WCMS is proud to announce another high quality addition to the series of 
"The Physicians' Voice," a series of media presentations for the general public that showcase physicians' world-class medical expertise and focus on patient/community health.

E. Blake Fagan is a family physician and the chief education officer at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). He received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University and is a graduate of MAHEC's Family Medicine Residency Program in Asheville. He is a Western Carolina Medical Society board member. The article is titled "How opioid crisis affects our health care".

"...the crisis is worse than ever. In January and February alone, our first responders went to 150 overdose calls - more than all of the overdose calls in 2015. Sadly, 20 of the overdose victims could not be saved; they died.

This article is to inform the public of two things. First, your provider may be treating temporary or short-term (also called "acute") pain differently than in the past. Second, you as the patient have the right to ask for information and get answers to the questions you have about the treatment prescribed to you."

In the midst of what's arguably the loudest, most contentious public debate over affordable health care in the U.S., there's a more understated movement building steam across the country and here in Asheville - led not by politicians or lawmakers but by physicians who insist on providing more effective health care.

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As North Carolina officials are cracking down on opioid prescribing, some medical professionals weren't surprised by the concurrent increase in IV drug use and the diseases that come along with it, such as HIV and hepatitis C.

In Madison County, a rural stretch of mountains northwest of Asheville, the county health director and local sheriff are teaming up to tackle these issues.

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A student at Appalachian State was recently diagnosed with mumps. At this time, no additional cases of mumps have been identified in NC that are connected with this case. However, numerous outbreaks of mumps are occurring throughout the US, and it appears that recent Spring Break travel (e.g., to South Padre Island, Texas) may be contributing to some spread of the illness. If you should see a patient with signs and symptoms compatible with mumps, please assess their travel history and report that suspected mumps case to your local health department immediately.
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RALEIGH - Sponsors of new legislation that would increase Medicaid eligibility for about 375,000 low-income North Carolinians say their plan is a new way forward on a complicated and often politically charged issue.

North Carolina is one of 19 states that has not expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. After recent attempts to repeal the ACA faltered, many of those states are taking another look at Medicaid expansion.

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