As of this April, 26 states and the District of Columbia had granted nurse practitioners full practice authority — the ability to diagnose and treat patients without physician supervision — according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. And if the N.C. General Assembly passes the SAVE Act, North Carolina will join that list. The bill, reintroduced in March 2021, is currently in committee and has bipartisan support.
This year’s flu season seems to be peaking early, with widespread infection but lower rates of hospitalization and death than in some years. It’s too soon to say, however, whether we’ve seen the year’s worst flu effects, according to health officials.
“Often we can reach folks better through technology than we can face to face,” says Shane Lunsford of the Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. As telehealth service offerings and technological capabilities expand, providers around the region are excited about the possibilities of new models of seeing patients and providing care.
Urgent care centers are a hot health care trend nationwide and in Western North Carolina. With the recent arrival of new urgent care facilities and more in the works, Xpress looks at where these facilities are and what needs they serve.
