News

Cooper, DHHS secretary visit Pisgah Forest, Fletcher

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 11, 2024

North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley joined Gov. Roy Cooper Friday to tour Helene damage in Transylvania and Henderson counties.

Cooper and Kinsley first stopped at Pisgah Fish Camp in Pisgah Forest, a landmark family-owned restaurant in Transylvania County badly damaged by Hurricane Helene. Kinsley spoke to the owner Mike Hawkins and visited with elected officials including Transylvania County Manager Jaime Laughter and Lisa Fletcher, the superintendent of Transylvania County schools. Kinsley concluded his visit in Transylvania County with a stop at pharmaceutical company Pisgah Labs, a major employer in the area. In Henderson County, the secretary stopped at the N.C. National Guard Warehouse and Operations Center and then toured the damage in northern Henderson County with Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely.  

While speaking with the media, Kinsley highlighted some of the work under way at NCDHHS to help friends, neighbors, families and communities in every corner in Western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene. State and local public health staff are helping restaurants and businesses reopen so they can support and serve their communities.   

• Restaurants who lack their usual sources of power, drinking water and wastewater treatment can safely reopen through a Emergency Operations Plan developed with their local health department.  
• Emergency Operations Plans for more than 70 restaurants have been approved as of Oct. 9 in addition to those approved at the local level. 

NCDHHS is working closely with federal partners to increase access to food for people impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

• EBT cards can be used to purchase hot prepared foods from retailers that accept EBT in all 100 counties in North Carolina, impacting nearly 700,000 households enrolled in the program.  
• People in 23 Western counties that use EBT cards got 70 percent of the previous month's benefits automatically reloaded onto their EBT card because of food lost during sustained power outages.  This totals more than $24 million in benefits for approximately 200,000 people.  
• Of the 1,645 retailers that accept EBT cards in 25 counties in the west, at least 85 percent were able to run EBT transactions as of Wednesday Oct. 9.  

The health and well-being of people impacted by Hurricane Helene continue to be a top priority for NCDHHS as it works to ensure communities have access to medical care, life-saving medication and infant formula. Those efforts include:

• Working with the N.C. Medical Board to track all open community medical practices, including 10 in Transylvania County and 19 in Henderson County. 
• Each of the 25 counties and the EBCI Tribal Area have at least one pharmacy open and filling prescriptions, including six in Transylvania County and 16 in Henderson County. Visit the NCDHHS website to see all open pharmacies and medical practices.  
• Following concerns about oxygen supplies, the state worked to stand up two refill stations, including one in Mocksville and one in Brevard.  
• More than 10,000 cases of baby formula were delivered to impacted counties. Henderson County has received 2,805 cases of infant formula along with bottles, nipples, and water to support community need. Transylvania County has received 801 cases of infant formula along with bottles, nipples and water to support community need.  

Responding to the emotional and mental toll that a crisis like this can bring on, numerous support programs are in place:

• NCDHHS has ramped up staffing at the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.  Folks in immediate crisis or contemplating self harm should not hesitate to call.   
• The Disability Disaster Hotline, 800-626-4959 provides information, referrals and guidance to people with disabilities and their families during disasters.   
• The Disaster Distress Helpline specializes in post-disaster trauma and provides counseling services 24/7. If you would like to speak with someone, please call or text 1-800-985-5990.  
• People can walk into a clinic for mental health or substance use care the same way urgent care clinics help people with immediate physical health needs.
• Mobile crisis teams can send trained clinicians to a home, community, or shelter to respond to an urgent need.  To get connected with a mobile crisis team, call Vaya Health at 1-800-849-6127.