public health

After a briefing on the opioid crisis with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, President Trump remarked on the severity of the epidemic but did not declare a national emergency, as his commission on opioids had recommended.

Some States Say Declaring An Emergency Has Helped In The Opioid Fight

3:37pm August 09, 2017

by Andrea Hsu

Arizona is among the states that have declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency, to help with funding and access to data. It's a move the Trump administration has declined to make.

Health & Safety

Report: Opioid Abuse Plagues The Rural South, Including North Carolina

4:33pm August 07, 2017

by Sean Bueter

A new study suggests North Carolina is home to four of the top 25 cities for opioid abuse, and the vast majority of cities on the list are located in the South.

Andrea Towson used heroin for more than three decades. After a near-death experience with fentanyl, she sought help.

'That Fentanyl — That's Death': A Story Of Recovery In Baltimore

6:36pm August 03, 2017

Andrea Towson was known in West Baltimore as the go-to person for help getting high. Last year, she nearly died from a fentanyl overdose. "Thank God for another day," she says.

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Georgia OB-GYN Will Lead Centers For Disease Control And Prevention

5:42pm July 07, 2017

by Andrea Hsu

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, who leads the Georgia Department of Public Health, has been appointed CDC director. She'll take over as the Trump administration seeks big cuts to the CDC's budget.

A comprehensive study of air pollution in the U.S. finds it still kills thousands a year, and disproportionately affects poor people and minorities.

U.S. Air Pollution Still Kills Thousands Every Year, Study Concludes

8:28pm June 28, 2017

by Rob Stein

An analysis examining mortality among millions of Americans concludes that a tiny decrease in levels of soot could save about 12,000 lives each year.

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Traffic Fatalities Rising In Winston-Salem

11:22am June 13, 2017

by Eddie Garcia

There's been an uptick in traffic deaths in the Winston-Salem area. A vehicle crash on June 11 marked the 12th crash fatality of 2017.

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On May 24, George Mwinnyaa graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a bachelor's degree in public health.

My Improbable Graduation: From A Tiny Village In Ghana To Johns Hopkins

1:05pm June 03, 2017

by George Mwinnyaa

George Mwinnyaa didn't get high enough scores for admission in his homeland. So he put his dreams on hold. Here's how he came to earn his diploma at Johns Hopkins University.

Left Behind: Treating The Crisis Of Veteran Suicide

12:21pm June 01, 2017

by David Ford

Suicide is a major health concern across the U.S., especially among military veterans.

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Health & Safety

Governor's Report: Opioid Deaths Surge In Forsyth County

12:17pm May 16, 2017

by Sean Bueter

Forsyth County had the largest increase among urban counties in opioid-related deaths between 2005 and 2015, according to a report released Monday by Gov. Roy Cooper's office.

Racial and ethnic disparities persist in sudden unexplained infant deaths.

Racial And Ethnic Disparities Persist In Sudden Infant Deaths

10:52am May 15, 2017

by Katherine Hobson

Babies in Native American and Alaska Native families are at higher risk of sudden unexplained infant death, despite years of effort to reduce the toll. African-American families also face higher risk.