In running a business, a simple rule of thumb would be not to give away $55 million of your product every year.Yet that's the challenge Mission Health System faces.

Click here to read more

On 4/22, Dr. Kate Queen, Chair of WCMS Foundation, hosted a dinner gathering in her home for 12 rural physicians, residents, and medical students across WNC  to discuss common interests such as access to care, integration of mental health, innovative ways to practice in rural settings, training pipelines for rural health professionals, recruitment/retention, and more. At the end of the evening, one of the participants commented, "For the first time in months, I'm with people who understand me (what it's like being a rural doctor)." The group agreed to continue meeting to begin working on a strategic plan for both urgent and longer term issues. For more information or to join this group, contact Miriam Schwarz. 

North Carolina is facing a physician shortage - particularly in primary care and in rural areas - but nurses say loosening restrictions on their scope of practice will alleviate that problem.

North Carolina law requires physicians' supervision for procedures that in other states may be done by nurses or other mid-level providers alone. Supporters of SB 695 say relaxing these regulations will reduce the doctor shortage as nurses can handle some of that health care demand.
Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, a bill sponsor, pushed back against the North Carolina Medical Society's objections saying, "when you have a monopoly on a system, you tend to fight things that make changes to that system." 

Click here to read more about the issue. 

Click here to read the bill.

Click here to read the NCMS response. 

Take action:

For more explanations about this this bill, click here.