North Carolina State Health Director Laura Gerald, M.D., is warning North Carolinians and visitors to avoid eating any fresh or frozen shellfish imported from South Korea following action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The warning includes shucked or shell-on oysters, clams, mussels and roe-on or in-the-shell scallops.

The teen cigarette smoking rate in North Carolina reached an historic low in 2011, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Al Delia announced today. Since 2003, teen cigarette smoking rates have fallen steadily, according to results from the 2011 NC Youth Tobacco Survey. The survey finds that the middle school smoking rate dropped to 4.2 percent from 4.3 percent in 2009, and high school smoking lowered to 15.5 percent from 16.7 percent in 2009. These are all-time lows for each group.

A recent analysis of a North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) program for chronic pain patients on Medicaid shows $5.2 million saved in the first year, and 2.3 million fewer pain pills were prescribed to patients in only three months.

There were nearly 20,000 reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of elderly citizens and younger adults with disabilities made to North Carolina’s county departments of social services in 2011, according to data released today by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In response to these numbers, Governor Bev Perdue dedicated $2.3 million in her budget to support an innovative Adult Protective Services pilot program in six counties across the state.

Giving live chicks to children is a long-time tradition during the Easter season and for backyard poultry producers, this is the time of year to buy chicks and ducklings for their flocks. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health is working with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to encourage businesses that sell or display chicks, ducklings and other live poultry to help educate the public about certain health risks associated with handling live birds.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health (DPH) has notified community partners that it has terminated the current grant process of the Community Focused Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (CFEHDI) following an investigation into mismanagement of state funds in the program. Grants awarded through the CFEDHI are intended for use by community based organizations to fund education and prevention efforts to improve health outcomes in underserved and minority populations.

Patient safety and fair treatment of employees will be the focus of a new, grant-funded initiative in the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities. The $600,000 three-year grant was awarded by the Duke Endowment as part of the implementation of a “Just Culture” approach to safety that promotes employee responsibility and system-wide improvement to ensure safety for patients and residents.

North Carolina has reported its first child death from flu for the 2011-2012 flu season. A six-year old died on Feb. 4 of complications from an influenza infection. (To protect the family’s privacy, the youth’s hometown, county and sex are not being released.)

The N.C. Infant-Toddler Program’s federal Part C grant application and new federal regulations are available for public review and comment.

A healthy diet starts in the grocery store, but knowing what to choose when you get there can be challenging. The N.C. Division of Public Health in collaboration with N.C. Cooperative Extension has created Aisle by Aisle: Choosing Foods Wisely – a series of 12 free online videos to help North Carolinians navigate their grocery store aisles

Gov. Bev Perdue announces the launch of a free, web-based tool to help small businesses develop worksite wellness programs. WorkWell NC, coordinated through the N.C. Division of Public Health, offers free resources to help small business owners and their employees who want to lose weight, quit smoking and manage stress. The WorkWell NC toolkit may be found at www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com.

Throughout January, several local health departments across North Carolina have reported multiple outbreaks of norovirus, prompting state public health officials to issue advice on steps everyone can take to avoid this common and unpleasant gastrointestinal illness.

More than one in four children in North Carolina are not getting enough food to eat to lead healthy, active lives, according to the study, Food Hardship in America 2010. With the leadership of Governor Bev Perdue, a public-private partnership is working to connect more eligible low-income children to federally funded food and nutrition programs like the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), administered by the N.C. Division of Public Health.

Gov. Bev Perdue today announced key leadership changes and consolidation at the Department of Health and Human Services as part of her continued focus to provide the best service for the people of the state.

The North Carolina Division of Social Services (NCDSS) has been awarded grant funding for Project Broadcast: Disseminating Trauma-Informed Practices to Children in the North Carolina Child Welfare System. This project provides the state $640,000 each year for five years (through September 2016). Its aim is to help provide children with services and practices to address the trauma caused by past abuse or neglect before that mistreatment leads to mental health problems or chronic disorders later in the child’s life.