Taylor Knopf/NC Health News
When federal health officials announced late last month what top officials called a "dramatic restructuring" of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the department’s secretary, claimed: "Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants. This overhaul will be a win-win for taxpayers and for those that HHS serves."
North Carolina is launching a $20 million pilot program to take law enforcement personnel out of the process of transporting mental health patients being involuntarily committed — aiming to end the traumatic practice of having officers handcuff and transport patients.
As drug experts parse the data trying to understand the factors that could contribute to a sudden drop in overdose deaths, harm reductionists in western N.C. work to stave off a possible spike in overdoses after the destruction brought by Hurricane Helene.
“It is a problem that many policymakers have expressed concern over, and yet kids are still suffering,” said Corye Dunn, director of public policy for Disability Rights North Carolina.
Former employees of Jacksonville’s Brynn Marr Hospital allege that the facility engaged in patient record falsification and insurance manipulation. Their s appear to mirror past issues with the hospital’s parent company, Universal Health Services, documented in several lawsuits.
More than a dozen former employees say understaffing at Brynn Marr Hospital contributes to what they describe as a dangerous place for patients and employees. Hospital officials say allegations of violence, sexual assaults, overmedication and lack of mental health therapy are unfounded.
When parents cannot find treatment for their children, or cannot afford the available treatment, their last resort may be refusing to pick up their children from the hospital. This sparks a call to social services — which sometimes is the only way to get the needed care.
After a NC Health News/ News & Observer/ Charlotte Observer report of alleged mistreatment and sexual assault of an 11-year-old patient, Brynn Marr Hospital has been under months of state and federal scrutiny, jeopardizing its federal insurance reimbursement.