Health

A proposal from WakeMed to buy Rex Healthcare from UNC is getting a chilly response. UNC president Thomas Ross said in a statement selling Rex Healthcare would be damaging to its core mission and not in the best interest of the people of North Carolina. He went on to say UNC Health Care's board of directors will discuss the proposal on Monday. WakeMed President and CEO Bill Atkinson says there are number of uncertainties over health care in Wake County.

A vaccination incentive program for students in Orange County's school districts is drawing criticism from some parents. The county Health Department is entering students into a drawing for an iPod or laptop if they get immunized for meningitis this month. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district says it has received 19 complaints. Alan Phillips says the drawing puts undue pressure on his children to get the vaccination, which is not required to enroll in school.

A legislative committee has approved a measure that seeks to limit abortions in the state. 

 House Bill 854 would require a woman seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours before undergoing the procedure. It would mandate counseling that would include information about the probable anatomical and physiological characteristics of the fetus. And it would require the medical professionals performing the abortion to give their patient an ultrasound at least four hours before the procedure.

Cumberland County Schools will be offering new biomedical college prep classes starting this fall. Douglas Byrd and Howard Health and Life Sciences High Schools are adding programs to areas of study within the schools called academies. Students will study in focused health and science classes while partnering with local health care providers. Suzannah Tucker of Cumberland County Schools says academies require students to gain real-world experience before they graduate.