Moving Forward Together in Caswell County

A recent article in Politico explored the impact Medicaid Transformation is having on three communities in North Carolina, highlighting many of the challenges we face here in our community and shedding light on the reality that as Medicaid prepares to pay, not just for healthcare, but for health itself by reimbursing community-based organizations addressing social determinants of health, Caswell is not likely to see any of that money.

The article paints a dismal picture of Caswell’s position “near rock bottom” and indeed the data, and the daily realities faced here in our community seem grim – we are the 15th most economically distressed county in the state and Robert Woods Johnson ranks us 64th in the state for health outcomes. Over half the households in Caswell County are either living in poverty or barely getting by. We are significantly under-resourced and lack significant infrastructure and capacity.

Yes, and…

Caswell is Moving Forward Together

There is so much more to this story – there are the volunteers with the four food pantries who work tirelessly to combat food insecurity and the groups like Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina who work with them to improve their capacity and sustainability. There are the programs offered through the Senior Center, the Partnership for Children, Cooperative Extension, and Gunn Memorial Library that enrich and enhance the lives of Caswell residents, often also meeting many of our community’s basic needs. Construction of a new high school will begin soon and Piedmont Community College continues to expand access to higher education in our community. Our downtown will soon include a new co-working space on the square and a new ag center is being developed in Pelham that will strengthen our local food system while opening up so many other opportunities. We continue to see gains in our digital connectivity as new cell towers are approved and legislative changes (and funding!) make it easier for us to attract internet service providers. The Chamber of Commerce is breathing new life into community events and finding creative ways to support local businesses. Safety net and crisis providers such as Crossroads and Family Services continue to increase awareness and support within the community while advocating for their clients.

Our two community health centers and county health department work together to ensure county residents have access to primary care, pediatric, behavioral health, dental, lab, x-ray, and urgent care services. Residents benefit from a newly established cancer resource fund, a community health worker program, and expanded local access to specialty care.

Each month 20-30 people from all these organizations, and so many others, come together as part of the Caswell Chapter of The Health Collaborative to learn more about the work being done and to discover ways to partner in projects, learning opportunities, and long-term initiatives dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Caswell County.

The Caswell Chapter is working with a Community-Centered Health cohort funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to break siloes, build relationships, and strengthen our physical and social infrastructure to build community capacity, increase access to opportunity, and create systems-level change.

Recognizing the necessity of a level playing field, a group of community members and county government staff are joining others across the state in a year-long learning cohort through GARE – the Government Alliance for Racial Equity. This learning opportunity will guide us through a process intended to evaluate and identify inequities within, or created by, our policies and operating procedures, and to create an action plan to address those.

It is these ongoing partnerships and the innovative efforts they are undertaking that drew the attention of Politico’s editorial staff to our community. People across the state, and beyond, are taking notice that there is something exciting going on in this little community that has grown weary of being “near rock bottom”.

No, Medicaid Transformation will not save Caswell County. The simple fact of the matter is, no one is coming to save Caswell County.

We will save ourselves, together.