Volume 1, Issue 35

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VOLUME 1 ISSUE 35

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Scorched This week the political battle that has engulfed the nation and the state materialized in a crime scene. The firebombing of the N.C. GOP headquarters in Orange County, combined with heated and personal attacks during debates between the candidates for president and N.C. governor, left many North Carolinians wondering about the true health of our political discourse and how we have come this far. Story on Page A8

North Carolina state of health

VOTE 2016

How we care

Regardless of the votes cast in November, we share common goals. To support and educate children, care for parents and stay healthy and happy remain N.C.’s top priorities. Our population is living longer, so the health care industry is the state’s fastest-growing employer. N.C. also has some of the best medical facilities and research institutions in the nation, and the state is consistently among the best places to retire. But broadening access and choice while containing cost are still on the state’s to-do list. By Donna King and Emily Roberson North State Journal

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ALEIGH — Between 2016 and 2026 the health care industry is expected to create more jobs faster than any other profession, estimated to mark a 10 to 30 percent growth surge within a decade. Now a $3 trillion industry, health care accounts for about 17 percent of the U.S. economy. The highest growth rates are in rehabilitation therapy and home health aides. The growth is the side effect of an aging population that is living longer, and increased demands on the system are a constant concern in North Carolina. However, North Carolinians are, by and large, a healthy group — or at least as healthy as the rest of the nation. The Department of Health and Human Services says N.C. ranks at about the national average in healthy lifestyles and patient safety, and it has made improvements recently in areas like infant mortality and obesity. In categories that include care for older adults the state ranks well above average. This is one of the factors that regularly pushes the state to the top of best places to retire lists. Forbes this year put Raleigh and Asheville in the top 25 cities for retirees because of access to medical care and low cost of living. One of the biggest challenges still facing the state is access to medical care in rural areas. Life expectancy in rural areas is 13 percent lower than North Carolina’s urban centers. The highest average life expectancy in the state is in Wake and Orange counties at 81 years. The lowest is in Swain and Columbus counties at 73 years. DHHS say the reasons go beyond simple access to health care, and that improving the economy in rural North Carolina is a key part of improving its overall health. But paying for it — that’s the catch. Health care inflation is running about three percent a year, while health care spending — by Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act and employer plans — is increasing at about 6.9 percent per year. Finding a way to pay for advances in medical care for an aging population is a challenge faced from the floor of the N.C. General Assembly to kitchen tables across the state.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Kathy Montero talks to her 7-year-old daughter, Arianna, about her school day after she and her father, Gary Hoadley, met her at the bus stop. Hoadley, who has Alzheimer’s disease, has lived with the Monteros since December 2015. “If you’re not currently a caretaker, there a good chance that you will be at some point in your life,” says Montero.

When children become their parents’ caregiver By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A personal story As the staff of the North State Journal brainstormed about how to focus on health care in North Carolina, we suddenly realized that we only have to look across the table to find a compelling story. Our own weekend editor and Hurricanes reporter, Cory Lavalette, leaves each work day and goes home to fight a different battle. His wife Barb is in kidney failure and their journey through dialysis and search for a transplant is a story you won’t forget. Full story on Page B3.

Facing insurance uncertainty after Aetna and UnitedHealth flee Page 2 ECU’s dentistry program seeks bright smiles from rural N.C. Page 3

Friendships forged through agriculture, Page C3

APEX, N.C. — Kathy Montero often hands out personalized business cards with a three-sentence message: “My loved one has Alzheimer’s disease and is hard of hearing. Please be patient and speak loudly. Thank you for making a positive difference.” The loved one is her father, Gary Hoadley. Montero moved her parents, Gary and Juanita, to North Carolina from Indiana after Gary’s progressing Alzheimer’s proved to be too much of an obstacle for him to care for himself and his wife, who had suffered a major stroke years ago. It’s not her first foray into caring for a loved one. Her father-in-law Antonio’s hospital stay about four years made it clear to Kathy and her husband, Gabriel, that his parents couldn’t care for themselves. Gabriel’s mother Maria, now 85, also has Alzheimer’s and her worsening conditioning led them to move her to an assisted living memory care unit. Antonio’s cancer progressed and he ended up moving in with the Monteros. “I can’t imagine being sick yourself and then trying to care for a See CAREGIVER, page A8

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