Blue Cross NC officials visit Graham County leaders

Robbinsville - The state of health in Graham County was of keen interest to executives of Blue Cross NC, who stopped in Robbinsville on Oct. 7 at the midway point of a tour of all North Carolina's 100 counties.

Graham County was the 51st stop in the statewide tour that began in January 2021. Company officials present included Dr. Tunde Sotunde, a pediatrician who is president and CEO of Blue Cross NC.

The entourage met with local representatives in education, public health and religion in the media center at Robbinsville High School.

"Communities in all 100 counties across North Carolina are facing an everchanging landscape," the health insurance provider states on its website, extramilestour.com. "People are coming together to work for good and provide access to safe housing, healthy food, medicine, education and resources - the core drivers of health." Blue Cross NC's Extra Miles Tour is a listening tour across the state, meeting with community leaders who are making a positive impact.

"Their solutions include regional economic development initiatives, collaborative partnerships between healthcare providers and community colleges, and more," according to the online statement. "Over the duration of this tour, we'll visit every county to understand what they're facing and how we can lift up those who are going the extra mile - the people who live and work in their communities, and know them best.

"Our goal is to understand the complex diversity of our state, to celebrate those working to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians, and to learn from their worthy efforts to create solutions for our toughest shared challenges."

The group visited Cherokee County the night before and left for Cherokee in the Qualla Boundary after the Graham County visit.

Lorita Eller, representing the Graham County Health Department, said key issues in the county include high rates of cancer (breast, lung and brain), poverty, mental health, an aging population, and heart disease (the leading cause of death in the county). Lump all that together to a county with limited population, accessibility and resources. She described her "wish list" as long - but boiled it down to funding.

Graham County Schools Superintendent Angie Knight described mental health as an ongoing challenge in the schools and described some of the steps being taking, including increasing the school district's staff of mental health professionals. Much of that is thanks to COVID-19, both for increased mental health issues and for increased funding to address mental health issues.

The COVID-19 funding has a limited life span and expires in 2024, which will present new challenges, she said.

Robbinsville High School Principal David Matheson described programs designed to prepare seniors to join the workforce, including courses that teach carpentry, operating heavy equipment, hospitality and tourism (the county's top industry) and even teaching students to be drone pilots. The school is working to ad an agriculture program, as well.

High school students go through a two-year program that teaches them how to work, where to work, and even how to apply for work and interview for jobs. Other issues the community faces include a lack of affordable housing.

Superintendent Knight pointed to a program to teach Graham County's future teachers, but added, "We grow our own here, but they have to live somewhere."

The Rev. Eric Reece, pastor at Robbinsville United Methodist Church, said it is important for religious leaders to show they care for the community.

"Caring for the community is just as important as studying the Word of God," he said.

Reece's church has played a key role in fighting illiteracy and hunger in Graham County.

He said free breakfast and lunch for school children would be a game changer.

"If you're hungry you're not going to be able to concentrate in school," he said.

Foundation The Blue Cross NC Foundation provides grants throughout the year for worthy causes throughout the state.

The foundation awarded $400, 000 earlier this year to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to improve health, the most recent large grant affecting Graham and surrounding counties.

The foundation has awarded two grants specifically to Graham County organizations in the last decade, most recently $9, 300 to increase the scope of oral health services available at the clinic and reducing the need for Graham County residents to travel long distances for