As a kickoff to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and ahead of this weekend’s NASCAR Chase at America’s Home for Racing, more than 100 breast cancer survivors and supporters joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Charlotte Motor Speedway to paint the iconic pit road wall pink in a moving display of solidarity and hope.

Access to timely mental health care remains a significant challenge across the United States. For college students, barriers to care can jeopardize not just health but also academic aspirations. This issue is especially pronounced at institutions serving rural populations, which often face workforce shortages and can only provide limited or fragmented access to psychiatric care.

Dr. Tunde Sotunde: North Carolina is at a tipping point on health care costs. What we have today isn’t working for families, businesses, doctors, communities, or the long-term health of our state, and incremental change won’t fix it.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is the only nonprofit health insurer that offers coverage across the state’s 100 counties across all lines of business. That leaves the company with very little room to retreat to more profitable markets when healthcare costs increase.

As the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation marks its 25th anniversary, its focus on access to care, health through food, and youth mental health reflects challenges that extend beyond state lines.

“Every child deserves to feel supported and mentally healthy,” said Colleen Briggs, President of the Blue Cross NC Foundation and Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Blue Cross NC. “That’s why we’re helping coaches, educators, and community partners, including the Carolina Hurricanes, recognize when a young person may be struggling and know how to respond. Together, we are building a healthier, more connected future for children and youth across North Carolina.”

North Carolina has launched the Public Service Leadership Program, a five‑year initiative to strengthen the state’s social work workforce, especially in rural and underserved communities. The program is supported through an investment from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, helping expand access to mental health and social services by growing and retaining the public‑sector social work pipeline.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the fall NASCAR race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway will return to the historic 1.5-mile oval.

Food isn’t just fuel. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent and manage diet-related chronic conditions and help people live healthy, full lives. In North Carolina, where heart disease and diabetes remain the top causes of death, access to healthy food is still out of reach for many.

As we head into the holidays, food banks and pantries across North Carolina continue to face surging demand. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is committed to nourishing families today and every day, because we know that access to food is essential for the health and well-being of our members and communities.