Western Carolina Medical Society to End Emergency Relief, But Plans Expanded Client Support
When Hurricane Helene left its mark on Western North Carolina more than eight months ago, countless agencies sprang into action, including the Western Carolina Medical Society (WCMS). With emergency dollars from funders such as the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, North Carolina Medical Society Association, WNC Bridge Foundation, and the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology, as well as private donors, the 140-year-old agency met a variety of needs, from purchasing durable medical equipment and prescription replacement to paying overdue light bills and rent. With those funds now distributed to individuals in the agency’s Project Access program and other community members, that phase of recovery ended May 31, 2025.
To date, WCMS has delivered the following support:
- Rent Support: $25,684
- Groceries: $20,559
- Utilities: $7,462
- Medical: $6,723
- Transportation: $1,198 in direct payments
- Gas cards to Four Area Federally Qualified Health Centers: $10,000
WCMS Executive Director, Karen Wallace-Meigs, who had been on the job less than four months when the storm hit, commented that “Out of so much pain came a glimmer of good. WCMS assisted our community by identifying new funding and community partners. In some cases, agencies pooled donations to support neighbors in need.”
The WCMS staff of ten tirelessly worked emergency relief efforts with no additional staff or volunteers to process paperwork, all while managing their signature programs: Project Access, WIN – the largest interpreter network in WNC, and Healthy Healer, a social/emotional support program for member physicians and physician assistants. “We are incredibly grateful to all of our donors,” Wallace-Meigs shares. “WNC Bridge Foundation supported our Healthy Healer program, allowing our agency to offer free therapy and coaching services to providers in the months since the storm. A healthy community is only possible if we have healthy care providers.”
WCMS hopes to create an emergency fund to provide ongoing, as-needed support to Project Access program enrollees. Project Access coordinates free specialty care for low-income, uninsured residents of Buncombe and Madison counties who are ineligible for Medicaid.
“Going forward, we want to help our most vulnerable neighbors when times are tough for them as individuals. No one can genuinely be healthy if they cannot put food on the table or keep a roof over their heads. Our emergency relief work is entering a new phase, a long-term phase based on our patient-client’s needs in the moment. We want to help them overcome their personal storms.”
