Join us as we continue our exploration of the WNC Health Policy Initiative's collaborative study, “Lessons Learned from the Healthcare Response to Hurricane Helene” with researchers Alex Mitchell and Soni Pitts as they examine how healthcare leaders in Western North Carolina responded to the crisis.

In Part 3 of our podcast series, hear from the research team about what worked, what didn’t, and the practical recommendations health care leaders say are needed to strengthen Western North Carolina’s disaster preparedness moving forward.

On October 31, the WNC HPI convened with our working group leads for a briefing to share progress and align next steps across the WNC HPI’s three core focus areas: Social Drivers of Health (SDOH), Access to Healthcare, and Healthcare Workforce Development. In this summary update, we share key takeaways, themes and action items drawn from the Oct 31 briefing to provide a roadmap of the working group’s activities over the next several months.

Facing a dramatically shrinking healthcare workforce, Western North Carolina has identified innovative ways to support and expand the influence of a key role for increasing access among those most vulnerable and most often left behind - Community Health Workers.

North Carolina Community Health Worker Association President, Honey Yang Estrada talks about the role of Community Health Workers in increasing healthcare access, reducing healthcare workforce strain and improving public health at the community level.

Emma Olson, Associate Director of the NC Center for Health and Wellness (NCCHW), presented a short film depicting the impact and experiences of community health workers (CHWs) across Western North Carolina as a Lightning Talk at The Imagining America 2023 National Gathering: Radical Reckoning – Invoking the Elements for Collective Change.