By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A health center based in Moore County and the health department in Wilson County are among the recipients of $1.25 million in federal funding, state officials said.
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According to officials, the Pinehurst-based First Health of the Carolinas and the Wilson County Health Department received funding through the North Carolina Rural Health Transformation Program, which supports rural health facilities in the state.
Funding was also provided to the Appalachian District Health Department, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, and Mountain Community Health Partnership, according to state officials.
Officials said the funding will expand preventive and acute health care, provide nutrition support, and address behavioral health needs by providing services in new locations with telehealth and mobile units and increasing capacity in current rural locations.
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All five health centers that received funding are school-based, according to state officials.
In order to be eligible for the grant, according to state officials, the applicants were required to have an active grant agreement with the NCDHHS Division of Child and Family Well-Being, provide a school health center program, and serve areas that have less access to local mental or physical health providers.
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According to state officials, the program is supported by more than $213 million in federal funding in the first year from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“This investment will bring critical health care directly to students in rural North Carolina,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement. “For many young people struggling with their mental health, having these resources at school can make all the difference.”
Said NCDHHS Secretary Dev Sangvai in a statement, “As we work to build a coordinated system that increases access to care for everyone in North Carolina, it is critical we reach people where they are, and for children, that is in their schools. This investment will remove barriers to care in rural communities, ensuring more children get resources and services they need.”
NCRHTP Director Maggie Woods said in a statement, “School-based health centers provide vital access to comprehensive, coordinated, and preventive health care through direct services and programs or through referrals to other primary care providers. We are grateful for our local, state, and federal partners who share in the commitment to ensure children can access the care they need and deserve in their communities.”
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