Overview

One of the most important issues facing the people of North Carolina is the state of their health and the availability of health care resources. The good news is that both generally have improved in recent years. However, reflecting the general trend toward the concentration of growth in urban areas, this progress has advantaged metropolitan regions more than the more rural counties. For example, some of the most modern medical technologies available anywhere are found in the larger Piedmont urban centers, whereas many rural parts of the Mountains and Coastal Plain remain isolated from such services. There are also diverse geographical patterns of death and disease. Some of these patterns are comparable with urban-rural to differences while others seem to be associated with east-to-west cultural contrasts. Over time, elements of change in distributions of diseases and national trends in the supply of primary care physicians, hospital facilities and managed care programs can be observed when North Carolina patterns are examined.

UNC Charlotte nursing students examining the foot of a resident of the Huntersville Oaks Nursing Home (Karen Haar) Dr. Sue Bishop, Former Dean, UNC Charlotte College of Health & Human Services, standing at Charlotte's University Hospital (Wade Bruton)

Patterns of Disease Total Mortality Heart Disease Cerebrovascular Disease Cancer Social Dimensions of Mortality and Morbidity Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Including HIV/AIDS Infant Mortality Health Resources Physicians Hospitals Medical and Information Technology Future Outlook

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