January Pulse: A Growing Healthcare Gap

January 29, 2025

Dear Friend,

This is an especially concerning moment for nonprofit healthcare providers. More than 670,000 North Carolinians are at risk of losing health coverage this year due to Medicaid changes and the loss of ACA subsidies. While Alliance Medical Ministry does not accept Medicaid or insurance, these shifts mean we anticipate a significant increase in Wake County residents who have nowhere else to turn for care. In response, we are preparing to serve an additional 500 patients this year—a 25% increase over our current patient population.

This challenge is compounded by a troubling reality: North Carolina has the highest healthcare costs in the nation, yet ranks in the bottom 10% for health outcomes. That contradiction is difficult to reconcile in a state with such wealth, medical expertise, and advanced technology.

In Wake County, the medical safety net is not sufficient to meet the growing needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. The human cost is profound. The economic cost is equally real—when uninsured individuals delay care, they often become sicker and rely on emergency rooms, placing strain on hospitals and the broader community.

Organizations like AMM are part of the solution. By providing preventive care and managing chronic disease, we help patients stay healthy, remain employed, and support their families—while reducing costly emergency care.

I invite you to consider a gift to help us expand access to care for our most vulnerable neighbors and address this critical need.

With gratitude,

Pete Tannenbaum,
AMM Executive Director

We are excited to announce that Dr. Lynette Staplefoote-Boynton has joined AMM! Dr. Staplefoote is a physician with a background in public health and a career-long commitment to advancing health equity. Before entering medicine, she worked in health policy, research, and public service through roles at the RAND Corporation, Health Care for the Homeless, and several public health organizations, where she focused on projects aimed at healthcare access, health system navigation, and integration of primary and mental health services for underserved populations.

Dr. Staplefoote-Boynton earned her Doctor of Medicine from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at Duke University Health System.

Throughout her education and career, Dr. Staplefoote-Boynton has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to addressing the social determinants of health and addressing health disparities. Her scholarly and clinical work continue to center on improving population health, advancing innovative care models, and closing gaps in outcomes for marginalized communities.

It's been a cold and icy winter, but that hasn't stopped us from providing fresh produce for our patients! Though the uncovered ground may have been covered in ice, AMM still has ways to grow fresh produce in these cold conditions. In the hoop house (a plastic, greenhouse-like structure that stays naturally warm by sunlight), we are still growing and harvesting collards and kale.

Alliance Medical Ministry

101 Donald Ross Dr

Raleigh, NC 27610-2593

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Alliance Medical Ministry · 101 Donald Ross Dr · Raleigh, NC 27610-2593 · USA