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WNC Health Policy
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A lack of health literacy, language, and hearing ability can contribute to medication errors, delayed care, avoidable emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions. In this new report, prepared by NC Center for Health and Wellness Research Assistant Andrew Rainey, we look at language and communication access as part of healthcare infrastructure and examines practical ways WNC can improve both access and efficiency.
In Western North Carolina, mental health and substance use are persistent community health priorities. But navigating care and long-term supports can be complex, confusing and layered with systemic barriers. At the national level, “No Wrong Door” is a framework for making fragmented systems easier for people to navigate. But one regional program in Macon County answers the question: “What does No Wrong Door look like when it is built from the ground up by people responding to the realities of one community?“
In Western North Carolina, mental health and substance use are consistently identified as major community health priorities. But knowing what people need is different from building a system they can actually navigate. In this episode, we speak with Sheila Jenkins from No Wrong Door for Support and Recovery in Macon County, a program that helps people in access long-term services and supports across complex systems, county lines and other potential barriers.
On August 28th, the Western North Carolina Health Policy Initiative (WNC HPI), a program of the North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness (NCCHW) at UNC Asheville, convened healthcare and community leaders from across the region for a discussion with HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen and Mission Hospital CEO Greg Lowe.
The meeting took place at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) and provided an opportunity for regional stakeholders to hear directly from HCA and Mission top leaders about Mission Hospital’s ongoing efforts to improve access to care, strengthen quality and patient safety, build a more stable healthcare workforce, and improve patient flow.
Mental health and substance use are major public health priorities in Western North Carolina, but accessing behavioral health care can be challenging because of provider shortages, workforce turnover, geographic disparities, fragmented services, and barriers to Medicaid participation. In this episode of the Western North Carolina Health Policy Initiative podcast, Nina Marie Collins draws on a decade of experience in public mental health, peer support, crisis services, and transitions to community living to explain how Western North Carolina’s behavioral health system works—and where it falls short.
WNC Health Policy Podcast Episodes
In Western North Carolina, mental health and substance use are consistently identified as major community health priorities. But knowing what people need is different from building a system they can actually navigate. In this episode, we speak with Sheila Jenkins from No Wrong Door for Support and Recovery in Macon County, a program that helps people in access long-term services and supports across complex systems, county lines and other potential barriers.
Mental health and substance use are major public health priorities in Western North Carolina, but accessing behavioral health care can be challenging because of provider shortages, workforce turnover, geographic disparities, fragmented services, and barriers to Medicaid participation. In this episode of the Western North Carolina Health Policy Initiative podcast, Nina Marie Collins draws on a decade of experience in public mental health, peer support, crisis services, and transitions to community living to explain how Western North Carolina’s behavioral health system works—and where it falls short.
Data from the WNC Health Network shows a 39% increase in poor mental health in the region since 2012, alongside widespread impacts of substance use across households. In this episode of the WNC Health Policy Podcast, we begin to explore the mental health and substance use landscape of Western North Carolina through the experience of clinician Lissa Carter, who has worked across recovery, community mental health, education, and clinical leadership roles in Buncombe County.
The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project's Produce Prescription Program recently received $400,000 in renewed funding from Blue Cross NC to continue and expand operations. The program helps provider-referred participants access fresh fruits and vegetables at farmer's markets while strengthening Western North Carolina's agricultural economy.
WNC is home to many innovative strategies for navigating complex health challenges.
Two of those include the role of Community Health Workers in the healthcare workforce and the Healthy Opportunities Pilot, which abruptly ended in the summer of 2025 due to the General Assembly's failure to pass a budget.
In this episode we hear from Jacque Ballard, a community health worker who has worked in both Madison and Yancey Counties and recently supported research by the Health Policy Research Consortium to understand the impact of HOP's end. We talk about the work of community health workers, challenges experienced in WNC, and the impact of HOP's end.