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2 weeks ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
Finding a way to fight pancreatic cancer is personal for Kirsten Bryant. She was studying cell biology at Cornell University and considering cancer research during the last year of getting her doctorate in 2013 when her father died from pancreatic cancer. “After going through the process of treatment with him and realizing how few options there were for pancreatic cancer patients … I felt like I was in a position to potentially make a difference with the training that I had,” she said.
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3 weeks ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
CHARLOTTE — The Queen City has evolved over the years, and industries have followed suit — growing and improving. Except for the child care industry, Laterria Lassiter told a crowd of about 85 people at the Pathway Preschool Center on Monday for a “NC Day Without Childcare” demonstration. “The early childhood industry has continued to be stagnant,” said Lassiter, a parent, advocate and former child care center owner.
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1 month ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
Last month, 27-year-old Maggie took her three kids to a doctor’s appointment. She’s generally around when they get off the bus, and she helps with their homework and with setting everything up for the next day. She also helps with serving dinner and is there when it’s time to put the children to bed most nights. But Maggie doesn’t actually live with her children.
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1 month ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
By Jennifer FernandezA bill that would further shorten the practice period for young drivers stalled Wednesday in the Transportation Committee of the N.C. House. Sponsors of House Bill 584 asked to rescind a motion that would have pushed it closer to a final vote in the House of Representatives, citing the need to address committee members’ concerns at a future meeting.
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1 month ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
When North Carolina implemented a year of practice as part of a new graduated driver’s licensing for 16- and 17-year-olds in the 1990s, the state saw an almost immediate plunge in fatal crashes for those kids. But during the pandemic, lawmakers temporarily shortened the time required for teens to drive with supervision from from 12 months to six.
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1 month ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
In a small room at Hillcrest Elementary School in Burlington, students can now meet with a doctor during the school day — virtually. The school joins a growing network across North Carolina where students don’t have to leave school to be seen for physical or behavioral health needs. Health advocates say that school-based telehealth care cuts down on absenteeism, ensures that students receive routine care that they might not otherwise be able to get, and can even boost test scores.
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2 months ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
As measles cases climb to 400 in Texas, the epicenter of an outbreak of the highly contagious illness, North Carolina is taking steps to prepare for an outbreak here. Though the state hasn’t recorded any cases this year, officials want to keep it that way. “We’ve been able to maintain pretty good [vaccination] coverage, but still, it’s slipping,” North Carolina State Epidemiologist Zack Moore told NC Health News.
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2 months ago | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
As the mental health crisis for adults and kids worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivy Bagley decided to go back to school for one more certification. A nurse practitioner for 17 years, Bagley saw more and more children needing help in eastern North Carolina. Many ended up waiting months for appointments or being sent to doctors an hour or more away, she said. “I decided during the pandemic, when we could not get kids seen for mental health, I wanted to be part of the solution,” Bagley said.
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Mar 9, 2025 | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
Experts say elder abuse in rural communities is a problem, but finding ways to solve it means clarifying how states define it and who should report it. One in 10 older adults across the country reported experiencing some form of abuse during the previous year, according to a recent report from the National Center on Elder Abuse. For every single report of abuse, there are 24 incidents that may go unreported, the study claimed.
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Mar 7, 2025 | 
northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez
In rural Moore County, another home is being built to provide a place to stay and thrive for young people who would otherwise be homeless. Pinehurst-based TambraPlace had hoped to have the new home ready by December 2026, but their financing model this time is more complicated, said Tambra Chamberlain, the driving force behind the creation of the organization named in her honor.
