to epidemiologists and data analysts to translators, tool developers, and process facilitator experts, THANK YOU!

We're proud to share that our regional #ViewFromHereWNC campaign has been highlighted in the national Public Health Communications Collaborative spotlights! Thank you to NC Region 1 and Region 2 local health departments, Dogwood Health Trust, & the National Council on Aging. 

We have long enjoyed our strong relationship with University of North Carolina Asheville – UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Master of Public Health (MPH) Program, and are proud to announce our formal partnership!

WNC Health Network supports graduate student learning through applied learning experiences in the program’s Health Communications, summer practica, and culminating experiences. In addition, members of the WNCHN team provide regional public health expertise by serving on the MPH stewarding group and as course instructors and co-educators.

Students also contribute to the WNC Health Network activities in the region. In the Health Communications course, they provide technical assistance to public health communications professionals and local public health agencies in the region. In spring 2024, an MPH student will engage as a community fellow with the WNC Health Network, supporting the organization in the areas of health communications, population health data, and the WNC Healthy Impact initiative.

Read more details in the press release linked below about our partnership and this amazing program.

Want to Get a Masters Degree While Working, or Enhance Your Public Health Skills?

Check out the UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings Master of Public Health Program, a 21-month program with classes one day at week on MAHEC’s campus in Asheville which features:

• UNC Gillings’ standard core public health courses with a unique Place-Based Health concentration that emphasizes systems change, increased self-awareness while leading teams, and community engagement
• Degree jointly offered by UNC Asheville and UNC Gillings
• Class in person 8-5 on Thursdays (or Tuesdays if you start fall 2025). The rest of the work is asynchronous; expect to spend an average of 35 hrs/wk on school.
•  Small cohorts (25 students or less): students learn from each other as well as the UNC Gillings, UNC Asheville, MAHEC, and community faculty teaching
• Hands-on projects in conjunction with WNC organizations and communities
• Some MAHEC scholarships and Gillings awards available
• Rolling admission ends April 1st; apply by March 1 to be considered for scholarships
• For more information and to sign up for an info session, contact Sonya Hall at shall5@unca.edu

Radon Action Month

Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed January 2024 as Radon Action Month to raise the public’s awareness of radon, promote testing and mitigation for radon, and reduce the risk of lung cancer from radon. Testing is the only way to know if you or your family is at risk, and residents can order a free test kit, while supplies last, at radon.ncdhhs.gov 

No Kid Hungry

Check out a slide deck from “No Kid Hungry” that points to policy, system, and environmental strategies identified by rural community members across the country for addressing food insecurity.

Stand Strong NC

The NC Center for Health and Wellness is excited to announce the release of three public service announcements to support the new public awareness campaign and website: StandingStrongNC.org and their partnership with the NC Falls Prevention Coalition. They are encouraging the media to contact statewide partners for local falls prevention stories to accompany the PSA and to highlight the great work that coalition partners do across the state. They have included a Media Kit and Talking Points, which includes suggested posts if you want to share in your organization's newsletter or social media. Please share these PSAs from their website and from the coalition Facebook page with your organizations and communities. Let's Prevent Falls and Save Lives!

Progress in Public Health: The 2023 Highlights

2023 was a difficult year with some major setbacks for public health, but there were also some significant advances. Johns Hopkins reviews public health in 2023 and highlights where we saw progress, fresh ideas and hope.

In 2023, COVID did not take center stage. The Biden administration ended the COVID-19 national emergency in April, and the WHO declared the end of the COVID-19 global health emergency in May. Also, several new products became available to help protect those at highest risk from RSV. The FDA approved a new RSV vaccine for pregnant people and an antibody treatment for babies that could substantially lower the rates of severe RSV infections among children. Plus, a shift from prescription-only to over-the-counter access made several health products much more widely available to those who need them. Read the full list here.

Medicaid Expansion

Beginning Dec. 1, 2023, more than 600,000 people in North Carolina will be able to apply for health coverage through NC Medicaid. To ensure people know about the expanded eligibility for NC Medicaid, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services launched a new website with a toolkit of resources for organizations to spread the word to their communities.

Medicaid expansion will cover people ages 19 through 64 years with higher incomes, closing the coverage gap for North Carolinians. Medicaid pays for doctor visits, yearly check-ups, emergency care, mental health and more — at little or no cost to participants.

Dogwood Health Trust: Strategic Priority Grant Opportunities

closes January 26, 2024

Dogwood’s 2024 Strategic Priority Grant opportunities are now open. This grant opportunity focuses on specific areas within their Housing, Education, Economic Opportunity and Health & Wellness strategic priorities. Learn more.

The Community Foundation of WNC: The Fund for Mitchell County

Due February 1 by 5pm

The Fund for Mitchell County seeks to improve the quality of life in Mitchell County by promoting charitable giving and supporting projects that benefit communities and residents. The Fund for Mitchell County provides grants up to $5,000 for charitable purposes. Requests that exhibit the greatest community benefit will be given the highest consideration. Learn more.

The Community Foundation of WNC: The Fund for Haywood County

Due Friday, February 2 by 5pm

The Fund for Haywood County seeks to improve the quality of life in Haywood County by promoting charitable giving and supporting projects that benefit its communities and residents. The Fund for Haywood County provides grants up to $7,500 for charitable purposes. Requests that exhibit the greatest community benefit will be given the highest consideration. Learn more.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC): Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative

Due March 8

The Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative addresses the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis across Appalachia by creating or expanding a recovery ecosystem that will lead to workforce entry or re-entry. Successful projects will support the post-treatment to employment continuum, which could include investments in healthcare networks that support SUD recovery professionals, recovery-focused job training programs, as well as initiatives designed to coordinate, or link, recovery services and training that support the recovery to work ecosystem, among others. Learn more.