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 2008 estimated population of 9,222,414 people – with 2,736,180 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, 74.0% of the state’s population is white, 21.7% is Black/African-American, and 7.0% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 114 hospitals in North Carolina, 60 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 21 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 91 Rural Health Clinics in North Carolina (CMS, 2009), and 26 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 173 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2008). 17.2% of North Carolina residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all North Carolina residents in 2007 was $33,735, although rural per-capita income lagged at $28,534. Estimates from 2008 indicate a poverty rate of 17.7% exists in rural North Carolina, compared to 13.2% in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 27.3% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 19.2% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural North Carolina is 7.3%, while in urban North Carolina it is 5.9% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
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
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
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 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, the federal HOME Program, the state Housing Trust Fund, and other programs.
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 Research, Demonstrations, and Rural Health Development
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 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.
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.
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.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: North Carolina
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. The Rural Development State Office 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.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
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.
North Carolina QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
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 Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
North Carolina KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
North Carolina KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
North Carolina Nutrition Services
Web site
Provides information on the Summer Food Service Program, which provides free meals in communities across the state for 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 Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis 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.
State Profiles- North Carolina: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Allied Health Job Vacancy Tracking Report
Author(s): Erin Fraher, Phillip Summers, Katie Gaul, Stephen Rutledge
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: 04 / 2007
Blue Ridge Backbone: Western North Carolina Data Link
Author(s): Chuck Appleby
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
Describes a RHIO (regional health information organization) in western North Carolina that includes four hospitals exchanging patient data and plans for an electronic medical record for every resident.
Journal citation: H&HN's Most Wired Magazine
Date: 09 / 2006
Characteristics of Practice Among Rural and Urban General Surgeons in North Carolina
Author(s): Jennifer King, Erin P. Fraher, Thomas C. Ricketts, Anthony Charles
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
An overview of Community Care of North Carolina, 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
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 Issue Spring
Date: 05 / 2009
North Carolina Health Professions 2006 Data Book
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 2006 of
licensed individuals in nineteen health professions by county and selected regions in North Carolina.
Date: 2007
North Carolina Hospital Workforce Trend Analysis, 2004-2006
Author(s): Erin P. Fraher, Aaron McKethan, Sarah J. Broome, Marjah K. Haygood, Kathryn E. Heilig
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Summarizes workforce and related data collected annually by the North Carolina Hospital Association
(NCHA) from North Carolina hospitals. Includes rural and urban data.
Date: 07 / 2008
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
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: 2008
State Profiles - North Carolina: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
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 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 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 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
West Middle School Wolverine Den of Health
Local Organizations joined forces to establish a school-based health center at West
Middle School in Montgomery County that focused on the
health care needs of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.
Hertford Northampton Farmer Market (North Carolina)
The Hertford Northampton Farmer Market is a local venture to provide alternative markets for former tobacco farmers.
Albemarle Hospital Foundation, Inc. Consortium
The Albemarle Hospital Foundation, Inc., and its four consortium members are focusing on providing expanded services to medically indigent, uninsured and underserved adult populations of a six county catchment area of northeastern North Carolina: Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans.
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