In total, Dogwood approved 287 funding requests of the 354 grant applications in 2021. The nonprofit also reports that it added 21 new staff members to the organization.
Local hospitals encourage more blood donation
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of behavioral changes and not all of them are good — for example, blood donation. Western North Carolina’s blood supply is maintained through the nonprofit The Blood Connection, which serves North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Its five mobile units travel throughout WNC taking donations in communities, and […]
Asheville board upholds employee firings over vaccine mandate
The volunteer Civil Service Board, which has authority over employee grievances, agreed with the city’s argument Feb. 22 that five workers had shown insubordination by refusing COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing in October. Asheville has since suspended its “test-or-vaccinate” policy effective March 2.
Community doulas work toward birth equity
When Wakina Robertson birthed her twins in Buncombe County 30 years ago, it was a harder experience than it should have been. The babies arrived nine weeks early. “I wasn’t listened to,” she tells Xpress. “Did I want to have my babies early? … If I could have pushed a little longer to carry them […]
Buncombe park turf replacement to cost extra $1.25M
At the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting of Tuesday, March 1, members will be asked to approve a $1.25 million increase to the county’s contract with Georgia-based AstroTurf for designing and installing artificial turf fields at the Buncombe County Sports Park.
How state law restricts WNC residents’ access to abortion
Although abortion is technically legal in the U.S., access varies widely. State laws dictate which specific procedures are allowed, which health care providers can perform them and even who can get an abortion. Access is also shaped by how many facilities there are in a given area that are capable of providing this kind of […]
Local groups tackle period poverty
People who work on the issue in Western North Carolina agree that period poverty is more widespread than it may seem due to the cultural stigmas of both poverty and menstruation. And financial issues wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic have made menstrual hygiene products even more inaccessible for many.
Buncombe floats $7.5 million pre-K expansion
Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, who chairs the county board’s Early Childhood and Development Committee, outlined a plan for $7.5 million in additional spending on pre-K expansion over the next two years. Funding would come from the county’s roughly $27 million in remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act money.
From NC Health News: Native Americans look for ways to stop soaring overdose deaths
North Carolina’s opioid crisis has devastated the American Indian population more than any other. Combating it effectively requires a new approach, and a lot of money.
Wellness roundup: Birth control no longer requires a prescription in NC
Pharmacists in North Carolina can now dispense and administer certain medications, including some forms of hormonal birth control, without a prescription, according to a state law that went into effect Feb. 1. Both self-administered oral contraception (birth control pills) and transdermal contraception (birth control patches) are available. House Bill 96 also gives immunizing pharmacists expanded […]
Buncombe to reconsider mask mandate Feb. 15
Buncombe County’s current indoor mask mandate has been extended three times after going into effect Aug. 18. Robert Pressley, the only Republican on the Board of Commissioners, has thus far been the only member opposed in any of those votes.
From The Center Square: Another report reveals noncompliance by North Carolina hospitals on price transparency rule
According to a new report by the nonprofit Patient Rights Advocate, only 4 out of 21 hospitals reviewed in North Carolina followed federal price transparency rules in 2021. The organization randomly checked 500 hospitals across the nation. State Treasurer Dale Folwell is calling for federal and state officials to enforce the rules.
Music venue sound engineers adjust to working in a pandemic
Sound crews at The Grey Eagle and The Orange Peel navigate stressful environments to bring live music to audiences.
Sterilization options to stay child-free
When James Brinkmann was 17 years old, his friends started having children. He witnessed up close what parenting entailed and he knew he didn’t want it yet. “I saw the adjustments they were having to make,” he recalls. “It made me realize and appreciate and respect the amount of commitment and the loss of control […]
Health checkup: Volunteerism and dance
Elle Erickson, founder of the local nonprofit The Booth Fairy Project, is know for her positive messaging. In conversation with Xpress, she notes the importance of volunteer work for one’s mental health, the benefits of dance and alternatives to prescription drugs.
Health checkup: Taking life day by day
WLOS anchor, Kristen Aguirre, touches base with Xpress about the mental and physical benefits she experiences through exercise, as well as the empowerment that comes in taking life day-by-day.
Local nonprofits work to keep older adults engaged amid COVID-19 concerns
Local nonprofits working with the region’s aging population discuss the unique challenges and opportunities experienced over the last two years.
Health checkup: Listen to your body
Liz Roseman, founder of Sustainable Health Acupuncture, speaks with Xpress about unplugging, the importance of sleep and Chinese medicine.
Where can uninsured WNC residents turn for health care?
Census data from 2019 show that almost 30,000 Buncombe County residents lacked health insurance, but options such as sliding-scale clinics and direct primary care offices aim to make health care affordable and accessible to all.
Health checkup: Wellness with compassion
Allé K (he/ him), a queer, anti-fat bias trainer transmasculine yoga teacher, shares his favorite mental health hacks and thoughts on approaching wellness with compassion.
Health checkup: Taking advantage of what’s around you
Dr. Ashfaq Ahsanuddin, Western North Carolina VA Health Care System chief of staff, discusses the need to unplug, the joys of golf and taking advantage of your natural surroundings.