Carrie: Kinston, NC

Carrie is a registered nurse case manager at Kinston Community Health Center. She works with Medicaid patients who have high-risk chronic conditions – like cardiovascular disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes – and educates them on how to manage their conditions and utilize preventive care to maintain optimal health.

Through her work, Carrie sees first-hand how vital Medicaid is. Her patients use their health insurance to see necessary doctors and get the medicines they need to get and stay healthy. Carrie helps them through the process of creating and following a care plan, and with access to necessary care, they often succeed in keeping their health at its best. 

Without Medicaid, Carrie knows that many of her patients would suffer irreversible and likely fatal outcomes. “Patients will forego their medications for basic needs like food or rent. If I can help them with just part of that, whether it’s the medications, or even the basic needs, then I’ve done something to change this person’s quality of life.”