Please see the progress on CHIP for 2022 and 2023 note tabs listed under each program by clicking the links below.

Access to Care

•   Promote recruitment and retention of additional medical personnel
  •   MCPH Telehealth Visits
  •  Number of Primary Care Visits at MCPH 
  •  Vescinos Mental Health Visits for Macon County Residents
  •  Vescinos OPV Provided to Macon County Residents
  •  CCC Franklin OPV
  •  CCC Highlands OPV

Obesity

•   Chronic Disease Management and other health education classes within Macon County

Substance Abuse

•   Supporting Aligned Activities of Community Partners and Systems
  •  View From Here - Macon County
  •  Narcan on EMS Vehicles
    • Illicit Drug OD EMS Response 
    • Prescription Drug OD EMS Response
    • Number of Overdoses EMS Responded
    • Number of Overdoses Requiring Transport to Hospital
  •  Narcan Distribution Program
    • NARCAN Administered by Non-EMS

Affordable Housing

•   Committee to Address Affordable Housing Issues

No significant changes in morbitity and mortality in our community.

• RWJF County Health Rankings 2023

These are the new or emerging issues in our community in 2023 that were not identified as priorities in our CHA.

• Cost of healthy food continues to increase with inflation.

• Increase in property tax assessments at the beginning of 2023, has made it even more difficult for new buyers to purchase homes and current owners to keep their homes. Home prices have skyrocketed and new building has not kept up with demand.

• Pandemic and Post Pandemic urban to rural migration has caused housing costs to increase for home purchase and rentals. Many homes have been converted to short-term rentals, decreasing housing availablity for local residents. 

• Increased housing costs have decreased available family income for food, utilites and medical care.

• Increase in food insecutity amoung seniors on fixed income due to inflation. 

The following are new initiatives or changes in our community in 2023:

• The first installment of Opiod Settlement Funds was received, but no clear direction has been established on what will be done with the money.

• Grant received from the Duke Endowment was used to establish a produce perscription program for food insecure familie in Macon and Swain Counties. 

• A new farmers market that will accept SNAP and EBT benefits is set to begin in May 2024. This project is a collaborative effort between MountainWise, Macon County Public Health and The Town of Franklin. 

• NC Medicaid Expansion has increased the number of people with health insurance, but many providers are not currently seeing new patients or accepting Medicaid.