Episode 11: Inside Healthy Opportunities: Voices from the Pilot, Questions for the Budget (Social Drivers of Health)

In Episode 11 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we continue taking a closer look at the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) from the perspectives of those most deeply involved on the ground. As state budget debates put the future of the pilot in question, we hear from the WNC network lead, a participating Healthy Social Opportunity (HSO), and families enrolled in the program about what HOP actually means for their health and wellbeing.

This episode brings forward real voices from the pilot, showing how addressing social determinants like housing, food security, and transportation through Medicaid can make a tangible difference — and why decisions about funding in Raleigh matter for communities here in Western North Carolina

Special thanks to guests: Jennifer Caldwell (Impact Health), Sonya Jones (Caja Solidaria & the Henderson County Department of Public Health), Christina Schnabel (Caja Solidaria) & Elizabeth Johnson (parent advocate)