SSTC part of 'groundbreaking' Healthy Opportunities pilot
North Carolina's 18 western-most counties are part of an innovative pilot program that aims to address social and environmental determinants of health. Smart Start of Transylvania County is participating as a Human Services Organization.
"The Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) is an innovative new approach to supporting the upstream social determinants of health and reducing the need for clinical interventions by using Medicaid dollars to pay for services related to transportation, nutrition, housing, and interpersonal safety. This Medicaid pilot program was developed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) with a goal to ultimately improve health and save millions on treatment of clinical illnesses or conditions by investing in evidence-based interventions before health becomes a problem."
Check out this article from WLOS about the Healthy Opportunities pilot program in Western North Carolina communities.