Recorded on June 1, 2026

More coming soon

"Limit use of AI Medicaid/Commercial Insurance through Proposed" through proposed committee substitute. 

Listen in for updates from May 19th, including:

Federal Updates:

State Updates (with expectation of more news on 5/15/26)

Regional Update:

Listen in for health policy updates in WNC from May 5, 2026! 

WNC is home to many innovative strategies for navigating complex health challenges.

Two of those include the role of Community Health Workers in the healthcare workforce and the Healthy Opportunities Pilot, which abruptly ended in the summer of 2025 due to the General Assembly's failure to pass a budget. 

In this episode we hear from Jacque Ballard, a community health worker who has worked in both Madison and Yancey Counties and recently supported research by the Health Policy Research Consortium to understand the impact of HOP's end.

We talk about the work of community health workers, challenges experienced in WNC, and the impact of HOP's end.

Haywood Community College (HEA 3121)

Mountain Area Health Education Center 

 Robeson County Community College (online) 

Learn more in our past conversation with the president of the NC Community Health Worker Association, Honey Yang Estrada. 

Recorded April 27, this episode covers:

For more in-depth coverage and interviews with regional health leaders, visit wnchealthpolicy.org.

In this episode we speak with Paula Swepson Avery and Ginger Webb from West Marion Inc. about their decade-long journey of community transformation in McDowell County.

They tell us how meaningful progress requires long-term commitment, not constantly shifting strategies, and how their work centers on addressing the social determinants of health, like housing, transportation, food access, childcare, and stigma in their WNC community.

Listeners will learn:

Whether you're a policymaker, funder, public health professional, or community advocate, this conversation challenges conventional approaches and highlights a path toward better health outcomes in our rural communities. 

Updates from 4-20-26

Disaster Policy in WNC

2026 NC General Assembly Begins Short Session

New Research on Phone Bans in NC

Behavioral Health Infrastructure 

Flock Safety Expansion Temporarily Tabled in Asheville

Public Hearing on Duke Energy's Proposal to Increase Rates Held in Waynesville 

Health Opportunities Pilot

Check out these health policy updates from 4-14-26

A documentary highlighting North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot

More info through Beacon Media NC

-April 14, 2026 | 7:00 PM @ the Haywood County Courthouse

- April 28, 2026 | 7:00 PM @ the Burke County Courthouse

 Watch public comment from the virtual session on April 1: