Throughout her first two-and-a-half semesters in Southwestern Community College’s Medical Sonography program, Emma Dao heard her instructors repeatedly emphasize the value of curiosity. 

Because Dao took that message to heart, one area woman received an early cancer diagnosis and now has a much better outlook for treatment and recovery.

Western North Carolina has struggled for decades with a simple problem that produces complex consequences — not enough primary care providers practice in rural areas. Specialists often practice in urban areas, routine care gets delayed until an urgent problem arrives and options for patients are limited. The Mountain Area Health Education Center was created to address that gap, and continues to do so with a new facility in Cullowhee. 

As the federal shutdown drags on, Republicans accuse Democrats of prolonging it for political reasons, pointing to stalled votes that could reopen the government and fully restore programs like SNAP. But Democrats say what they’re holding out for isn’t politics — it’s protection. Specifically, protection for millions of Americans who rely on Affordable Care Act subsidies that will soon expire. 

To the Editor:

The Congress has to finalize the Big “Bad” Bill (for most of us) by Oct. 1 or face a government shutdown. This means Congress still has the rest of September to “fix” the worst parts of this bill if they want to before the final vote by Oct. 1. 

To the Editor:

Thank you for including the article by SMN News Editor Kyle Perrotti, "COVID mounts late summer surge amid onset of flu season" in the Aug. 27 edition of The Smoky Mountain News. The article was-well written, factual, informative and encouraging.

Macon County has delayed action on consolidating its health board and seems to have taken a commissioner takeover completely off the table. 

On July 8, commissioners began working on a strategy to create a consolidated human services agency with the aim of reducing what multiple people called “silos” that can allow government authorities to operate inefficiently or even perhaps in direct opposition to each other without even knowing it. 

Vecinos, Inc. has humble origins. First founded through the Jackson County Health Department, the nonprofit, which provides “equitable, culturally centered healthcare and wellness services in Western North Carolina,” transitioned in 2004 to providing bilingual healthcare to migrant farmworkers through mobile clinics. 

To the Editor:

Last week at the Jackson County commission meeting, we heard some truly disturbing news about the ways the “Big Beautiful Bill” will affect Jackson County. Cris Weatherford, the Director of Department of Social Services, gave a breakdown of federal money our county is about to lose.

Macon County Commissioners will gather public comments on Tuesday, Sept. 9, ahead of a potential decision to take over the county health department. 

In North Carolina, county health departments are tasked with acting in residents’ best interest to promote good public health, including environmental health, personal health, vaccinations and disease tracking. 

The last year has brought an unusual pattern in COVID surges. 

Typically, the virus is worst during the winter with an additional summer surge beginning around June. Last winter, there were fewer infections, hospitalizations and deaths, and while this year’s summer surge has been delayed, it’s now being felt across the region.