Jennifer Fernandez

Greensboro

Freelance Writer and Editor at Freelance

Children's Health Reporter at North Carolina Health News

Featured in: Favicon

northcarolinahealthnews.org Favicon

housebeautiful.com Favicon

greensboro.com Favicon

journalnow.com Favicon

afar.com

northwestgeorgianews.com Favicon

hickoryrecord.com Favicon

independenttribune.com Favicon

jaad.org

statesville.com + 8 more

Articles

Bill to reduce young drivers’ practice time stalls in NC House committee

1 week 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.
NC House bill would further shorten practice period for teen drivers

1 week 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.
School-based telehealth expands further in North Carolina

2 weeks 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.
North Carolina preps for potential measles outbreak

3 weeks 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.
Back to school: Nurse seeks training to help bridge mental health care gap in rural NC

1 month 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.
Study: To better protect elderly rural adults, laws need to be updated

1 month ago | 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.
Moore County organization expanding youth transitional housing

1 month ago | 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.
As food aid requests rise, advocates work to help feed the 1 in 5 NC children who go hungry every day

1 month ago | northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez

As child advocates last week discussed the growing food insecurity among North Carolina’s children, the U.S. House of Representatives took steps to cut federal programs that help combat child hunger. The House on Feb. 25 narrowly passed a Republican-backed budget blueprint that includes potential cuts of $880 billion over 10 years to the committee that handles health care spending, which includes Medicaid, the Associated Press reported.
‘A real game changer’: UNC is part of a groundbreaking food allergy study

2 months ago | northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez

Kristen Bush remembers the first time her firstborn suffered a severe allergic reaction. Braylon was 7 months old, and he had just started eating solid foods. That night, it was a few pieces of one of those little puff cereals. About an hour later, Bush was nursing her son before bed. “He just kept, like, choking and coughing and choking. And we were like, ‘What is going on?’” she recalled. When she unzipped his onesie, Bush saw Braylon’s body was covered in hives.
Fewer NC children dying at the hands of a parent or caregiver, new report shows

2 months ago | northcarolinahealthnews.org | Jennifer Fernandez

Fewer North Carolina children are dying at the hands of a parent or caregiver, according to a new report by a retired leader of the state’s health system whose career focused on the well-being of children. The report also showed an even larger decline over the past decade in the rates of child deaths among military families when compared with civilian families.