Question:  What do autism, the poorest orphans in the world, hormone replacement therapy, and insurance denials have in common?

Answer:  They are all topics discussed on the most recent episodes of the Healthcare Insights in Northwest North Carolina podcast!

Listen and learn new insights about these topics with experts in their fields:

Click the links below or search for "Healthcare Insights in Northwest North Carolina" wherever you listen to podcasts.

Amber Nelms, BCBA - Amber shares insights from her work with Autistic youth, building a growing autism therapy business, and her inspiration for personal growth. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/nwahecwebmaster/hi-ep-132-amber-nelms-bcba-applied-behavior-analysis-for-autism

John Boswell, JD - John shares insights from his work with empowering the world's poorest children in Sub-Saharan Africa and the poorest regions of India. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/nwahecwebmaster/hi-ep-133-john-boswell-jd-beggars-to-bosses-empowering-impoverished-youth

George Ibrahim, MD - Dr. Ibrahim shares insights on hormone replacement therapy in women and men and dispels common myths about hormones, aging, and wellness. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/nwahecwebmaster/hi-ep-134-dr-george-ibrahim

Neal K. Shah - Neal shares insights on dealing with insurance claim denials and his work to empower patients and providers to overcome the hassles of fighting claim denials using Artificial Intelligence. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/nwahecwebmaster/hi-ep-135-neal-k-shah-insured-to-death

Presented by Northwest AHEC & Wake Forest University School of Medicine

This fall, Northwest AHEC is offering a dynamic lineup of behavioral health webinars designed to equip professionals with the latest tools, strategies, and insights to support mental wellness across diverse populations. Whether you're a clinician, counselor, social worker, or behavioral health advocate, these sessions offer valuable continuing education and practical knowledge.

1. Assessments and Levels of Care: Guiding Clients to the Right Treatment

📅 Date: September 26, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
📍 Format: Live Webinar
👩‍🏫 Speaker: Erica K. Smith, MSW, LCSW

This session provides a comprehensive overview of clinical assessments and screening tools used to determine appropriate levels of care for children, adolescents, and adults. Learn how to make informed referrals and navigate the behavioral health system effectively.

🔗 Register Here
📄 Download Brochure

2. Advanced Application of DBT Skills

📅 Date: October 10, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
📍 Format: Live Webinar
👩‍🏫 Speaker: Rebecca Edwards-Powell, MSW, LCSW

Designed for professionals familiar with DBT, this workshop focuses on strengthening clinical application through skills training groups, behavioral strategies, and role-play techniques. 

🔗 Register Here
📄 Download Brochure

3. Identifying and Addressing Anxiety and Trauma-Related Disorders in Adolescents

📅 Date: October 15, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00AM-12:15PM
📍 Format: Live Webinar
👩‍🏫 Speaker: Sarah E (Betsy) E. 'Betsy' Bledsoe , PhD, MPhil, MSW

This program is designed to help practitioners become more familiar with identifying the signs and symptoms of anxiety and trauma related disorders in adolescents.

🔗 Register Here
📄 Download Brochure

4. Experienced SUD Professionals Panel: Sharing Their Expertise, Wisdom, and Hope

📅 Date: October 22, 2025
🕘 Time: 1:00PM-3:00PM
📍 Format: Live Webinar

👩‍🏫 Speakers: 
Jesse Battle, MSMHC, LCMHC, LCAS, CCS
Tuesday Feral, LCMCHA (they, them)
Leslie D. McCrory, Retired Counselor
Geraldine A. 'Geri' Miller , PhD, LP, LCAS, CCS
Paul D. Nagy, LCAS, LCMHC, MS
Daniel H. Wilemon, M.Ed., LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS

Join a panel of seasoned substance use disorder professionals as they share insights, lessons learned, and hopeful perspectives on recovery and treatment. This interactive session is perfect for those seeking inspiration and practical guidance.

🔗 Register Here
📄 Download Brochure

🎓 Continuing Education Credits

Each session offers CE hours for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other behavioral health professionals. Details are available on each registration page.

Making Group Work, Work in Abuse Intervention Programs! Facilitating Change: Group Work Practices in Abuse Intervention Programs 

October 16-17, 2025 9:00 am – 4:30 pm 

LIVE WEBINAR

Are you ready to transform your approach to group facilitation in Abuse Intervention Programs (AIPs)? Join us for a dynamic two-day training designed to equip facilitators with the tools, strategies, and confidence to lead impactful, accountable, and engaging group sessions—no matter what curriculum you use.

Grounded in social work group principles, this training will help you:

• Create safe and structured group environments that promote engagement  
• Apply cognitive-behavioral and psychoeducational techniques to support change  
• Navigate resistance and conflict to strengthen group effectiveness 
• Incorporate mentorship and peer learning as tools for accountability  
• Collaborate with community and legal systems to enhance intervention efforts 

Whether you're new to facilitation or looking to sharpen your skills, this training will help you make group work, work.

👉 Registration open click here t

Our Northwest AHEC team recently gathered for a meaningful and energizing team meetup at the BrennerFIT Kitchen in Winston-Salem. The activity centered around healthy cooking but it offered so much more than just a meal.

Together, we prepared a nutritious dish while engaging in team-building exercises that strengthened our collaboration. The hands-on experience allowed us to connect in a relaxed, supportive environment, all while learning practical skills that promote wellness.

BrennerFIT continues to be a valued community partner, offering a comprehensive program built on four pillars: clinical care, community engagement, professional education, and research. Their mission focuses on supporting children with weight-related health concerns and their families, and their work makes a lasting impact across the region.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and connect through this experience. Check out some of our photos below.

We look forward to seeing you in Boone this October for this impactful and inspiring event! Moving Mountains and Community Conference, taking place October 13–14, 2025, with a preconference day on October 12, at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

Join fellow LPNs from across North Carolina for a dynamic, knowledge-based symposium designed to elevate your role on the health care team and enhance your professional practice. Register now for early bird rate! 

We’re excited to invite you to the Charles L. Spurr Piedmont Oncology Symposium, taking place Friday, October 24, 2025, from 8:50 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. at the M.C. Benton Jr. Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC.

This in-person event is designed for a wide range of healthcare professionals—physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, navigators, and others—who are committed to excellence in hematology and oncology care. Attendees will engage in a dynamic learning environment featuring renowned faculty, evidence-based presentations, and interactive case studies.

Whether you’re working in a hospital, clinic, or community setting, this symposium offers practical strategies and the latest insights to help you navigate therapeutic and diagnostic options and improve patient outcomes.

Why Attend?

• Learn from leading experts in oncology
• Gain actionable knowledge through case-based discussions
• Network with peers across the continuum of cancer care
• Return to practice with tools to enhance care delivery

📍 Location:
M.C. Benton Jr. Convention Center
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

🔗 Register or learn more here

Northwest AHEC continues to lead the way in accessible, high-impact continuing education with its 2025 North Carolina Annual STI Update, now available as enduring material. This virtual event, held on August 13, 2025, marked a milestone with record-breaking attendance—992 participants from 98 North Carolina counties and 12 other states.

Are you passionate about supporting families through their breastfeeding journey? The 2025 North Carolina Lactation Educator Training Program is designed to equip you with the essential skills to provide compassionate, evidence-based breastfeeding support.

🖥️ Online Self-Paced Learning - Register Now

August 1 – October 24, 2025
Learn at your own pace with engaging online modules that cover:

• Prenatal and postpartum counseling
• Basic breastfeeding management
• Common clinical concerns and solutions

💡 Important Dates:

• Registration Deadline: October 17, 2025
• All Modules Must Be Completed By: October 24, 2025

🤱 In-Person Skills Day

After completing the online modules, participants will attend a hands-on skills session to practice and refine their lactation support techniques.

Choose one session:

• October 27, 2025 | 1PM – 5PM - Register
• October 28, 2025 | 8AM – 12PM - Register
  📍 Holiday Inn Express, Winston-Salem, NC

Separate registration is required for the in-person skills day.

🎓 Why Enroll?

This training is ideal for:

• Health professionals
• Community educators
• Peer counselors
• Anyone interested in becoming a lactation educator

By the end of the program, you’ll be prepared to offer informed, empathetic breastfeeding support to families in your community.

🔗 Ready to Get Started?

👉 Register for the Online Training - Click Here

The 2025 North Carolina Annual STI Update was held on August 13, 2025, in a fully virtual format for both presenters and attendees—marking the fifth consecutive year of remote delivery. This approach continues to empower Northwest AHEC and its partners to deliver this longstanding, reputable continuing professional development activity to a broader and more diverse audience.

This year’s event was the largest since Northwest AHEC began managing the activity in 2013, with 992 attendees representing a wide range of disciplines including Allied Health, Behavioral Health, Health Careers, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and more. Within North Carolina, 98 of 100 counties were represented, and the activity expanded its reach to 12 additional states: Alabama, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.

The program featured expert presenters from respected institutions and organizations such as UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Mid-Charlotte Dermatology, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Fenway Institute, local health departments, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine.

Participants were eligible for 6.25 hours of continuing education credit, including Contact Hours, CHES/MCHES, ACPE, and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ through collaboration with UAB’s Office of Continuing Medical Education.

Featured Topics Included:

• Sexual Health Considerations for Aging Populations
  
  The focus on aging populations was seen as timely and essential, with many attendees planning to apply this knowledge in their practices.
  
  
• Taking a Sexual Health History and Introducing Shared Decision Models into Practice
  
  Participants valued the sessions that emphasized patient-centered communication and sexual health history-taking, noting that learning how to ask thoughtful, open-ended questions enhanced their confidence and effectiveness in clinical practice.
  
  
• Genital Dermatology
  
  The dermatology session was praised for its clinical relevance and clarity, especially the use of visuals and case studies.
  
  
• Leveraging Point-of-Care Diagnostics to Address Syndemics
  
  Buncombe County’s mobile unit success, as well as the rapid testing strategies discussed, inspired attendees with practical, real-world applications.
  
  
• Practice Guide to Implementing DoxyPEP
  
  Attendees reported increased confidence in prescribing or advocating for DoxyPEP, citing compelling data on its safety and effectiveness.
  
  
• Updates from NC Local Public Health Providers
  
  The panel session delivered timely updates for North Carolina providers, offering practical guidance on STI/HIV case investigation, the evolving role of NC DIS teams, and strategies for managing complex STI cases. Participants found the content highly relevant to their clinical work and appreciated the clarity and depth of the information presented.

To extend the event’s impact, all sessions were recorded and will be available online as enduring material beginning August 22, 2025, allowing continued access for professionals who could not attend live or wish to revisit the content. The sessions can be found here.