{"id":10985,"date":"2019-06-11T14:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T18:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/fammed\/?page_id=10985"},"modified":"2021-07-02T16:44:23","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T20:44:23","slug":"rockpci","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/fammed\/service-to-the-community\/clinical-care\/rockpci\/","title":{"rendered":"Rockingham County Primary Care Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Rockingham County, NC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/em> In the fall of 2018, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill partnered to form UNC School of Medicine\u2019s new Primary Care Initiative. Made possible by an $800,000 investment from Blue Cross NC, the program\u00a0 addresses a need for better access to health care in Rockingham County by increasing patient-centered primary care and recruiting more residents to enter health care professions in the county and the neighboring area. Along with UNC Health Care\u2019s purchase of the former Morehead Memorial Hospital (now UNC Rockingham Health Care) in Rockingham County last year, the program will help prepare the region to expand its ability to provide health care in the rural community.<\/p><\/em><\/p>\n

Program goals<\/h2>\n

Rockingham County\u2019s rate of primary care physicians per capita is much lower than neighboring counties\u201439 percent lower than the state average of 7.6 physicians per 10,000 residents. The county has higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and cerebrovascular disease when compared to state averages. Recognizing the county\u2019s need, Blue Cross NC invested $800,000 in the UNC School of Medicine Rural Advancement Program in 2018, and the North Carolina General Assembly, through the work of Senator Phil Berger, is augmenting this investment with additional funding.<\/p>\n

The Rockingham County Primary Care Initiative works with key partners and stakeholders to develop a collaborative approach to meeting the county\u2019s healthcare workforce needs. Broadly, the program has three main goals:<\/p>\n