Helene Relief, Fellowship Graduation, and Leadership Awards: The 2024 Bernstein Event
Each year, as we gather for the annual Bernstein Event, we are reminded of the massive contributions of our state’s individuals and communities to improving health care.
This year, we are reminded of that more than ever.
When Hurricane Helene devastated communities across Western North Carolina (WNC), the catastrophic storm also impacted many FHLI employees and partners. In response, we focused most of the 2024 Bernstein Event on helping those affected by the natural disaster.
To encourage direct fundraising efforts during the event, we created a list of county-by-county resources, prioritizing community-based organizations across the region. Those organizations with deep ties throughout their communities will play vital roles as WNC recovers and begins to rebuild. Both during the Bernstein Event and after, we are asking our network to contribute directly to CBOs across WNC so they have access to the resources they need to support their communities.
Read more about this year’s event and watch presentations from our featured speakers, Bernstein Fellows graduates, and awardees below.
Hurricane Helene
During the event, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley gave a detailed update on hurricane response efforts. He emphasized the need for a long-term focus on rebuilding impacted communities across the region.
“This is something that is not going to be done in a few days. It’s not going to be done in a few weeks,” said Secretary Kinsley. “This is an entirely different trajectory for the health and well-being of the region, and our state will and must respond to it in a different way.”
He outlined many aspects of health care in Western North Carolina (WNC) that the state government has supported as of October 2, 2024:
- They coordinated with Duke Energy to restore commercial power to all 22 acute care hospitals in WNC within two days of the hurricane. Some of those 22 have since lost commercial power but remain open on generator power.
- They contacted all 91 regional nursing homes and delivered resources, including generator fuel, satellite phones, and Starlink systems, to help them maintain critical functions.
- They supported reopening at least one pharmacy in each of the 25 counties in the disaster zone. As of October 2, at least 126 regional pharmacies were open.
- They supported the reopening of all 27 opioid treatment programs in WNC, supplying 29 emergency shelters with naloxone and opioid overdose reversal medication and connecting those shelters with opioid treatment providers so people can receive treatment regardless of where they are.
- They served over 30,000 hot meals in McDowell, Watauga, and Buncombe Counties.
- They delivered thousands of pounds of food and water supplies to every county in WNC.
After Secretary Kinsley, Health and Human Services Regional Secretary Antrell Tyson took the stage to provide remarks about the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene. He spoke about the importance of federal government partnerships with the state government and local communities to serve everyone impacted by the disaster.
Bernstein Fellows Graduation
This year, we also celebrated the latest graduates of our Bernstein Fellowship program. Seven professionals across various disciplines completed this two-year program, which helped them develop a broader understanding of rural and underserved community needs and cultivate the necessary leadership skills to engage and collaborate with others to improve their communities’ health and economic state.
2024 Awardees
Every year, FHLI’s annual awardees underscore essential work being done across North Carolina to ensure more people have access to equitable health services. This year, we recognized the contributions of Joseph Bell, MD, who received the 2024 FHLI Community Achievement Award, and Barbara Pullen-Smith, PhD, who received the 2024 Jim Bernstein Community Health Career Achievement Award.
Learn more about their careers and the impact they’ve had on enhancing access and equity across our state.
We are already planning for next year’s event! Stay safe, and we hope to see you in 2025!