Tallulah – The Graham County Department of Public Health has ensured non-stop medical care for the next three years.
Thanks to a yearly community health grant of $150,000 from the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Rural Health, the department will continue to have two nurse practitioners for patients to see: Norma Burdette and Meggan Smith. Both have worked in tandem at the P & J Road office since Aug. 28, after county Health Director Donna Stephens obtained a one-year, $118,000 grant from the Great Smokies Health Foundation.
“We are excited to have this grant for three years to help sustain our healthcare providers,” Stephens said. “This will allow us to build up our client base and be self-sufficient in keeping our providers.”
A county native, Smith had just departed Graham County Urgent Care & Family Practice four days prior, when the clinic abruptly closed due to what was deemed “ongoing unexpected financial issues.”
“I knew I had to do anything possible to stay local,” Smith said on Aug. 28. “I had a few offers from surrounding areas, but it didn’t feel right in my heart. No matter how much I tried to force myself to move on, I couldn’t.
“As soon as Donna called me and said she had good news, I knew everything was happening for a reason.”
Burdette worked as the health department’s contracted nurse practitioner since 2019, traveling from her hometown of Bryson City twice a month to see patients in Graham County.
Ironically, Smith had known about the vacancy at the health department but opted not to apply, leaving the door open for Burdette’s hiring.
“When they asked me if I wanted a full-time position, I ran over here,” Burdette said in August. “I love it over here, so this was a very easy decision. I know the community needs all the resources that they can get.
“I think I was led here: this was meant to be.”
Stephens knew the significant void set to be left by the urgent care’s closing would place a major workload on Burdette, so the health director – another native of Graham County, who was brought aboard in March 2023 and had first worked with Smith when the latter was an intern at present-day Graham Healthcare & Rehabilitation – kept things quiet while discussing a deal to bring Smith aboard.
“The county commissioners fully supported the decision to hire Meggan; nobody wanted to lose her,” Stephens said at the time. “The county wants to get local health care here.”
Since taking the post 16 months ago, Stephens has advocated to get the health department restored back to its former reputation of being a full-service medical facility.
Securing the three-year grant from the Office of Rural Health is just another component of her long-term plan aimed at improving the overall quality of health care in the county.
Currently, the only other medical facility open to all county residents is Appalachian Mountain Community Health Center (formerly Tallulah Health Clinic). Graham County has brokered a deal with AdventHealth’s Hendersonville campus to re-open the urgent care facility in downtown Robbinsville.
Before opening the doors, the credentialing process is underway. Officials hope to have the clinic operational in August.