Cary, NC – The North Carolina Rural Health Transformation Program (NCRHTP) has launched across the state to help improve healthcare access and strengthen community connections to positively impact health outcomes for all residents in North Carolina, specifically in rural communities.
The program’s Digital Health and Technology Initiative is in partnership between the NC Department of Health and Human Services, the NC Department of Information Technology’s Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity and United Way of North Carolina’s NC 211 program, which already provides multilingual, 24/7 digital navigation support.
When residents contact NC 211 regarding the program, they’re connected with a dedicated Digital Health Navigator for personalized, one-on-one training on essential digital health skills. This consists of completing digital health skills assessments and connecting residents to in-person digital health literacy support. The program will empower residents to more fully access care online and participate in the rapidly advancing digital world.
"Rural communities are the backbone of North Carolina, yet many residents continue to face significant challenges in accessing healthcare and support services," said David Mercado, Senior Director of Operations of United Way of North Carolina. "The NC Rural Health Transformation Program represents an important investment in improving health outcomes by meeting people where they are and connecting them to the services they need to thrive."
North Carolinians who believe they may benefit from the program are encouraged to contact NC 211 by dialing 2-1-1 or (888) 892-1162 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
For more information, visit the NC Rural Health Transformation Program website and the NCRHTP Initiative Six webpage.
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About NC Department of Health and Human Services
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services manages the delivery of health- and human-related services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable people – children, elderly, disabled and low-income families. NCDHHS serves as the lead state agency for North Carolina’s Rural Health Transformation Program aimed at improving health care for rural North Carolinians and their communities.
About NCDIT Division of Broadband & Digital Opportunity
The Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity was created within the N.C. Department of Information Technology to elevate the state's priority to close the digital divide in North Carolina. The Broadband Infrastructure Office partners with the Office of Digital Opportunity to serve as a statewide resource for broadband access and adoption initiatives. The division's mission is to drive economic and workforce development by enabling all North Carolinians to fully participate in the digital economy through expanding access to high-speed internet, digital devices and digital literacy across the state. To learn more, visit NCBroadband.gov.
About NC 211
NC 211 is a free, multilingual, and confidential information and referral service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Operated by United Way of North Carolina and powered by local United Ways across the state, NC 211 connects residents with local health and human services resources across all 100 counties in North Carolina. To learn more, visit NC211.org.
Stevens Amendment Disclosure: This news release is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $213,008,356.47 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.