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Updates from NC Department of Health and Human Services

Last Updated October 9, 2024 at 2:38pm

RESOURCES AND FLEXIBILITIES (10/8)  

Updates/Stats   

  • 3 mass feeding sites (Buncombe, McDowell, and Watauga counties) continue delivering meals to approximately 45 mobile sites across 13 counties. Over 20,000 hot meals are served each day through efforts of the Mass Feeding Task Force. It is estimated that over 360,000 meals have been provided to impacted communities through the combined feeding efforts of partners and self-deployed feeding sites.
  • Delivered over 3882 tons of commodities to affected areas, 769,565 bottles of water moved, 451 pallets of food moved

Resources and flexibilities (10/5)

Community practices

  • Coordination of efforts of state and professional associations begun
  • NC Medical Board taking lead on standing up webpage to list community practices that are open in affected counties, analogous to pharmacy webpage
  • NC Medical Society taking lead on coordination of assessing needs of community practices and to start prioritizing and addressing them

Food access

  • We are connecting with grocery stores to understand which ones are operating and which ones are able to accept EBT cards for purchases.   
  • Out of the 1,668 retailers that accept EBT cards in the impacted western area, at least 1,195 are able to run EBT transactions as of Oct. 3. This number is increasing every day.  
  • It is likely that people will be able to visit one of the large grocery retail store chains in their area and be able to use their EBT card.   
  • 44 of the 59 Ingles stores are now able to accept EBT cards. 
  • Starting Oct. 4, people that have EBT cards can use their cards to purchase hot food from retailers that accept EBT.   
  • Families who are not able to prepare food at home due to displacement or power outages still have access to warm meals. They can go to gas stations, delis, or grocery stores that participate in the program and buy hot, already prepared food. 
  • This temporary flexibility (in effect until Nov. 3) applies to all 100 counties in North Carolina and the nearly 700,000 households enrolled in the program. So even if you have evacuated to another area of the state, you can still use your EBT card to get hot food. 

Infant Formula

  • We have sent 8 pallets (between 120 – 144 cases of formula per pallet) of formula via the National Guard to 34 feeding sites across the impacted counties 
  • Have shipped formula to multiple counties that have requested it and are currently working to fill orders for hospitals in Rutherford, Jackson, Swain and Haywood by end of day Oct. 4. We have also proactively reached out to counties that were heavily impacted but have not yet made requests. 
  • Diaper Bank of NC is making daily trips to deliver formula and other infant supplies to the impacted counties. 
  • We are receiving donations to help with supplies and are developing projections for future needs by county. 

Pharmacies

  • 223 pharmacies are open in the 25 counites and EBCI Tribal Area with federal disaster declaration.  
  • Each of the 25 counties, and the EBCI Tribal Area, have at least one pharmacy open and filling prescriptions.  
  • A list of open pharmacies can be found here - https://link.edgepilot.com/s/c439c269/5QooPCA3WEKm7PnG2EHYrQ?u=https://www.ncbop.org/emergencyoperatingpharmacieshelene.html
  • Walmart has opened a Mobile Pharmacy in Boone, and Walgreens is planning mobile pharmacy locations in Hendersonville and Asheville to be opened soon.  
  • We are also working with local health departments to connect shelters with local pharmacies so people in shelters can get prescriptions. Paired Toe River Health District (Mitchell and Avery Counties) with CVS

Licensed care facilities located in the 25 impacted counties. 

  • All of the Nursing Homes have been contacted. 
  • 90% of Adult Care Homes have been contacted. This includes larger assisted living facilities, smaller adult care homes and family care homes. 
  • All of the Intermediate Care Facilities have been contacted 
  • All of the Opioid Treatment Providers have been contacted 
  • 42% of Residential Behavioral Health Providers the serve adults have been contacted 
  • 72% of licensed group homes and residential facilities for children have been contacted  
  • We also remain in contact with all 22 acute care hospitals and the VA hospital