North Carolina is a state that embraces you with gorgeous mountains and hills, hundreds of lakes and rivers, waterfalls, and a very desirable climate. North Carolina covers 48,711 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 9,535,483 people – with 2,831,125 people living in rural North Carolina (USDA-ERS). Raleigh is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 68.5% of the state’s population is white, 21.5% is Black/African-American, and 8.4% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 114 hospitals in North Carolina, 23 of which are identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (Sept. 2010). There are 86 Rural Health Clinics in North Carolina (Kaiser, 2012), and 27 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 144 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). 17.0% of North Carolina residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2008-2009).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for North Carolina residents in 2009 was $34,879, although rural per-capita income lagged at $30,707. Estimates from 2010 indicate a poverty rate of 20.3% exists in rural North Carolina, compared to 16.2% in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 20.9% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 14.5% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural North Carolina is 11.8%, while in urban North Carolina it is 10.1% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
Federal government
Supports economic and social development in all of West Virginia and parts of twelve other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services
State government
Provides people with, or at risk of, mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse problems and their families the necessary, prevention, intervention, treatment, services and supports they need to live successfully in communities of their choice.
Employment Security Commission of North Carolina (ESC)
State government
Provides online unemployment information and filing, searching job opportunities, career planning, submission of job openings, and resume searches.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: North Carolina
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern/Atlantic Region (NN/LM SE/A)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health care providers, librarians, and the public in Alabama, the District of Columbia,
Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.
North Carolina Area Health Education Center Program (AHEC)
State/regional organization
Works to meet the North Carolina's health and health workforce needs through educational programs and information services. Their website provides information on and contact details for each of the nine regional AHECs in the state.
North Carolina Community Action Association (NCCAA)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Serves as an advocate for the poor, assuring their voice is heard in matters of public policy at the federal, state and local levels. Dedicated to helping the low income, disadvantaged, elderly and working poor citizens of North Carolina achieve economic self-sufficiency. Provides training and technical assistance.
North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA)
State/regional organization
Works to promote and support community-governed health care organizations and the populations they serve.
North Carolina Department of Commerce
State government
Acts as the lead agency for economic, community and workforce development in NC. Recruits and encourages the expansion in NC of high-value, technologically competitive industries and companies.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
State government
Protects the public health, fosters self-reliance and helps the vulnerable. Provides human service needs for fragile populations like the mentally ill, deaf, blind and developmentally disabled, and helping people achieve economic independence.
North Carolina Division of Social Services Child Support Enforcement
State government
Works to ensure that both parents are responsible for the financial support of their children to the best of their ability. Helps locate noncustodial parents, establish the paternity of the child(ren), and petition the court to order child support payments.
North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
State government
Assists citizens with disabilities in achieving independence and employment. Provides an Independent Living program, and an Assistive Technology Program, both of which help people achieve more independent lifestyles.
North Carolina Hospital Association (NCHA)
State/regional organization
Promotes improved community health status and delivery of quality healthcare through leadership, information, education, and advocacy in members' interests and for public benefit.
North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
State government
Creates affordable housing opportunities through federal and state tax credit programs, such as the federal HOME Program and the state Housing Trust Fund.
North Carolina of Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)
State government
Enables individuals, families and communities
to be healthy and secure, and to achieve social and economic well being. Helps poverty-stricken families to achieve economic independence.
North Carolina Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (OMHHD)
State government
Promotes and advocates for the elimination of health disparities among all racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved populations in North Carolina.
North Carolina Office of Rural Health and Community Care
State/regional organization
Provides technical assistance to small hospitals and community health centers in rural and medically underserved communities, recruits health care providers to work in rural and medically underserved communities, and provides grants for community health centers.
North Carolina Regional Extension Center
State/regional organization
North Carolina State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center
State/regional organization
Develops, promotes, and implements sound economic strategies including resources to improve the quality of life for rural North Carolinians.
Pretty in Pink Foundation
Nonprofit/Foundation
A North Carolina 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides financial assistance, resources, and support to underinsured/uninsured people diagnosed with breast cancer who reside in North Carolina.
Public Schools of North Carolina: Exceptional Children Division
State government
Assures that students with disabilities and those who are academically or intellectually gifted develop mentally, physically, emotionally, and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized education in the least restrictive environment.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (Southeast RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to improve community infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment.
Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Works to strengthen the region's 29 land-grant institutions in addressing rural development issues. Serves a 14 state area in the Southern region which includes TX, LA, AR, OK, AL, MS, GA, FL, KY, SC, NC, VA, and TN.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: North Carolina (HUD)
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development North Carolina State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. Provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: North Carolina
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: North Carolina
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NCcareLINK
Web site
Provides up-to-date information about programs and services across North Carolina for families, seniors, and youths.
NN/LM Southeastern Atlantic Region: North Carolina Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for North Carolina.
North Carolina Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
North Carolina Health Professions Data
Web site
Collects and disseminates timely and reliable data on selected licensed health professionals in North Carolina.
North Carolina KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides rankings, maps, or trend graphs by topic; and raw data. Includes measures of child well-being, including the community-level data formerly in CLIKS.
North Carolina Nutrition Services
Web site
Provides information on the Summer Food Service Program, which offers free meals in communities across the state to children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals at school, or who live in communities where the majority of children qualify.
North Carolina QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Publications
Web site
Focuses on Federal insurance programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and their effect on rural populations and providers.
North Carolina State Data Center
Web site
Works with the U.S. Bureau of the Census to provide the public with data about North Carolina and its component geographic areas.
North Carolina State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC)
Web site
Comprised of 14 accredited schools of public health that serve in a national capacity to meet preparedness and response training and education needs of the U. S. public health workforce. Funded schools are located in AL, AZ, FL, IA, IL, MA, MD, MN, NY, OK, NC, TX, and WA.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Agricultural Medicine: Occupational and Environmental Health for Rural Health Professionals
Provides basic information and skills to enable the health care professional to function in the anticipation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of occupational illnesses and injuries in the farm community.
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Funding for safety, security and well-being of children and families, education and health programs, community service opportunities, and hunger and disaster relief.
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Community action grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
Humana Foundation Community Grants
The Humana Foundation supports charitable activities that promote healthy lives and communities.
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
Through the Health Care Division, the Trust responds to health and wellness needs and invests in solutions that improve the quality of health for financially needy residents of North Carolina.
Pretty in Pink Foundation Breast Cancer Treatment Assistance
Provides the financial assistance necessary to make survival a reality for breast cancer patients in North Carolina.
Ribbon of Hope Mini-Grants Program
Supports activities that establish or expand local programs in health, science, and education that serve identified needs of local communities.
Rural Capital Grant Program
Funds to assist transportation systems that serve the general public and human-service agency clients in North Carolina's rural areas.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loan Fund Program
Provides low-interest loans to low-income rural communities for predevelopment costs, system upgrades and new construction of water and wastewater services and facilities.
Urgent Repair Program
Funds under the Urgent Repair Program may be used to provide grants for emergency home repairs for elderly homeowners and other homeowners with special needs whose household incomes are below 50% of the area median income.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Allied Health Job Vacancy Tracking Report
Author(s): Meredith Kimball, Erin Fraher, Katie Gaul, Jessica Lyons
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Quantifies workforce demand for selected allied health professions in North Carolina, tracks job vacancy advertisements in print and online sources, summarizes vacancy advertisements by
profession, region, and employer type, and describes the types of sign-on bonuses offered by employers.
Date: 05 / 2011
Case Studies on Transit and Livable Communities in Rural and Small Town America
Author(s): Sean Barry
Sponsoring organization: Transportation for America
Collection of 12 case studies providing examples of how small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities.
Date: 09 / 2010
Characteristics of Practice Among Rural and Urban General Surgeons in North Carolina
Author(s): Jennifer King, Erin P. Fraher, Thomas C. Ricketts, Anthony Charles, George F. Sheldon, Anthony A. Meyer
Sponsoring organization: American College of Surgeons Health Policy Research Institute
Study examines variation in the practice patterns of individual general surgeons and how they differ between rural and urban areas of North Carolina.
Journal citation: Annals of Family Medicine
Date: 06 / 2009
Community Care of North Carolina: Building Community Systems of Care Through State and Local Partnerships
Author(s): Douglas McCarthy, Kimberly Mueller
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Highlights Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC), a public-private partnership that comprises local providers who form a medical home for low-income adults and children. Includes references to rural.
Date: 06 / 2009
Creative Solutions: North Carolina's HandMade in America
Author(s): Christy Crytzer Pierce
Sponsoring organization: National Endowment for the Arts
Showcases a new approach to economic development that focuses on the craft-arts industry as a major economic player in a rural region of North Carolina.
Date: 2011
Demographic and Economic Profile: North Carolina
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Presents demographic, economic information and statistics on Iowa. Includes charts, maps, and graphs.
Date: 11 / 2008
Medical Homes Offer Comprehensive Care Approach
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Describes the successes experienced by two health care centers that offer medical home services to their patients. Advocates in the Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) and the Lakewood Health System in Staples, Minnesota describe their programs.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 2009 Issue Spring
Date: 05 / 2009
North Carolina Health Professions 2009 Data Book: A Report on Health Care Resources in North Carolina
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Draws on data from the HPDS and describes the supply and distribution in 2009 of licensed individuals in nineteen health professions by county and selected regions in North Carolina.
Date: 10 / 2009
North Carolina’s ABCD Program: Using Community Care Networks to Improve the Delivery of Childhood Developmental Screening and Referral to Early Intervention Services
Author(s): Sarah Klein, Douglas McCarthy
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
An overview of the key elements of North Carolina’s Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) screening program that identifies at risk young children in rural as well as urban areas needing early intervention services.
Date: 08 / 2009
Rural Dropout Problem: An Invisible Achievement Gap
Author(s): Jerry Johnson, Marty Strange, Karen Madden
Sponsoring organization: Rural School and Community Trust
Reviews high school dropout rates and related factors in rural high schools throughout 15 Southern and Southwestern states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
Date: 2010
Small Business Profile: North Carolina
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
Trends in Licensed Health Professions in North Carolina, 1979-2005
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Brings together 27 years of data on the supply and distribution of practitioners in 17 categories of health care professions in rural and urban North Carolina.
Date: 06 / 2007
Trends in the Supply of Dentists in North Carolina, 1996-2005
Author(s): Erin Fraher, Katie Gaul, Jennifer King, Hazel Hadley, Claire de la Varre, Thomas C. Ricketts
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Highlights workforce supply, distribution, professional shortage areas, demographics, and practice characteristics and training.
Date: 02 / 2007
Using Local Creativity and Entrepreneurship to Build Family-Supporting Jobs in North Carolina
Author(s): Betsy Rubiner
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Addresses strategies that residents of the rural Appalachian region of western North Carolina are using to redevelop their economy by building on their age-old tradition of crafts and using it as a springboard to also expand their agricultural and tourism industries.
Date: 03 / 2008
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
WAGES Medication Management and Prescription Assistance Program
The WAGES program educates low-income seniors in North Carolina about their medications, checks for interactions and duplication, and helps them manage their prescription costs.
WNC Data Link Health Information Exchange
The 16 independent hospitals serving western North Carolina wanted to develop a system to allow physicians and other authorized users to access patient electronic medical records across the region via the internet.
North Carolina - Tri-County Community Health Council, Inc.
While western Johnston County struggles with school redistricting and urban sprawl, eastern Johnston County faces a crisis of infrastructure – most
notably, the overall lack of primary care services – especially for those who are uninsured or
underinsured.
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