The Local Skinny! NCDHHS Launches COVID 19 Telemedicine Program

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You feel bad, so you take the test. And, 15 minutes later, you get the results you were NOT hoping for: you just tested positive for COVID-19.

Now what?

The first step could be as simple as making a phone call.

People who test positive for COVID-19, particularly those who are uninsured or don’t have a primary care doctor, will have better access to treatments thanks to a time-limited telemedicine program launched by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with StarMed Healthcare.

After a positive test, early treatment is key to avoiding severe illness and hospitalizations, and treatment may even reduce complications from post-COVID conditions, also called long COVID.

“More than 1 million people in North Carolina don’t have health insurance, which has made accessing care for COVID-19, as with other diseases, very challenging,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “This program provides a temporary bridge to care for many in rural and historically marginalized communities, but we still need long term investments to close the coverage gap.”

Free telemedicine appointments to screen for COVID-19 treatment eligibility will be available, while funding allows, to North Carolinians who have tested positive for COVID-19 with an at-home test or other method.

To set up an appointment visit https://starmed.care/nc or call 704.941.6000, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. If the telemedicine provider determines a patient is eligible for oral antiviral treatment, such as Paxlovid, they can send a prescription to the patient’s chosen pharmacy or through a mail-order pharmacy.

“Authorized COVID-19 treatments like Paxlovid can prevent hospitalizations and save lives if started within five days of symptoms,” said NCDHHS Assistant Secretary for Public Health and State Public Health Officer Dr. Susan Kansagra. “Everyone, especially people at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, should have a plan to contact a health care provider right away if they test positive. This telemedicine program offers another option for quick access to lifesaving treatments.”

This telemedicine screening service is available regardless of insurance status and IDs are not required. If you have insurance, StarMed Healthcare will bill your health plan and NCDHHS will pay for any additional balance. If you do not have insurance, you will not be charged for your appointment. Oral antiviral pills are available at no-cost to the patient.

Telemedicine appointments through StarMed’s registration form are available in English and Spanish and six additional languages will be made available by the end of the week. Consultations are available in more than 200 other languages through an on-demand interpretation service. American Sign Language interpretation is also available. The telemedicine program will last from mid-December until funding runs out, which is estimated to be about mid-March.

COVID-19 trends are again rising according to the NCDHHS COVID dashboard. Flu and RSV have already stretched hospital capacity this year. One way to help is to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. Everyone 6 months of age and older should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Find a vaccine location near you at MySpot.nc.gov. Everyone 6 months or older should also get a flu vaccine annually. Visit MySpot.nc.gov/flu to find locations and more information.

NCDHHS strongly encourages everyone to stay prepared by knowing what to do and where to go if you get sick with COVID-19.

  • Keep at-home tests on hand and take one if you have symptoms or if you have come in close contact with someone with COVID-19, even if you are up to date on your vaccines. Get tested at least five days after you last had close contact. For more information and to find tests, including free at-home tests, visit MySpot.nc.gov/FindTests (Spanish).
  • If you test positive, stay away from others and follow the CDC’s isolation guidelines. Seek medical care immediately if you have trouble breathing or experience other warning signs. COVID-19 treatments are available and can lower your risk of hospitalization or death. For more information, visit MySpot.nc.gov/FindTreatment (Spanish) or set up a telemedicine appointment online or by calling 704.941.6000.

Through the pandemic, StarMed Healthcare operated 750 test sites across 29 North Carolina counties, administering more than 900,000 tests and more than 500,000 vaccines.

En español:

Gracias a un programa de telemedicina de duración limitada, el cual ha lanzado el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS) en asociación con el servicio de StarMed Healthcare, quienes den positivo con COVID-19, particularmente si no tienen seguro médico, o no tienen médico de cabecera, ahora tendrán mejor acceso a tratamientos. Luego de dar positivo en la prueba, recibir tratamiento temprano es un factor clave para evitar una enfermedad grave y hospitalización, y el tratamiento incluso pudiera reducir las complicaciones de afecciones posteriores al COVID, también conocidas como el COVID prolongado.

“En Carolina del Norte, más de un millón de personas no tienen seguro médico, lo que ha hecho que sea dificil para muchos tener acceso a atención para el COVID, al igual que para otras enfermedades”, dijo el secretario del NCDHHS, Kody H. Kinsley. “Este programa proporciona apoyo temporal para dar atención a muchas personas dentro de comunidades rurales e históricamente marginadas. Sin embargo, aún necesitamos hacer inversiones a largo plazo para lograr cerrar esta brecha de cobertura de seguro médico”.

Las citas gratuitas de telemedicina para revisar la elegibilidad para recibir tratamientos contra el COVID-19 estarán disponibles, mientras haya los fondos necesarios, para los habitantes de Carolina del Norte que hayan dado positivo con COVID-19, ya sea por una prueba hecha en casa o por otro método. Para hacer una cita, visite https://starmed.care/es/nc/ o llame al 704.941.6000. Puede llamar los siete días de la semana entre las 9 a.m. a 7 p.m. Si el proveedor de telemedicina determina que un paciente es elegible para obtener tratamiento antiviral oral, como Paxlovid, puede enviar una receta a la farmacia que el paciente elija o bien, obtener el producto a través de una farmacia de servicio por correo.

“Los tratamientos para el COVID-19 autorizados como Paxlovid pueden prevenir hospitalizaciones y salvar vidas si se toman dentro de los cinco días después de que empiecen los síntomas”, dijo la Dra. Susan Kansagra, subsecretaria de salud pública y oficial de salud del estado del NCDHHS. “Todos, especialmente las personas en alto riesgo de enfermarse gravemente a causa del COVID-19, deben tener un plan para comunicarse con un proveedor de atención médica de inmediato si dan positivo. Este programa de telemedicina ofrece otra opción para acceder rápidamente a tratamientos que salvan vidas”.

Este servicio de evaluación a través de telemedicina está disponible independientemente del seguro médico y no requiere presentar una identificación. Si usted tiene seguro médico, StarMed Healthcare facturará a su seguro y NCDHHS pagará cualquier costo adicional. Si no tiene seguro médico, no se le cobrará la consulta: las pastillas antivirales están disponibles gratuitamente para el paciente.

Las citas de telemedicina hechas a través del formulario de registro de StarMed están disponibles en inglés y en español, y seis idiomas adicionales estarán disponibles al final de la semana. Las consultas están disponibles en más de 200 idiomas a través de un servicio de interpretación, si se solicita. También está disponible el servicio de interpretación en lenguaje de señas americano. El programa de telemedicina funcionará desde mediados de diciembre hasta que se agoten los fondos, lo que se calcula ocurrirá a mediados de marzo.

De acuerdo a datos del tablero informativo de COVID de NCDHHS, las tendencias de COVID se están elevando nuevamente. Este año, la gripe (influenza) y el virus sincitial respiratorio ya han sobrepasado la capacidad de atención hospitalaria. Una forma de ayudar ante esta situación es vacunarse y recibir la dosis de refuerzo contra el COVID-19. Cualquier persona mayor de 6 meses de edad debe estar al día con sus vacunas y dosis de refuerzo contra el COVID-19. Encuentre un centro de vacunación cercano visitando Vacunate.nc.gov. Cualquier persona mayor de 6 meses de edad también debería vacunarse anualmente contra la gripe. Para encontrar centros de vacunación y más información, visite Vacunate.nc.gov/gripe.

NCDHHS motiva a todas las personas a mantenerse preparados, sabiendo qué hacer y dónde ir en caso de enfermedad a causa del COVID-19.

  • Tenga a la mano pruebas caseras y hágase una en caso de presentar síntomas o bien, si ha estado en contacto cercano con alguien que tenga COVID-19, incluso si usted está al día con sus vacunas. Hágase la prueba unos cinco días después de dicho contacto cercano. Para obtener más información y encontrar sitios de pruebas, incluyendo pruebas gratuitas en casa, visite Vacunate.nc.gov/Pruebas.
  • Si su resultado es positivo, manténgase alejado de los demás y siga las guías de aislamiento emitidas por los CDC. Si tiene dificultad para respirar o presenta otras señales de advertencia, busque atención médica de inmediato. Los tratamientos para el COVID-19 están disponibles y pueden reducir riesgos de hospitalización o muerte. Visite Vacunate.nc.gov/BuscarTratamiento para obtener más información o para hacer una cita de telemedicina en línea o llame al 704.941.6000.

Durante el curso de la pandemia, StarMed Healthcare operó 750 localidades de realización de pruebas en 29 condados de Carolina del Norte, y realizó más de 900,000 pruebas y aplicó más de 500,000 vacunas.

 

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Wandering Pt.2

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Bill Stanley Moves Into Lead Superintendent Role At Kerr Lake State Recreation Area

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Bill Stanley has been named lead superintendent at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area in Vance and Warren counties, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. He has served as a superintendent I at Kerr Lake since 2018.

A state park superintendent manages the operations and administration of a park and has responsibilities that include staffing, planning, environmental education, natural resources management, law enforcement and visitor services.

Originally from Ramseur, N.C., Stanley has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Stanley’s years at Kerr Lake have inspired a number of goals for his first year as superintendent.

“I want to improve community engagement and complete projects that improve visitor experiences at the park,” he said. “I want Kerr Lake to embody our mission of conservation, recreation and education.”

Stanley began his career in state parks in 2010 as a seasonal employee at Raven Rock in Harnett County and then worked as an AmeriCorps educator at Carvers Creek in Cumberland County. He took a park ranger position at Dismal Swamp State Park in Camden County before moving to Kerr Lake State Recreation Area.

North District Superintendent Kristen Woodruff said she looks forward to Stanley’s leadership to direct the park through growth and change.

“Bill’s familiarity with both the challenges and opportunities at Kerr Lake provide a foundation for excellent leadership as the park continues to grow and change. He is setting a new standard for the visitor experience at Kerr Lake,” she said.

Kerr Lake State Recreation Area is a collective of eight access areas around the shoreline of the 50,000-acre reservoir built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seven campgrounds with hundreds of campsites allow visitors lakeside camping, and numerous shelters and community buildings provide popular venues for local gatherings.

All eight recreation accesses provide boat access to one of the best fishing lakes in the eastern United States.
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 258,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 22.7 million visitors annually.

Lessons & Carols Service At Historic St. John’s Episcopal Church Sunday At 5 PM

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The historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamsboro is the site for a traditional service of Lessons and Carols this Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.

The community is invited to the service, which is fashioned in the style of King’s College in Cambridge, England.

St. John’s is the oldest frame church in North Carolina, and celebrates its 250th year in 2023.

In the days before the American Revolution, Williamsboro held a prominent position in the state. At one time, it was considered the prime location for a university – which ultimately was founded in Chapel Hill.

Early members of the church included John Penn, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Although not considered an active parish, St. John’s is maintained and supported by the Diocese of North Carolina and a dedicated committee made up largely of parishioners of The Church of the Holy Innocents in Henderson and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Oxford.

These churches, as well as the former St. John’s in Henderson and St. Cyprian’s, Oxford, are offshoots of the church in Williamsboro.

The service of Lessons & Carols is one of several held at the church each year, including a Homecoming service in October and an Easter service.

You can follow St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamsboro on Facebook. (facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070992423730)

Granville County Residents: Access FCC Map To Confirm Broadband Data

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Granville County residents can help improve broadband internet access by confirming existing information that will be used to determine federal and state grant funding to expand broadband access throughout the county.

Residents can visit broadbandmap.fcc.gov to confirm data  collected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on its new National Broadband Map, according to information from Terry Hobgood, the county’s public information officer.

This map displays where internet services are and are not available across the country, as  reported by internet service providers. The map allows consumers to easily dispute information shown on the map which they believe was not accurately reported by the providers.

“Granville County is constantly searching for funding and partnerships that can expand broadband access in the unserved or underserved parts of our county,” said Assistant County Manager Korena Weichel. “Accurate data is the first step to improved access.

Residents can help the FCC improve the map by submitting a “challenge” to one of the following points:

  • Availability challenges: If the information about the internet services available at your home or business is incorrect, you can dispute it by clicking on the “Availability Challenge” link on the map and submit the  form.
  • Mobile challenges: If the map of mobile coverage submitted by your provider seems incorrect, you can  dispute that by taking speed tests on your mobile phone with the FCC Speed Test App, available for both  Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samknows.fcc&hl=en) and iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fcc-speed-test/id794322383?mt=8).
  • Location challenges: If the information about the location point of your home or business seems to be incorrect, you can submit a “Location Challenge” to correct the information on the location by utilizing  the link on the map.

Data from these maps will be used when making award decisions for broadband infrastructure grants, Weichel said. Internet service providers also will consult these maps to determine where they may be able to access new customers and determine when and where to install new infrastructure needed to improve access.

“Even though regulatory laws in  North Carolina prohibit county and city governments from owning or operating internet infrastructure, we are committed to partnering with internet service providers that are willing to make the necessary investments that  will bridge the digital divide and expand access to broadband internet in rural Granville County,” Weichel said.

Home And Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

 

  • Check garden tools if they need replacing add them to your Christmas list
  • Make a final check of gas-powered equipment to be certain gas tanks are empty.
  • Inventory your seed supply. Order newly released varieties now before they sell out
  • Move trees and shrubs if needed.
  • Check moisture of holiday plants, especially Christmas trees
  • Clean up brushy areas of your landscape. Ticks and chiggers are inactive, but be mindful of poison ivy vines.
  • Review your garden journal about what was successful and even what didn’t do well so you can plan for next year.
  • Continue planting trees and shrubs.
  • Clean your greenhouse, high tunnel, or cold frame.

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TownTalk: Keeping Pets Safe Over The Holidays

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The advice could be coming from your family doctor about how to manage the upcoming holiday season: Limit treats, avoid fatty foods, get regular exercise and stay calm when there’s a houseful of company.

Humans would do well to follow these suggestions, but this advice actually comes from Bridget Waters, DVM. She’s talking about caring for our dogs and cats as we prepare for the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holiday.

Our pets may get anxious when guests arrive for a holiday gathering, Waters said in a recent TownTalk conversation. Waters operates Dabney Drive Animal Hospital in Henderson.

There are some chews that have natural calming agents – like the tryptophan in turkeys that makes us all want to nap after our Thanksgiving meal, she said. Some pets, however, get so anxious they may need a prescription medication.

And although humans may feel compelled to feed pets foods from the table, Waters said it’s not always a good idea.

“Don’t feed them the foods we eat over the holidays,” she said, because some of them may be too rich or too high in fat content. It’s not a great idea for humans to over-indulge, and that holds true for our pets as well.

She suggested that pet owners have pet-friendly treats on hand for those who can’t resist slipping that furry friend an extra morsel. In addition to grapes and raisins – both no-no’s for dogs, Waters listed as “not dog-friendly” onions, garlic, currants and chocolate,

As cold weather sets in, it’s important to remember to keep things like anti-freeze and ice melt granules out of the way, too. While sprinkling ice melt on driveways and sidewalks can help human navigation, when a dog or cat walks on it, it may stay on their paws and cause a problem.

It’s a good idea to wipe the animal’s paws when they come back inside. “Clear the paw pads of anything they might pick up outside,” she said.

Don’t let your pets be couch – or carpet – potatoes in the wintertime, which could bring on weight gain.

“Get them out for a little 5- or 10-minute walk instead of letting them lie around,” she said.

 

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TownTalk: Fundraiser Will Benefit J.F. Webb Athletics

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A pile of bricks has sat outside the J.F. Webb High School gym for the last couple of years, but they’ll soon serve their purpose, according to Webb Booster Club member Caroline Burnette.

That pile of bricks is becoming the foundation for a fundraiser that had been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burnette spoke recently on TownTalk to explain the project, which involves the purchase of engraved bricks.

The booster club is raising money for the school’s athletic teams and Burnette encourages Webb alumni, businesses and others in the community to be a part of the project.

Visit polarengraving.com/jfwebb to learn more or contact the booster club at jfwebbboosterclub@gmail.com.

Webb’s masonry students are going to install the donated red bricks outside the gymnasium. As the gray-colored bricks are purchased and engraved, a red brick will be taken up and replaced with the engraved brick, Burnette said.

“We can sell as many as we want,” she said, adding that once the first space is full, the plan is to move to areas near the football field and the baseball field on campus.

“This is a lasting opportunity – it’s going to be there for a really long time,” she said.

There are three price levels, depending on the size of brick purchased, she explained.

A 4 x 8 brick is $100, an 8 x 8 brick is $150 and the largest size brick is $225. In addition to having names engraved, there are hundreds of different images to choose from as well.

Burnette said some of the school’s sports teams are in dire need of new equipment and uniforms and this fundraiser will help to address some of those needs.

“It’s time to really support our kids,” Burnette said. “Please support our students at J.F. Webb.”

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Former Granville Sheriff Gets 18-Month Sentence For Falsifying Training Records

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Former Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins was convicted late last week by a Wake County jury on multiple counts of obstruction of justice and obtaining property by false pretenses.

The jury found Wilkins guilty of falsifying in-service training and firearms records necessary to maintain law enforcement certification for himself and other certain deputies under his command, according to information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood. The court sentenced Wilkins to a minimum of 18 months in prison followed by two years’ probation. He was immediately taken into custody.

Wilkin, originally indicted in September 2019, faces additional criminal charges, including two counts of felony obstruction of justice charges arising from allegations that Wilkins withheld knowledge of a credible threat to kill a former deputy and that he failed to make reasonable and professional efforts to protect the deputy. Two felony and two misdemeanor charges relating to allegations that Wilkins failed to discharge the duties of his office are also pending.

Following Wilkins’ original indictment on Sept. 16, 2019, Granville County Attorney Jim Wrenn brought an action to remove Wilkins as sheriff of Granville County. On Sept. 23, 2019, Wilkins agreed to a consent order suspending his service as sheriff pending resolution of the criminal charges. Following Wilkins’ suspension as sheriff, the Granville County board of commissioners authorized Wrenn to lead an internal investigation.

Details of the above-referenced internal investigations can be found on the Granville County website at this link: https://www.granvillecounty.org/government/county-commissioners/special-investigation-reports/.