A Path Forward: Leading Brunswick communities toward better behavioral health
Help us address behavioral health distress
Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center will lead the way as a partner to those in need
With A Path Forward, we are committed to providing the treatment, outreach programs and community education necessary to meet this dangerous crisis head-on. Your support today will help Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center rise beyond being a great hospital and become the lifesaving partner the Brunswick County community deserves.
Help make our dream a reality
Millions of Americans with mental health issues are not getting the care they need. Your support today will help us invest in the proper tools, solutions and integrated-care approaches to provide a safe place for behavioral health patients in Brunswick County.
“Brunswick County is in the midst of an addiction crisis, as is the state of North Carolina and across the United States. The only way to combat that crisis is to address the root problem, which is mental health.”
– John Ingram V, Sheriff, Brunswick County
Our communities in crisis:
Our youth are dying and families are overwhelmed
Brunswick County, Ground zero for opioid abuse: (January – June 2019)
- 40 heroin overdoses in 30 days
- 162 heroin overdoses to date
- 28 deaths from heroin overdoses
Behavioral and mental health crisis:
- Rate of Brunswick County youth experiencing a mental health condition continues to rise
- Over 44 million American adults have a mental health condition – 1 in 7
- More than one-quarter of adults in the U.S. experience some type of behavioral health disorder in a given year
- One mental healthcare provider for every 1,310 residents in Brunswick County (national average 490:1)
- Reliance on Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center ED at record numbers, overwhelming staff and resources
- Days-long wait for referrals to mental health treatment facilities
Need for access and outreach
- Need improved clinical access to behavioral health resources in each Brunswick community
- Need improved transportation for behavioral health patients – 43% of the population live in rural areas with limited access to services and treatment
Our goal is to raise $3.5 million to:
- Expand our Emergency Department (ED) to include five beds dedicated to behavioral health patients to provide better treatment and safety for all
- Integrate Novant Health Medical Group Clinics in Brunswick County into a comprehensive behavioral health outreach network county-wide to improve local access to Novant Health medical experts
- Develop a direct outreach program for early detection of mental health and addiction issues including Telemedicine hubs serving county high schools and nurses on the front-line of mental health and substance abuse issues
- Initiate proactive in-school outreach and support for younger students
- Support education programs on prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses
- Increase the number of first responders, training and transportation in coordination with Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Anchor Initiative
Click here to download a brochure about the capital campaign so you can share with others.
Join the Brunswick County champions who have pledged to help our community.
It is through community involvement that we become more like family and less like strangers. It is by the grace of your support that we are able to give back to the place that has given us so much.
A Path Forward Campaign champions:
Campaign Chairs:
- The Braddock Group, LLC
- Marnie Williamson, The Isles Restaurant
Honorary Chairs:
- Clarice & Ronnie Holden, Civic Leaders
- John Ingram V, Brunswick County Sheriff
- Jon David, Brunswick County District Attorney
- Shelbourn Stevens, Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center President
- Cindy Cheatham, Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center Foundation
The time to act is now.
Your support will mean the world to those in need.
You can learn more about how to support this campaign by contacting:
Cindy Cheatham, Development Manager
Phone: 910-721-1745
Email: CWCheatham@NovantHealth.org