{"title":"The Rise of Xylazine Shows Why Local Data Must Inform Policy and Spending Decisions.","authors":"Jeremy Kourvelas","doi":"10.18043/001c.123256","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123256","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Local governments have been given direct control over a substantial amount of opioid settlement funding. While state-level data sources are valuable inputs, city and county leaders should consider local data sources when making decisions to ensure timely responses to emerging threats, as is exemplified by the rise of xylazine.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Collective Approach: Facing the Substance Use Disorder Epidemic in North Carolina and the Region.","authors":"Danny Scalise","doi":"10.18043/001c.123255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123255","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>North Carolina, like much of the country, has seen a sig-nificant increase in substance use disorders and overdose deaths. This issue of the journal outlines how our state is managing funds from opioid settlements through collabora-tive partnerships among policymakers, public health, health care providers, and communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The North Carolina Division of Mental Health's Strategic Plan for Limiting Substance Use Overdose Deaths.","authors":"Kelly Crosbie","doi":"10.18043/001c.123267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123267","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services has implemented a strategic plan for limiting substance use overdose deaths, including increasing primary prevention and increasing public awareness of and access to evidence-based treatment options.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The North Carolina Model for Opioid Settlement Funds.","authors":"Steven Mange","doi":"10.18043/001c.123268","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123268","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>North Carolina's effort to hold drug companies account-able for their role in creating and fueling the overdose epi-demic has generated $1.4 billion for the state over 18 years. Securing these funds has been a victory, but ensuring they are used to save lives is equally critical.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jill Rushing, Elizabeth Brewington, Nidhi Sachdeva
{"title":"The North Carolina Model for Opioid Settlements: Partnering to Equip Local Governments' Overdose Response.","authors":"Jill Rushing, Elizabeth Brewington, Nidhi Sachdeva","doi":"10.18043/001c.123269","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123269","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Guided by the North Carolina Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), local governments are investing national opioid settlement funds to respond to the overdose crisis. Community Opioid Resources Engine for North Carolina (CORE-NC) partners have developed tools and resources that local governments are using as they plan, implement, and report on their opioid overdose response.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evolution of the Science and Perception of Harm Reduction.","authors":"Ashley Wurth, Mollie Bolick, Tyler Yates","doi":"10.18043/001c.123257","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123257","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As the impact of the overdose crisis continues to worsen, some interventions are proving to be more impactful than others. This article provides insight on the history of harm reduction as it relates to the overdose crisis, how harm reduction strategies are saving lives in North Carolina, and the challenges that could hinder these efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"It's Time for Treatment.","authors":"Peter J Morris","doi":"10.18043/001c.123253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123253","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karl Johnson, Juan Yanguela Eguizabal, Dorothy Cilenti, John Wiesman, Todd Jensen, Kristen Hassmiller Lich
{"title":"Assessing Local Public Health Governance in North Carolina Across Organizational and Governance Configurations.","authors":"Karl Johnson, Juan Yanguela Eguizabal, Dorothy Cilenti, John Wiesman, Todd Jensen, Kristen Hassmiller Lich","doi":"10.18043/001c.121368","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.121368","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Every county in North Carolina must include a board of health (BOH) with specific prescribed duties and powers. It is unclear how BOHs in North Carolina are currently exercising their governance ability. In 2012, the North Carolina General Assembly provided coun-ties with additional flexibility to select among different configurations for their local health department (LHD). The impact of this flexibility on the governance and service delivery of LHDs is yet to be explored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted semi-structured interviews with LHD directors and BOH members to assess the strengths and weaknesses of BOHs within different local public health configurations across North Carolina. We employed conventional content analysis to derive themes from the interview transcripts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>BOHs were largely described as an underutilized institution, with few BOHs noted to be active beyond satisfying their required legal duties. Strong BOHs were noted to fulfill three identities on behalf of the LHD: an advocate, a bridge, and an advisor. The majority of interviewees desired to work in a standalone county health department (as opposed to a consolidated human services agency) with an appointed (versus elected) board of health. This configuration was preferred because, according to participants, it is more likely to enable a structural focus on public health initiatives.</p><p><strong>Limitations: </strong>Our sample frame did not control for the length of time an interviewee had been in the office nor the professional background of each BOH member.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Wide variations exist in the exercise of BOHs across the state, partially due to how different LHD configurations structurally focus resources and attention on public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Role of Local Health Departments in Addressing the Opioid Crisis and Deploying Opioid Settlement Funds.","authors":"Katie Varnadoe","doi":"10.18043/001c.123266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123266","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article examines the evolving role of local health departments in North Carolina's opioid crisis response. Highlighting strategies like community mobilization, data prioritization, and regional partnerships, it illustrates the impact of opioid settlement funds in empowering local health departments to manage behavioral health systems and implement effective opioid abatement interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Creating Recovery-Ready Communities.","authors":"Devin Lyall","doi":"10.18043/001c.123265","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18043/001c.123265","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article explores the transformative impact of peer support specialists in creating communities where recovery is not only possible but probable. It focuses on the innovative approach of Wilkes Recovery Revolution, Inc. in addressing substance use disorders and the critical integration of harm reduction services to enhance current recovery efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":39574,"journal":{"name":"North Carolina Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}