NCCARE360: Buncombe County Regional Impact Summit

On Thursday, April 11th, 2024, local leaders in Western North Carolina (WNC) discussed NCCARE360, an FHLI program, at the Buncombe County Regional Impact Summit at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).

Over 30 organizations from across the region and state gathered in Asheville for the event hosted by Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM), Vaya Health Systems, and the Buncombe County government.

FHLI spoke with four health equity leaders using the NCCARE360 platform to amplify the impact of their incredible community-based work. In this edition of the Health Equity Digest, you can find out what they had to say and learn more about NCCARE360!

What Is NCCARE360?

NCCARE360 is a statewide, integrated network available in all 100 counties across North Carolina. It was born from a strong public-private partnership between the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and FHLI. The NCCARE360 implementation team includes United Way of North Carolina, NC 211, Unite Us, and Expound Decision Systems.

The virtual platform connects health care and human services organizations with a shared technology platform that enables a coordinated, community-oriented, and person-centered approach to delivering care in North Carolina. NCCARE360 helps providers electronically connect the community members they serve with the resources they need while facilitating direct feedback and follow-ups.

This solution ensures accountability for services delivered, provides a “no wrong door” approach to accessing resources, closes the loop on all referrals, and reports outcomes.

Collaboratively Addressing Complex Challenges

When local organizations and regional partners came together for this regional event, they learned, shared, and discussed ways to collaboratively address complex challenges through community-driven solutions. At the NCCARE360 Regional Impact Summit, participants:

• Reviewed community-needs data.
• Discussed common challenges and possible solutions.
• Received NCCARE360 training and technical assistance from Unite Us.
• Learned more about the benefits of leveraging the NCCARE360 platform.

Moving forward, this dedication to better meeting community needs will continue to have ripple effects throughout the region.

Community Voices: Experiences with the NCCARE360 Platform

During the event, FHLI sat down with several community partners to hear about their experiences:

Brandon Wilson, COO, Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry

Brandon has been a long-time champion of NCCARE360. He first became connected to the platform through his work with NCServes, where the pilot was initially launched to coordinate services for veterans throughout the state.

Now, he is the COO of Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) , a nonprofit that addresses poverty, hunger, homelessness, and access to health care for underserved communities in Buncombe County and veterans across 26 WNC counties. ABCCM uses the NCCARE360 platform to coordinate care for community members and collaborate with fellow organizations.

“Lack of affordable housing is a problem everywhere, but in our rural pockets, there’s unique and differentiating factors that go into that. So, unless we understand that and we track that [using NCCARE360] at the local community here in Buncombe County, at a regional level of Western North Carolina, and then as a state level, we can’t really start strategizing and targeting those funding and resources because we’ve all been working in silos up until this point.”

José Infanzón Chávez, Community Health Worker Regional Coordinator, UNETE NC

José is the Community Health Worker Regional Coordinator for UNETE NC , a grassroots organization grounded in a human rights framework that aims to transform lives across WNC. He coordinates a team of community health workers who help people access the resources, social support, and health care they need. The nonprofit currently serves Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Jackson, and Transylvania counties.

In his work, José uses the NCCARE360 platform to make referrals and facilitate follow-ups with community members.

“One organization cannot do everything. It’s about starting new relationships being able to amplify the services and support you provide your community. Being able to pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, I have this client; can you help them with this?’ It opens doors to everybody, being able to offer services and resources in a faster way.”

Kathey Avery, RN, BSN, CN, CEO & Founder of the Institute for Preventative Healthcare & Advocacy & Founder & Owner of Avery Health — Education and Consulting

Kathey has been a community nurse since 2008. When describing her role, she said, “It’s kind of like being a community health worker, but you also get to do more things because you can take care of clinical issues as well as some of those social determinants of health.” Today, she is the CEO and founder of the Institute for Preventative Healthcare & Advocacy (IFPHA) and the owner and founder of Avery Health—Education and Consulting .

She was also on the statewide committee that “defined the roles, competencies, and standardized training for community health workers (CHWs) in North Carolina.” In her work through IFPHA, she leads a team of trained community health workers and uses the NCCARE360 platform to further connect people with the resources they need.

“You can go out and meet the people, but you can also put the needs in NCCARE360, and that might save some time because there’s a lot of people on the platform that may pick it up. If you have someone dedicated to using NCCARE360, it’s a great resource. And community health workers are even better resources for being in the community, and together, you can make it really work.”

Kelly White, MPH, Community Engagement Manager, Mission Health Partners

Kelly is the Community Engagement Manager for Mission Health Partners , a network of hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers working together to improve quality, performance, efficiency, and value for WNC patients. The network includes over 1,100 physicians committed to improving quality and optimizing the care experiences for at-risk patients.

In her role, she collaborates with other organizations to meet patient needs using the NCCARE360 platform.

“It’s a huge connector for not only your organization and the organizations outside, but it also connects the members to the community. The platform is so huge, so there’s a lot of great resources that are within. We’re seeing utilities paid. We’re seeing people get funding for housing needs, if they are behind on their rent, if they’re behind on not having any food, just any needs that we’re submitting, a lot of times they’re picked up and taken care of by the organizations.”

NCCARE360 Helps Amplify Community-Based Work

Are you interested in hosting your own regional summit or learning more about leveraging the NCCARE360 platform? Join an information session held on the third Friday of every month via Zoom from 12 to 1 p.m. for an overview of the program, platform demonstration, and the chance to have your questions answered! View upcoming dates and register .

You can also visit the NCCARE360 blog to read about the platform and key takeaways from the Buncombe County Regional Summit .

Donate today to support FHLI programs and statewide initiatives like NCCARE360 that uplift community-driven solutions!