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Back to school: Nurse seeks training to help bridge mental health care gap in rural NC

NC Health News

Bagley was one of about 20 people who graduated in December 2024 from East Carolina University’s psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program. Credit: Courtesy of East Carolina University Weve lost a lot Rural health care access in general across North Carolina has suffered in recent years.

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Wilson County installs naloxone kiosks to fight opioid overdose deaths

NC Health News

Repurposed newspaper dispensers filled with naloxone nasal spray were installed last month at five sites in the rural, eastern North Carolina county. These kiosks also contain information about recovery services for substance use disorder and testing strips that can be used to check illicit drugs for deadly substances such as fentanyl.

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Rural North Carolina counties would suffer most from Medicaid cuts

NC Health News

Broader concerns Reduced federal funding for Medicaid could have other ramifications for rural areas. Cuello noted that the program is the nations largest payer for substance use disorder treatment. That coverage is particularly important for rural populations, which skew older than those of urban and suburban counties.