Visit to Greenville Fire and Rescue
It was a pleasure to visit the Greenville Fire/Rescue Department headquarters for a tour and to meet with our local firefighters.
Eastern North Carolina fire departments play a critical role in keeping our communities safe, often working under difficult conditions and with limited resources. In Congress, I’m proud to work with our local departments to secure federal funding so they have the tools they need and can invest in state-of-the-art equipment to stay prepared.
We owe so much to the Greenville Fire/Rescue Department for looking after our town and answering the call to duty at a moment’s notice, any time of the day. Thank you to Chief Jeremy Anderson and the team for your selfless service to our community and for putting yourselves in harm's way to keep us safe.
Meeting with Koinonia Christian Center Pastors
It was a pleasure meeting with the pastors of Koinonia Christian Center and hearing about the important work they are doing to serve families and strengthen our community.
Faith-based organizations play an important role in communities across Eastern North Carolina, providing support, encouragement, and opportunities for people to come together and serve their neighbors.
I appreciated the opportunity to hear more about Koinonia Christian Center, learn about their ministry, and discuss the needs and priorities of the people they serve.
I am grateful for their leadership and commitment to our community, and I look forward to continuing to work with them and other community leaders across Eastern North Carolina.
Celebrated Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Grant for Eastern North Carolina
It was a pleasure to join Administrator Tom Engels, Agape Health Services, and community leaders in Washington, NC, to celebrate a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to help expand access to behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment across rural Eastern North Carolina.
Throughout my time in public service, addressing the opioid crisis has been one of my top priorities. As a member of the North Carolina House, I introduced the STOP Act to combat prescription opioid abuse and helped enact the Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Enforcement Act to strengthen penalties for the illegal manufacture, distribution, and possession of these dangerous drugs.
That work has continued in Congress, where I have sponsored the bipartisan Veteran Heroin Overdose Prevention Act to address opioid abuse and overdose deaths among those who served our nation.
For rural communities, access to treatment and recovery services can make all the difference. Starting the process of seeking help is difficult enough, and we must make sure patients have the resources and support they need to get on a better path and avoid relapse.
Agape is doing important work to save lives, restore health, and give people struggling with addiction a path toward recovery. I am proud to stand with them and grateful for the work they do every day for families across Eastern North Carolina.
Attended ECU Health Aortic Awareness Day Event
It was a pleasure to join ECU for Aortic Awareness Day alongside the John Ritter Foundation, Yasmine and Tyler Ritter, patients, families, and healthcare professionals.
An aortic emergency is a life-changing event that affects far more than the patient. Families and loved ones experience the fear, uncertainty, and challenges of recovery alongside them, and their stories deserve to be heard.
As a physician, I know that treating the medical emergency is only part of the recovery process. We must also recognize the mental and emotional health challenges that patients and their families can face after a traumatic event.
Aortic Awareness Day is an important opportunity to bring those experiences into the conversation, raise awareness, and support the patients and families navigating life after an aortic emergency.
I am grateful to ECU and the John Ritter Foundation for bringing people together to share their stories, support one another, and help improve awareness and care for those affected by aortic disease.