By Emily Vespa When a train barrels toward a pedestrian on the tracks, it’s almost always too late for the engineer to stop. A strike — so often fatal — can happen in mere seconds, but for a train driver, the collision and the fallout from it can haunt them for a lifetime. “There’s absolutely […]
Posted inHospitals
Mission nurses call for management to address workplace violence
By Andrew R. Jones Asheville Watchdog Choked. Hit. Kicked. Thrown against walls. Nurses at HCA Healthcare-owned Mission Hospital face a steady stream of assaults and violence in their workplace and say management needs to do more to prevent their physical injuries and emotional trauma. The violence is so prevalent that nurses called Asheville police 25 […]
Posted inState Health Policy
N.C. Senate budget would fund child care centers for nine months
By Grace Vitaglione The North Carolina Senate released a budget proposal June 19 for the coming fiscal year that would put funding toward child care needs and maintain last year’s budget’s 3 percent raise for state employees. The $31.4 billion dollar proposal comes after the House released their own budget plan Monday. The Senate bill […]
Posted inSubstance Use
What is xylazine, and is it increasing overdose deaths in N.C.?
By Grace Vitaglione Louise Vincent experienced xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer, a couple years ago. The drug, commonly called “tranq,” caused wounds on her arms that haven’t fully recovered, she said, and she was ashamed of their appearance. “It was the most horrible thing I ever experienced,” she said of the painful wounds. At first, she […]
Posted inUncategorized
Stuck in a hospital, hoping for a place of his own
By Rose Hoban Tylor Freeman would like to go home. His problem? There’s no home to go to. Instead, the 29-year-old has been cooling his heels at WakeMed hospital in Raleigh for more than 100 days. Freeman’s odyssey began last fall when he needed to have a minor medical procedure. He has cerebral palsy, along […]
Posted inState Health Policy
NC House budget would make quality standards optional for child care centers
By Grace Vitaglione and Rose Hoban The North Carolina House of Representatives released a budget proposal June 17 for the fiscal year that begins July 1 that would raise state employee salaries, put funding toward child care needs, boost some Medicaid provider rates and provide enhanced reimbursements for freestanding psychiatric hospitals. The spending plan also […]