This video posted today on the North Carolina Justice Center’s blog, the Progressive Pulse, shows Dr. Atkinson and Adam Searing, director of the North Carolina Justice Center’s Health Access Coalition, talking healthcare reform.

Laura Aiken is a community health specialist with WakeMed and director of Advocates for Health in Action.
Once again, Wake County is leading the way in providing healthy options for our citizens. Beginning June 26, the Western Wake Farmers’ Market in Cary will provide low‐income individuals improved access to fresh, wholesome food by accepting Electronic Benefits [...]

Yesterday, Inclusive Health hosted an event in the Andrew’s Center on WakeMed’s Raleigh Campus to enroll North Carolina residents who have had trouble securing a health insurance policy due to pre-existing medical conditions. 
At the event Judy Dixon, an Inclusive Health Enrollee, shared her story.
Judy has been covered by three different health insurance organizations this year [...]

The Cary News included a story yesterday quoting me and profiling two Holly Springs residents on their desire to have a hospital built in their town.  Every community wants a hospital for convenience, choice, access, and yes, competition throughout the region.  But it is not feasible for every community in an urban county like Wake [...]

Christine Craig is the Director of WakeMed’s Government Affairs Department
One of WakeMed’s top priorities for health care reform is focused on preserving Medicare and Medicaid payments to hospitals.  Currently, individuals 65 years and older qualify for our county’s public insurance program, Medicare.  The federal government pays for Medicare services delivered by hospitals and health care [...]

Christine Craig is the Director of WakeMed’s Government Affairs Department
This morning I joined a couple of my colleagues for a “snow day” planning breakfast.  Those are the best types of meetings!   I shared with them WakeMed’s health care reform priorities.  After much discussion, one of my colleagues said “now this is what reform really [...]

In 1992 I was contacted by the editor of the Accent II, Aurora, Colorado’s weekly magazine inserted into the daily paper.  At the time, I was serving as the executive director of Humana Hospital Aurora.  The topic was health care reform.  This same article could be published today with very few tweaks and would be [...]

As part of its ongoing series on health care reform, The News & Observer’s Martha Quillin has an excellent story on today’s front page about the struggles of Gail Johnson, a 55-year-old woman whose employer does not offer health insurance.  The article touches on several issues that Dr. Atkinson has discussed on this blog, including [...]

I have said time and again that what we have today is not really a system due in large part to the lack of communication and coordination among various providers. However, there are examples where coordination is happening and solutions are working. One example of these solutions can be found right in WakeMed’s backyard.  In [...]

Another great local case study that could be held up as a national model is Alliance Medical Ministry.
Alliance Medical Ministry is a faith-based medical ministry that serves uninsured working families in Wake County. For the most part, Alliance operates like any other private doctor’s office. Board certified physicians provide general primary care to patients [...]