Community News

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC  – October 16, 2023 –  Buncombe County Schools opened its first school-based wellness center on October 16^th at the Erwin Middle School. The clinic is run by Blue Ridge Health (BRH), a Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC). This program offers healthcare services to students, immediate families, and staff. Each student must be registered by a parent or guardian in order to access the health services. The health center is open during regular school hours. The cost for services can be billed to the patient’s health insurance or it is billed on a sliding scale based upon the family’s size and annual income. School-based health services include primary care, urgent care, dental care, behavioral health, and nutrition. The funding for the program comes from the federal government, Dogwood Health Trust, and local donations.

Low resource and disadvantaged communities frequently have poor access to medical care and a higher level of chronic and untreated disease. A FQHC’s mission is to serve the needs of the needy as a safety-net provider of health care for the community. Its clinics provide a place for individuals to receive primary health care and wellness services without regard to insurance status.

There are many other school-based health care centers in Western North Carolina. Blue Ridge Health has 34 school-based clinics in 7 counties offering health care to more than 3,000 children. BRH has school-based wellness clinics at the following Asheville schools: Asheville Middle School, IC Imagine K-12 Public Charter School, and the Franklin School of Innovation. The Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers (another local FQHC) and the United Way partner to run a clinic at the Asheville High School.

It took a year to create the Erwin Middle School wellness center. Other partners include MAHEC Family Health Centers, Buncombe County Health & Human Services, and United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. The wellness center is staffed by one full-time counselor and nurse, a part-time advanced practitioner, and a mobile dental unit. The health center will have a food pantry and clothing closet to support the needs of the community. Telehealth is also offered through the center.

The benefits of a school-based health center are:

• Better access to health care
• Less student absenteeism
• Less stress over transportation to medical appointments
• Money savings
• Connectivity building between schools and families

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ASHEVILLE, NC –  October 25, 2023 – The COVID-19 metrics are on the CDC’s COVID Dashboard. For the week ending on October 14^th:

• Hospital admission levels are low in every county in North Carolina, including Buncombe County, and about 93% of the counties in the U.S. However, they have decreased in North Carolina and increased in Buncombe County from the previous week.
• Between 1-9 of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the lowest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are low in North Carolina. This represents about 2% of all ER visits, the 2^nd lowest of 5 levels and fewer than the previous week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data for the week ending on October 11^th is on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard.

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at an orange level representing the 4^th highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 60^th and 80^th percentile relative to the past level measured at the same site.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased from the previous week, between -10 and -99%, the lowest group of the 2 groups for a negative rate of change.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wants everyone to know that:

• COVID-19 can affect people differently. Some people have mild symptoms like a cold and others have more severe symptoms like a bad case of the flu. Some effects can be long-lasting.
• Older adults and immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness and being hospitalized.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines. The new updated vaccine is available locally at pharmacies, health centers and at the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Building at 40 Coxe Avenue in Asheville during regular business hours.
• For extra protection, wear an efficient medical grade mask
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
• People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
• If you test positive, your doctor may recommend medical treatment

If you get COVID, here’s the latest CDC guidelines:

• Isolate for 5 days provided the fever has resolved for at least 24 hours without taking any fever-reducing medicine. (Day 0 is the day that symptoms first appear. If there are no symptoms but a positive test, then day 0 is the day the test was positive.) Isolation means staying home and away from others.
• After the isolation period, wear a high-quality mask around others at home and in public for the next 5 days
• Masking can stop earlier with 2 negative antigen tests taken 48 hours apart

More and more Americans have developed some immunity to COVID-19 from immunizations and previous infection. New variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups more susceptible to severe illness.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

• • TONIGHT Karaoke every Thursday with Terraoke at the Getaway River Bar from 9pm to 1am.
  • Line Dancing, Country Music and Beginning Two-Step lessons every Thursday at Banks Ave. Bar, with their night called Butts N Boots starting at 6pm. No partner needed for this queer country night.
  • Drag show at Banks Ave this and every Friday starting at 11:30
  • Also this Friday don’t forget, it’s the final day of Asheville FM’s Fall Membership and Fund Drive. Help us raise 35,000 dollars in a week to help keep this and all of our great programs on the air. We’ll have open house, free coffee and treats, new Tshirts, and other fun things happening all week long. 
    • From 1-3pm Asheville FM’s show Ecstatic Listening becomes Esctatic Age Listening when she broadcasts live from Static Age Records. Go check out the Radio Witch and get a bumper sticker and make a donation, and listen to great live radio.
  • Friday night is Witch Party at The Getaway River Bar, a goth, hip hop, drag & burlesque party. Doors at 7 and show 8. Costumes encouraged.
  • If you find yourself in Greenville SC this Friday, The Greenville Gay Mens Chorus offfers Scream Queens: GGMC Cabaret & Costume Contest at The Velo Fellow.
  •  Party Foul drag show at The Odd this and every Saturday Night. Doors at 7, show at 8pm.

• This and every Saturday, drag shows starting at 11pm and midnight at O.Henrys.

• Saturday October 21st is a Generations Plus Connections Hike from 10am until 2pm. This hike is being sponsored by the Forest Service for our Generation Plus group (55+). Meet at Lover’s Loop Trailhead at 10am: 138 Silverman Rd. in Hot Springs. Bring a bagged lunch and water bottle.
• Also This Saturday morning it’s Served By Sev Drag Brunch – Blood Bath Edition. the scariest, spookiest, wettest show of the season. Show at 1pm (brunch at 11am), food provided by El Querubin. Bring your splash gear!
• Also this Saturday afternoon  at 2:00PM! Asheville Drag Brunch is proud to present Katarina’s Saturday Cabaret at Banks Ave. Bar for a brunch extravaganza that includes admission, brunch by Biscuit Head, and a professional drag show. Best of all, all profits go to support the non-profit organization Youth OUTright, WNC. Ages 18 and up. Tickets are available at www.AshevilleDragBrunch.com.
• Saturday night at the Getaway River Bar it’s Drag King Mortal Combat. Will Pounder, Atlas and other kings battle for the crown.10 lip sync battles, 8 main rounds, 2 bonus rounds – Doors at 8pm  tournament begins at 9
• Also this Saturday night at Dissolvr Modelface Comedy presents Spooky Silly Skeletons, a haunted comedy showcase! Featuring your favorite comedians from all over the south east and probably a few ghosts ages 21+Doors at 9:30, show at 10pm
• Every Sunday, Gentle Yoga for Queer & GNC Folks at West Asheville Yoga Studio from 1:30 to 2:30. Learn more at “westashevilleyoga.com”.
• “Life’s a Drag” Brunch Every Sunday at Asheville Beauty Academy. Doors @12, show @ 1pm. 
• Following the “Life’s a Drag” Brunch is Drag Appreciation Day every Sunday at the Asheville Beauty Academy from 3pm to 6pm.
• Monday and every Monday, Karaoke hosted by Ganymede at the 27 Club at 10pm. 
• Every Tuesday it’s Trivia with a drag queen at Avl Beauty academy at 8pm, followed by karaoke at 10pm. 

Looking ahead to next week

• Thursday October 26 Palmyra with Vandiver playing at Citizen Vinyl @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm.

• Thursday Oct. 26 – Boyscott / Nova One / Bex at The Odd at 8 PM –NOVA ONE examines queerness, femininity, and gender through a gorgeously moody ‘60s-inspired pop lens.

• • Also Thursday Oct. 26 – Gag Reflex Halloween Show at Different World.a high energy drag dance party hosted by Gravity and Thotianna lopez! with a special guest performance from Madonna impersonator Calcutta. Party starts at 9pm and costume contest during the evening.

• Friday OCT27th it’s the annual  PANSY COLLECTIVE HALLOWEEN COVER SHOW at Different Wrld Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm. Come see your friends and neighbors perform stunning renditions of your favorite bands- all for a great cause!as all Proceeds from this event will benefit Asheville Prison Books and Tranzmission Prison Project.

• Friday Oct. 27 it’s PRIDE Night in Hendersonville at the Blue Ridge Beer Garden. A monthly celebration of Hendersonville Pride.
• Saturday Oct 28 – Different Wrld and Emote present: Disturbia. tickets available this friday at noon. official disturbia line up, drink menu & costume contest details coming soon.
• Saturday October 28, at Beer City Bears “Bare As You Dare” Halloween Dance Party at the Underground at O’Henrys. 10pm – 2am.
• Sunday October 29th at Shakey’s it’s Beer City Bears Social – A kiki for bears, cubs, chubs, and their admirers. A fundraiser event.
• Tuesday October 31st is Actual Halloween and it’s  BACK YARD DRAG HALLOWEEN SHOW at Differnt Wrld.
• Also Tuesday Oct. 31st it’s Howl, a queer halloween strip show at The Getaway River Bar. Doors at 8 and show at 9 including strip performances and a midnight costume contest.

ASHEVILLE, NC  – October 6, 2023 – The North Carolina 2023-24 state budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars for mental health services. The Republican-majority General Assembly recently created the mental health spending plan after consulting with patients, families, providers and Kody Kinsley, the secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Many town halls were held throughout the state to discuss the mental health problem. A repeated theme was the difficulty obtaining these services.

WHERE did the money come from?

• Federal COVID relief funds
• The federal sign-on bonus for expanding Medicaid
• National opioid settlement funds

WHAT will be helped?

• Crisis care services
• Preventive mental health care
• Mental health access in rural communities: Including recruiting and retaining providers, developing telehealth, and strengthening transportation services

WHO will benefit?

• Mental health workers will be a large recipient due to better reimbursement for services, bonuses, more education opportunities, and more hiring.
• Children in foster care
• Vulnerable population groups will receive better access to care.

WHERE will these funds go?

• Primary care provider support with behavioral health specialists
• New mobile crisis teams
• Crisis and respite facilities
• Non-law enforcement transportation program for psychiatric admissions
• Community-based services
• Establish new behavioral health programs: including workforce training centers for behavioral health providers, community college behavioral health training, mental health support in the workplace, and post-incarceration coordination between providers, law enforcement, and detention centers
• Substance use disorder services: awarded to communities, supporting research at universities, and promoting harm reduction

A big difference will be that the entry point to mental health services will be in qualified facilities and no longer the emergency room (ER). The ER has been overwhelmed with patients with mental health problems. As a result, a common scenario is that many patients require transfer to inpatient psychiatric facilities under an involuntary commitment court order requiring law enforcement officers to administer handcuffs and transportation. Mission Hospital is awaiting the opening of a new mental health and wellness center off of Sweeten Creek Road in Asheville that will improve access to early treatment and reduce these unwanted stressors. The facility will include 120 beds for in-patients, space for out-patient treatment, and more behavioral health providers.

Medicaid expansion will improve access to health care for about 600 thousand North Carolinians who finally are able to obtain health insurance. However, there is a lack of psychiatrists and specialized child psychiatrists in N.C. Therefore, the newly insured will see primary care providers for their mental health needs instead of health providers in the emergency room. This will provide a new source of financial support for rural health practices. State funds will be directed to support a collaborative care model for primary care providers to consult with behavioral health experts.

The funds for behavioral health will support a plan that offers more access points for care including more prevention of mental health problems and better crisis management. The funds are not intended to be a one-time allocation, but represent a commitment by the N.C. General Assembly to sustain the improved mental health programs for the state.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ASHEVILLE, NC –  October 18, 2023 – The COVID-19 metrics are on the CDC’s COVID Dashboard. For the week ending on October 7^th:

• Hospital admission levels are low in 93 of 100 counties in North Carolina, including Buncombe County, and about 93% of the counties in the U.S. However, they have increased in North Carolina and decreased in Buncombe County from the previous week.
• Between 2-4% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 3^rd lowest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are low in North Carolina. This represents about 2% of all ER visits, the 2^nd lowest of 5 levels and fewer than the prior week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data for the week ending on October 4^th is on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard.

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at an orange level representing the 4^th highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 60^th and 80^th percentile relative to the past level measured at the same site.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased from the previous week, between -10 and -99%, the lowest group of the 2 groups for a negative rate of change.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wants everyone to know that:

• COVID-19 can affect people differently. Some people have mild symptoms like a cold and others have more severe symptoms like a bad case of the flu. Some effects can be long-lasting.
• Older adults and immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness and being hospitalized.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines. The new updated vaccine is available locally at pharmacies, health centers and at the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Building at 40 Coxe Avenue in Asheville during regular business hours.
• For extra protection, wear an efficient medical grade mask
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
• People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
• If you test positive, your doctor may recommend medical treatment

If you get COVID, here’s the latest CDC guidelines:

• Isolate for 5 days provided the fever has resolved for at least 24 hours without taking any fever-reducing medicine. (Day 0 is the day that symptoms first appear. If there are no symptoms but a positive test, then day 0 is the day the test was positive.) Isolation means staying home and away from others.
• After the isolation period, wear a high-quality mask around others at home and in public for the next 5 days
• Masking can stop earlier with 2 negative antigen tests taken 48 hours apart

More and more Americans have developed some immunity to COVID-19 from immunizations and previous infection. New variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups more susceptible to severe illness.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]