Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / April 10, 2019, edition 1 / Page 4
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4A THE CHOWAN HERALD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10,2019 Healthcare exec talks to commissioners BY MILES LAYTON Staff Writer The head of a healthcare firm answered questions from the Chowan County Board of Commissioners to clarity possibly estabfishing a new health center in Eden ton. Dr. Michael McDuffie, executive director of Met ropolitan Community Health Services, stopped by the April 1 meeting. In March, commission ers unanimously dismissed a letter from Metropolitan seeking support to aid pos sible plans to open a clinic. Commissioners then and more recently on April 1 expressed concerns about how a new clinic may neg atively affect the county’s health department or how ebb and flow of federal dol lars may affect future op erations for such a clinic. McDuffie offered statis tics about these clinics that are located throughout the country and serve more than 28 million people by providing primary care, mental health and dental services to low-income pa tients. “We provide health care service to the most vulner able underserved popula tions on a sliding fee scale,” he said. “We help to fill the unmet need in the commu nity.” McDuffie insisted that commissioners received some wrong information, so he wanted to set the re cord straight. “Your health director did state in the August 28 meeting that Metropolitan would take the insured patients and then leave the uninsured back to the health department,” he said. “Well, that’s not so. We are here to see the most vulnerable patients.” Battle Betts, director of Albemarle Regional Health Service countered, “With some of things I’m hearing, it’s just misinformation, quite frankly.” Betts touted some health department services, such as being the first in the state to implement to tele- medicine. He noted that it is important to look out for tax dollars at all levels of government. “We do public health and we do it well,” Betts said. Betts said public health serves birth to grave, ex cept for dental services — a responsibility taken over by ECU School of Medicine’s service learning centers. Also, Betts countered that it’s more like 12 percent of the county’s population is uninsured, not 58 percent as McDuffie suggested. Commission President Patti Kersey said after hear ing both sides, she wanted the county administration to study what neighboring counties do. McDuffie said Metropol itan receives funding from the federal government to provide this service to pa tients on a sliding fee scale, perhaps as low as $35 for a visit that may include ev erything from lab work to primary care services. He offered an example about how the purchase of insulin from one of Metropolitan’s pharmacy is more afford able because of the federal government’s role, than if the insulin was purchased on the open market. “Services offered by your health department — they don’t offer the primary care, oral health, behavior al care services. They don’t have an onsite pharmacy,” he said. Betts said, “I respectful ly stand by my comments from last time. I do see that a clinic would be a duplica tion of services.” McDuffie said though there would be some refer rals to the health depart ment for services Metro politan doesn’t offer like HIV testing, there would be no duplication of services between the two entities. “What we want to do is work together,” he said. Another benefit; Metro politan would pay for NAR- CAN — a drug used by law enforcement to temporar ily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. When talking about clin ic’s affordability, services offered and collaboration between Metropolitan and various county/state agen cies, McDuffie said, “We are good citizens and good community members. This town needs these safety net services for the citizens that can’t afford to go other places and get affordable health care. They can get health care just like any one else, anyone with in surance for as low as $35. Even if they don’t have $35 — the inability to pay doesn’t mean we are going to turn them away.” Possible site for a clinic would be to purchase the property the old Edenton- Chowan Board of Edu cation building on West Queen Street, McDuffie said. Fourteen staff mem bers would be hired to serve the clinic. Responding to a question about funding from Com missioner Ron Cummings, McDuffie said the county or the state is not required to provide funding for the clinic — money that comes from the federal govern ment. A letter of support from the commission was needed to better secure federal financing. Cummings responded, “So once that money from the federal government dries up, then where does it come from?” McDuffie answered, “The money from the federal government doesn’t dry up — that money just goes on and on. Community health centers have been around since 1960. We continue to get expanded services and new funding, so that mon ey doesn’t dry up.” Cummings charged, “If it’s taxpayer money and the federal government is involved in it, then some thing is going to go wrong, and we’re going to end up on the hook for it — the county is.” Commission Don Fair cloth added, “I see you keep saying the federal gov ernment is going to pay for this, but any time someone comes to us with a grant it tells us that in a year, three years, five years — you are going to have to reapply for funding to keep going. That is a big concern.” McDuffie answered by saying that when reapply ing, the clinic not only has to have a good grant pro posal writer, but be a good steward of the past money it received and demon strate sound financial prac tices. Because of the high percentage of uninsured in the area, the federal gov ernment has a vested inter est in keeping the clinic in operation. “The federal government isn’t going to shut you down unless you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing,” he said. McDuffie reassured com missioners that if a clinic did come to Chowan Coun ty, “So it’s not like we’re go ing to come here and then leave. If we come here, we hope to be here for many many years to come.” Candidates for District 3 seat visit Chowan County From Staff Reports Early voting for The 3rd District’s Congressional seat started today (Wednesday). Democratic congressio nal candidate Richard Bew will be at 11:15 am. Thurs day at Nothin’ Fancy Cafe in Edenton. A former legisla tive assistant to Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Bew retired from the Marines last fall after 29 years. He’s served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Serbia, and his military background is a key reason he thinks he has the right profile for a Democrat to carry this district. On a related note, Republi can congressional candidate NC Representative Greg Murphy, R-Pitt, visited Eden ton last week. Prior to elec tion to the North Carolina House of Representatives, Murphy served as president of a medical practice. He was also a member of the ECU School of Medicine Faculty and served as Chief of Staff of Vidant Medical Center. Murphy spoke to folks in places near and far from Regulator Marine to Shepard-Pruden Library. GOP congressional candi date Phil Law was scheduled for a meet and greet Tuesday at the library as this newspa per was in the final stages of going to press. Law received his B.S. in information sys ¬ tems from Strayer University in 2008. He works as a secu rity and community emer gency response team trainer and was previously a site supervisor for Hewlett Pack ard from 2004-2015. Prior to that Law served in the U.S. Marines from 1999-2004. Chowan U. honor society holds ceremony From Submitted Reports MURFREESBORO — On March 24, the Chowan Uni versity chapter of the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society inducted 69 new members and bestowed honors cords on their graduating seniors. The honor society founded in 1924, recognizes outstand ing first-year students. Stu dents must have a 3.5 GPA or higher and be in the top 20 percent in their class to be considered for membership. The area seniors who re ceived graduation cords are LaTavia ShaTora Riddick and Cayla Nicole Smith, of Eden ton; and Haley Marie Cooper, of Hertford. The new members' from the area are Jordan Mitchell Brown, of Plymouth; Jarod N. Curley and Aryana Alexis Hedgepeth, of Eure; and Da vid Thomas Joyner, of Coler ain. Chowan University, grounded in its Christian faith, has been transform ing the lives of students of promise for over 170 years. A Christian liberal arts univer sity founded in 1848, Chowan enrolls 1,400 students each year and is located in the Historic Inner Banks com- munity of Murfreesboro in northeastern North Carolina. For information about Chowan University, visit www.chowan.edu or call 1- 8884-CHOWAN. A DeW Relief Agency helping people eliminate debt through bankruptcy NOTICE OF SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION CHOWAN COUNTY ELECTION SUBMITTED PHOTO Chowan University’s Alpha Lambda Delta’s spring 2019 seniors received their cords at a recent ceremony. Rocky Hock Community Egg Drop April 13 Rocky Hock Baptist Church 11:30 am Rain date April 20th Lunch, Games, Prizes, and thousands of eggs! APRIL 30, 2019 ONE STOP ABSENTEE VOTING 730 N Granville St Edenton NC, Suite “D” One Stop voting begins Wednesday, APRIL 10,2019 Hours daily are Monday thru Friday- 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. All voters are welcome to vote at One Stop Same-Day Registration for new voters is available at One Stop Voting If you are not registered to vote or have a change to make in the system you will need to vote during one stop to make the necessary changes. ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL Requests available for Absentee ballots until Tuesday, APRIL 23,2019 Hand delivered absentee ballots must be delivered to Elections office by APRIL 30,2019 by 5:00 p.m. All returned mailed ballots must be post marked by APRIL 30,2019 Mailed absentee ballots must be received in office by 5:00 p.m. on Friday MAY 3,2019 SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION DAY • APRIL 30, 2019 All precincts are open County Wide 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Precinct Locations: East Edenton - Old National Guard Armory - 702 N Broad St, Edenton West Edenton - Chowan County Agricultural Center - 730 N Granville St, Edenton Rocky Hock - Rocky Hock Rescue Squad Building -1414 Rocky Hock Landing Rd, Edenton Center Hill - Northern Chowan Community Center - 2869 Virginia Rd, Tyner Wardville - Faith Fellowship Baptist Church - 3500 Virginia Rd, Tyner Yeopim - National Guard Armory - 739 Soundside Rd, Edenton CANVASS DAY - ELECTIONS OFFICE 730 N Granville St, Edenton Absentee/Provisional/Election Day Votes 11:00 a.m. Friday, MAY 10,2019
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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April 10, 2019, edition 1
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