Mandy Cohen, director of the CDC, speaks during an event in Raleigh on Monday.
Jaymie Baxley | NC Health News
HEALTH: SPECIAL REPORT
The former DHHS head returned to Raleigh to highlight work to address the social issues that often lead to health inequities
Mandy Cohen, the former head of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services who is now director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, returned to North Carolina Monday for a roundtable discussion about the factors that shape people’s health.
The outcome of yesterday’s election could determine how much the nation focuses on things such as access to transportation, jobs and housing — things that have a larger influence on health care outcomes than realized in the past.
Cohen’s agency, in particular, could be dramatically reshaped by the outcome of the presidential race, which remained undetermined as of Wednesday morning. Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently said that former President Donald J. Trump has promised to give him control of public health agencies, including the CDC, if he wins.
Before being appointed by President Joe Biden to direct the CDC, Cohen led North Carolina’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as secretary of NCDHHS. In that office, she repeatedly advocated for North Carolinians to get vaccinated, and she worked to dispel myths and conspiracy theories about vaccine safety.
A Trump victory could upend the work and structure of the nation’s public health agencies, while a Harris victory could mean that issues such as those social determinants gain more importance in public health work.
Nonetheless, Cohen and her fellow panelists, two of whom are North Carolina Democrats serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, mostly avoided wading into politics during their hour-long conversation.
Progress on health outcomes
One of the main topics of discussion during Monday’s roundtable was a pilot program launched three years ago by the YMCA of the Triangle.
Known as Y Health, the program serves patients who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, high blood pressure and other issues that, if left unmanaged, could develop into chronic conditions. After being referred to the program by a physician, the patients receive access to exercise equipment and health coaching services at the YMCA.
Susan Pettengill, vice president of Healthy Living initiatives for YMCA of the Triangle, said most of the nearly 3,700 people participating in Y Health have “achieved tremendous health outcomes.” Half of them lost weight through the program, she said, and 63 percent saw improvement in their blood pressure.
“We launched the pilot with a goal to replicate it statewide and ultimately nationwide,” said Pettengill, who added that there have been “initial medical cost savings based off of preliminary findings” from the program.
“We’re really excited about that,” she said.
The program was created with $2 million in funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. Christy Colgan, director of strategy for drivers of health for BCBS, said the organization has been satisfied with the results of its investment.
“Health doesn’t happen once you go to the doctor’s office,” she said. “That’s where you go when you’re not feeling well. Health happens here. It happens at the Y. It happens at your local community centers and at home.”
