Rural Health

President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. With it back in the House, community organizations are bracing for the effects of cuts to the federal food assistance program.

An empty hospital in Williamston, North Carolina, offers an evocative illustration of why Republican Sen. Thom Tillis would buck his party and its leaders to vote down President Trump's signature domestic policy package. It's one of a dozen hospitals that have closed in North Carolina over the last two decades.

Martin General Hospital shut down in 2023 after its operator filed for bankruptcy. Residents have to travel to neighboring counties to access care. A new state initiative seeks to end that healthcare desert.

Despite closures at other rural hospitals across North Carolina, the labor and delivery unit at UNC Health Chatham is a recent addition.

When Hurricane Helene ripped through western North Carolina, it downed power lines, leaving tens of thousands of residents without electricity for days, even weeks.

Advanced practice nurses have been trying to gain more independence from physicians for decades, but the legislative obstacles are high.

A mobile breast cancer screening program is scheduled to launch this month in Nash County. The event is the first of one nonprofit’s efforts to provide 200 free mammograms across Eastern North Carolina.

The Affordable Connectivity Program, a $14.2 billion federal program that provides subsidies to low-income households for high-speed internet, is due to sunset in April.

The UNC System Board of Governors allocated $3.7 billion from the General Assembly. This includes investments in faculty salary increases, athletics and rural healthcare.

Virtual doctor visits became mainstream during the pandemic. However, telehealth services remain out of reach to those who could benefit the most.