NC Center for Health and Wellness at UNC Asheville

06/08/2026

🌐 How should WNC think about AI—not just as a technology shift, but its impact on our health, education environment, and overall wellbeing?

Members of the NC Center for Health and Wellness (NCCHW) at UNC Asheville's team attended last week's brAIn Hub AI Summit to join this regional conversation and especially to learn about the implications for health outcomes, healthcare systems, environmental impact, and community wellbeing.
👉 https://www.brainhubsummit.com

Hosted by University of North Carolina Asheville, the summit featured many UNCA faculty and staff, including Chancellor Kimberly van Noort, Provost Yvonne Villanueva-Russell, Nana Harrison, and Paige Ambord. UNCA's Dr. Renuka Gusain, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, was also recognized for her work challenging students to critically and responsibly engage with these tools in the classroom.

Denis Willett's ongoing work with UNC Asheville on soil systems research gave some insight into how organizations can integrate AI into workflows as well as how large datasets can lead to scientific innovation. General Manager at Advanced Data & Network Solutions, Paul Hedgecock, led a session called "Reducing Friction in Healthcare: Where AI Can Help Right Now," pointing to some strategies available with this technology in the public health field.

While the summit brought together a variety of fields, some of the questions that emerged specifically around AI and health include:
- AI systems' impact on energy use and environmental health costs
- the affects on human behavior and mental health
- applications within healthcare organizations and clinical workflows
- use in public health, medical research, and interventions
- the varying accessibility of this technology across our communities &
- opportunities to improve population health outcomes, including through communications and interpretation

The summit was fascinating and a great opportunity to connect with movers and shakers in WNC about this technology.

🎧 To learn more about AI and health policy in NC, listen to the WNC HPI Podcast, where we've been learning about legislative action such as House Bill 565 (Limit Use of AI Medicaid/Commercial Insurance), House Bill 301 (Social Media & AI Safety), Senate Bill 730 (Ratepayer Protection Act), and local moratoriums on data centers. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wnc-health-policy-initiative-hpi-podcast/id1746162226

04/06/2026

Child care in WNC isn’t just a service, it’s how communities survive and adapt.

Recent research from the NC Center for Health and Wellness (NCCHW) and Smart Start of Transylvania County highlights the critical role of Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers.

These providers often step in when families can’t access licensed care whether because of cost, availability, or nontraditional work hours.

Reality in WNC:
➡️ There’s a shortage of licensed child care
➡️ Families rely on FFN care to fill the gap
➡️ Both systems need support, not one or the other
FFN care is how communities navigate limited resources.

At the same time, expanding and sustaining licensed child care is essential to meeting growing demand, making this an important workforce issue:
🏥 Healthcare workers depend on flexible child care
💼 Families need care to stay employed
💰 Income (and child care access) shapes health outcomes

If we want a stronger workforce and healthier communities, it is important to look at the full child care ecosystem.

🎧 Learn more about the licensed child care shortage through the WNC Health Policy Initiative podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wnc-health-policy-initiative-hpi-podcast/id1746162226?i=1000691875078
📄 Read the FFN report:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/638e24e19dca910608cdf4f2/t/694078bf90d2510db9c5bf61/1765832895524/FFN.Report.Final+%281%29.pdf
📄 or the 1-pager! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/638e24e19dca910608cdf4f2/t/694078d300df195fca1375b9/1765832915999/Family%2C+Friend%2C+and+Neighbor+%28FFN%29+One+Pager+%281%29.png

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03/24/2026

WNC Policy Brief: Hospital Oversight, Tax Changes & Mental Health Policy in Focus

This week’s update (March 23) highlights key developments shaping healthcare access and funding in Western North Carolina:

🔹 Mission Hospital Update
Mission Hospital is under increased federal scrutiny following safety violations. A corrective plan—supported by Bryant Healthcare Consultants—is now underway as the hospital works to meet a critical deadline that could impact its Medicare and Medicaid funding.

🔹 Nonprofit Hospital Tax Proposal
State lawmakers are considering reducing tax breaks for nonprofit and public hospitals. Systems like AdventHealth, UNC Health Pardee, and the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center could be affected—raising concerns about costs, access, and added strain on rural healthcare.

🎬 Asheville Screening – “SHUFFLE”
A local FREE premiere of documentary, 'SHUFFLE' explores mental health, addiction treatment, patient brokering, and fraud in care systems. The screening includes a conversation with director Benjamin Flaherty and is sponsored by Addiction Professionals of North Carolina.
📍 Thursday, March 26 | 5 PM
📍 Regal Cinema Biltmore Grande, Asheville

🔹 Public Comment Opportunity (Deadline: March 30, 2026)
The General Services Administration is proposing changes to federal grant registration requirements that could affect funding eligibility for health service providers. Nonprofits—especially those serving specific populations—may be impacted. Read and leave a comment through this link: https://www.regulations.gov/document/GSA-GSA-2026-0001-0001

🎙️Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/35oCtsIJUt7rvBDNVZffRz?si=79013ed5a7064e2a

The WNC Health Policy Initiative (HPI) Podcast · Episode

03/20/2026

As communities face ongoing rising costs of living and more frequent disruptions—from extreme weather to supply chain breakdowns—one thing is becoming clear: resilience is deeply connected to our health, and it starts close to home.

🌱 In Western North Carolina, local leaders and organizations are thinking about strategies for health through food access. Not just proximity to grocery stores, but building hyper-local food systems that support health every day. From neighborhood gardens and shared growing spaces to food hubs, orchards, community storage, and public education on growing food, these efforts look at consistent access to fresh, nutritious food.

🥕 Reliable access to healthy food is foundational to preventing chronic disease, reducing stress during crises, and supporting overall physical and mental health. When food is within walking distance, communities are better equipped to adapt, recover, and thrive.

This episode continues a series on this social driver of health by exploring how LOCAL HEALTH POLICY, through food policy councils, urban agriculture, and hands-on education, could expand access to nutritious food. It also highlights how collaboration across sectors can strengthen community health through policy, planning, and local action.

🌱 What does food resilience look like where you live?�🌳 How can communities grow stronger through local food?

🎧 Listen now to the WNC Health Policy Initiative podcast conversation with Cathy Cleary of Bountiful Cities:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wnc-health-policy-initiative-hpi-podcast/id1746162226?i=1000756308888
�Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6karyi5qiEmVGyaCWhjR17?si=z7jXXsUTR2mmv1M3UqvhiQ

The WNC Health Policy Initiative (HPI) Podcast · Episode

03/19/2026

Food access is health policy. Understanding how community-rooted solutions like share markets work in practice is an important step toward building healthier, more resilient communities in Western North Carolina.

With support from Dogwood Health Trust, the NCCHW is in the planning stages of research exploring the impacts of Bountiful Cities' food share market in a research collaboration through the Health Policy Research Consortium at University of North Carolina Asheville. From children and families to home gardeners, local government, and community organizations, we hope to generate evidence that can help inform policies and scalable models that expand equitable access to healthy food across the region.

It was great to spend time with partners from Bountiful Cities, including Cathy Cleary & Rosemary Thurber, during some initial planning conversations as we begin shaping this work together. We're looking forward to the insights this partnership will generate and to continuing to learn from community-rooted food systems across Western North Carolina.

03/16/2026

Last week, the Health Policy Research Consortium (HPRC) presented at the 2026 WNC Health Policy Initiative Legislative Summit hosted at UNC Asheville.

The summit brought together policymakers, researchers, healthcare leaders, and community partners from across Western North Carolina to discuss key health challenges facing our region and explore policy solutions that can improve health outcomes.

The Health Policy Research Consortium is an inter-institutional research partnership focused on generating evidence to inform policy decisions that affect the health and well-being of people in Western North Carolina. The consortium was established with support from Dogwood Health Trust and focuses on issues like mental health, substance use, housing, and food security.

HPRC is a collaboration between several regional partners, including:
• UNC Asheville – NC Center for Health & Wellness
• Appalachian State University
• East Tennessee State University
• Western Carolina University
• WNC Health Network / Healthy Impact

Together, these partners work to develop and share research that can help policymakers, healthcare providers, and community organizations make informed decisions that strengthen health across the region.

We’re grateful to have had this opportunity to share upcoming research projects with leaders from across the region.

03/13/2026

How do we strengthen healthcare in Western North Carolina? Leaders from across the region gathered today at UNC Asheville to work on solutions together.

The NC Center for Health & Wellness was proud to host the 2026 WNC Legislative Summit today at UNC Asheville, in partnership with MAHEC and with support from Dogwood Health Trust.

Healthcare leaders, community partners, and North Carolina legislators came together to discuss some of the most pressing health challenges facing Western North Carolina, including:
• Medicaid eligibility, enrollment barriers, and access to care
• Investing in proven strategies through the NC Rural Health Transformation Program
• Strengthening the regional healthcare workforce

Thank you to our opening speakers Soni Pitts, Kimberly van Noort, Susan Mims, William Hathaway, Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt, and Laurie Stradley, as well as Sen. Ralph Hise, who moderated our panel with Sen. Jim Burgin, Katherine Martin, Josh Dobson, Rep. Timothy Reeder, and Melanie Bush.

We also appreciate the legislators who joined discussions throughout the day, including Sen. Gale Adcock, Rep. Eric Ager, Sen. Julie Mayfield, and Rep. Lindsey Prather.

Events like this show how partnerships between policymakers, healthcare leaders, and community organizations can strengthen health systems across Western North Carolina.

Learn more at the WNC Health Policy Initiative website and stay tuned for more information about the summit! https://www.wnchealthpolicy.org/2026-wnc-legislative-summit

02/17/2026

'No Budget, No Pay,' Medicaid Gaps, Early Voting & Measles: A week in review from the WNC Health Policy Initiative

North Carolina remains without a finalized state budget more than 200 days past its deadline. The continued delay carries implications for Medicaid funding, state programs, and health services across Western North Carolina.

This week on the WNC Health Policy Initiative podcast's Weekly Policy Update, research associate Jimmy Mullen tells us about several developments worth watching:

🔹 “No Budget, No Pay” Proposal
Rep. Deb Butler has reintroduced a proposed constitutional amendment in NC that would withhold legislator pay if a budget is not passed on time—bringing renewed attention to the General Assembly’s ongoing impasse and debate over income tax rate reductions.

🔹 ACA Marketplace Proposed Rule (2027)
The US Department of Health and Human Services has opened public comment on the “Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027 Proposed Rule,” which includes stricter eligibility verification and enrollment requirements for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage. The proposal is projected to reduce enrollment nationwide. The public comment period is open through March 11 and can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/11/2026-02769/patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-hhs-notice-of-benefit-and-payment-parameters-for-2027-and

🔹 Voting Policy Updates
Early voting for North Carolina primaries is underway as the U.S. House advances the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate or passport) for newly registering voters. The bill now moves to the Senate and, if enacted, could affect voter participation across all levels of government, especially in November.

🔹 Measles Cases in WNC
Regional case counts continue to be monitored, with local health departments working to contain spread and expand MMR vaccination access.

🔹 Healthcare Workforce Development
The WNC Health Policy Initiative’s workforce group discussed potential incentives to strengthen the regional healthcare pipeline, including housing options for trainees and examining clinical hour requirements for CNAs pursuing Physician Assistant (PA) pathways.

As state and federal policy decisions continue to evolve, we’re focused on what they could mean specifically for Western North Carolina’s health systems, workforce, and communities.

🎧 Listen in to learn more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wnc-health-policy-initiative-hpi-podcast/id1746162226?i=1000750204112

This proposed rule contains provisions to improve implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including payment parameters and provisions related to the HHS-operated risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation (HHS-RADV) programs, as well as 2027 user fee rates for...

02/12/2026

NCCHW at NC PACE 2026 ✨🏫

NCCHW Team Members Alex Mitchell, Soni Pitts, and Ameena Batada enjoyed the opportunity to present at NC Campus Engagement's NC PACE Conference at Elon University this week! 🎤✨

Our team's poster, “Civic Learning through Student Engagement in Policy Research and Advocacy,” highlighted processes, products, and reflections related to student engagement. We also facilitated a meaningful community conversation about shifting language and practices around civic and community engagement on college campuses across North Carolina. 🤝🌍

We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside partners committed to strengthening community-engaged work throughout our state! 💙

Learn more about the NC PACE Conference: https://nccampusengagement.org/pace-conference/

02/03/2026

📸 We’re sharing a recent video produced by MANNA FoodBank that highlights Bountiful Cities Project’s Share Market, one of the projects our team is currently researching.

🥕 The Share Market is a free food distribution model that invites community gardeners to share excess produce with neighbors and increase urban food production for long-term resilience. The market takes place twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, from 3–5 p.m. at William Randolph School on Montford Avenue, in partnership with Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Master Gardeners.

Through this work, our Culture of Results team is examining the impacts of this model and its potential for adaptation in other communities.

🙏 Thank you to Cathy, Alex, and Shuvonda for speaking about the Share Market in this video!



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