by SEARCH Board member Sarah Melotte
Image by Conrad Leavitt/Trillivision
To address the critical issue of healthcare access in Western North Carolina, SEARCH has intensified efforts to raise awareness about available healthcare resources and services, following recommendations from Healthcare Throughout the Lifespan, a public research presentation and panel discussion.
On June 4th, SEARCH hosted a public educational event in the ballroom of Spruce Pine’s Cross Street Commerce Center to engage local stakeholders about the state of healthcare services in Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
SEARCH Chair Marvin Rogers welcomes attendees.
Images by Conrad Leavitt/Trillivision (top) and Britt Kaufmann (bottom)
Data expert Annika Pfaender begins the "Access to Care" presentation.
Image by Britt Kaufmann
Annika Pfaender opened the event with a data-driven presentation titled “Access to Care,” which highlighted the need for increased access to healthcare services, specialists, and educational resources about existing services in the tri-county area.
With Jamie McMahan as the moderator, five local panelists discussed the Access to Care report's findings and recommendations to improve healthcare access for rural West North Carolinians.
One suggestion the panel made was enhancing the use of technology and leveraging the area’s expanding high-speed internet connections to reach people in need via telemedicine.
“Telemedicine may work if your clinic has high-speed access, but when the residential setting doesn’t have high-speed access, then the ability to utilize portals and telehealth goes down,” said Tom Kaluzynski, a retired physician. “The glitches that happen [when you don’t have high-speed access] don’t make that worthwhile.”
The panel also recommended boosting the recruitment and training of behavioral health professionals. Meghan Graham, Director of Behavioral Health at Mountain Community Health Partnership, suggested collaborating with NC Works for job shadowing and coaching to build a skilled workforce.
“One of the ways we’ve been able to enhance recruitment is by partnering with Western North Carolina universities that offer social work and counseling programs,” Graham said. “We work closely with Appalachian State University and Western North Carolina University. We also have students from the research triangle doing internships because they want to focus on serving the underserved.”
Graham also said local educators should encourage young people to consider careers in healthcare, social work, and mental health counseling.
Image by Conrad Leavitt/Trillivision
SEARCH Board members Maxine McLaughlin and Tom Kaluzynski respond to panel questions.
Images by Britt Kaufmann
Other recommendations included increasing community engagement through listening circles, addressing social isolation among seniors through mental health advocacy, and strengthening recruitment efforts for specialists that the area lacks.
When asked what surprised her about the findings in the Access to Care report, director of Thrive Appalachia Jennifer Simpson said the income disparity between the tri-county area and the state was striking. She said that too many residents of the area don’t meet the minimum recommended standard of living for a family of four.
“When you look at the minimum income standard for a family of four, that doesn’t take into account if your car breaks down or if your refrigerator goes out or if you have a medical emergency,” Simpson said.
Often, the poorest and least advantaged people have the least knowledge of and the most difficulty accessing local healthcare services. SEARCH is dedicated to identifying available resources and working on how to help people navigate healthcare benefits and access necessary services. The Access to Care Report underscored the importance of community engagement and collaboration among stakeholders to tackle these challenges.
Attendees shared thoughtful conversation and breakfast catered by DT's of Spruce Pine.
Images by Conrad Leavitt/Trillivision and Britt Kaufmann
Download the Access to Care slide presentation here:
Link to a video of the panel discussion here.
Even if you weren’t able to attend the June 4 meeting, please feel free to reach out with your concerns and ideas related to Healthcare Access in our community or topics you would like to hear about at future SEARCH meetings by emailing searchwnc@gmail.com.
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