NCHA Home

Poll Results: North Carolinians Put Blame for Rising Healthcare Costs Mostly on Insurers, Government

More than half of North Carolinians consider insurance companies and government to be at fault for the increasing costs of healthcare. Results of a spring poll of registered voters by Mason Dixon Polling and Research indicate that 34 percent believe insurance companies are most responsible, while 25 percent hold government more accountable for healthcare costs. Only 13 percent of those polled attribute rising healthcare costs directly to medical providers. Read more here.

NCHA Honors Three at Summer Meeting July 20

Three healthcare leaders were awarded with NCHA's highest honors July 20 during NCHA's Summer Meeting in Myrtle Beach.

Mike Stevenson, CEO of Murphy Medical Center in Murphy, received the 2017 Distinguished Service Award. Stevenson served two terms as an NCHA Board member and as chairman in 2011. He has been a reliable spokesperson and advocate for rural health issues, most recently helping to raise awareness about the behavioral health crisis in North Carolina.

Mary Jo Cagle, M.D., chief clinical officer for Cone Health in Greensboro, received NCHA’s inaugural 2017 Clinical Leadership Award. This award honors an individual who has demonstrated exemplary clinical leadership in care transformation through innovation and improvement. Under her leadership, Cone Health has earned accolades for patient safety and community care, been recognized as one of the Top 30 Accountable Care Organizations in the nation, and achieved the top U.S. ranking for heart attack readmission rates.

Janice Brumit, a former Board Chair of Mission Health in Asheville, was awarded the 2017 Trustee Merit Award. Brumit’s involvement with Mission Health began 17 years ago with the Mission Healthcare Foundation. She has been an instrumental member and chair of the Mission Health Board, shepherding the board and the wider community through administrative and cultural changes as the system grew. She also has served on the boards of the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, Mission Medical Associates and the Mountain Area Health Education Center.

NC Hospitals & Health Systems Boost State Economy

Hospitals and health care systems are a vital economic force in North Carolina. A new report shows the state’s health care sector generated $22.4 billion in labor income and $37.8 billion in gross domestic product last year. Hospitals directly and indirectly support nearly 400,000 jobs, or nearly 8.7 percent of total employment across the state. The Economic Impact of Hospitals and Health Systems in North Carolina, produced by RTI International and the North Carolina Hospital Association, examines the multiple ways health care influences local economic development: creating local jobs and educating the future workforce, attracting and retaining business, and providing essential unreimbursed services to the community. See the full report here.