Cardinal Health Agency (Lumberton, N.C.)

The Cardinal Health Agency was a Lumberton, N.C., organization created under the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. The organization's mission was to assess health needs in southeastern North Carolina and to plan ways to meet them in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

From the description of Cardinal Health Agency records, 1975-1987 [manuscript]. WorldCat record id: 43493382

The Cardinal Health Agency of Lumberton, N.C., was one of the organizations created under the mandate of Public Law 93-641, the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. The law organized health programs into a structure of federal, state, and regional planning and development agencies with the objectives of containing health care costs, encouraging the optimal distribution of health care resources, and promoting improvement in the health care system.

For purposes of administration of the law, Governor James Holshouser divided North Carolina into six health service areas. Holshouser appointed citizens to organize a health systems agency for each health service area. Beginning in July 1976, the Cardinal Health Agency represented Health Service Area V, which included 15 counties in the southeastern part of the state: Anson, Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Pender, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland. The Agency's board of directors was composed of health care consumers, with at least 40% required to be health care providers. The Agency was approved for full designation as the health systems agency by the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare on 1 July 1978. Full designation gave it the authority to implement plans, eligibility to receive and administer Area Health Development Funds, responsibility for reviewing institutional health services, and authority for approving applications for federal grants and recommending approval of proposed uses of federal funds under Medicare and Medicaid.

As part of its mandate under the National Health Planning and Development Act of 1974, the Cardinal Health Agency collected and analyzed local health resource data in order to produce long-range health systems plans and annual implementation plans. The law mandated that these plans describe a healthful environment and health systems that, when developed, would assure quality health services at reasonable cost for all residents of the area.

Health concerns assessed by the Cardinal Health Agency included infant death, heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, accidents, respiratory disease, diabetes, homicide, cirrhosis, arteriosclerosis, suicide, venereal disease, nutrition, immunization, dental health, and the environment. Health system issues addressed by the organization included home health care in home, mobile, ambulatory, short-stay and long-stay, community, and free-standing support settings. Other areas of concern included prenatal care, family planning, health education, primary care, acute care, and immunization.

Federal funding for health systems agencies ended in the early 1980s, but agencies in North Carolina continued to function, holding public hearings to review certificate-of-need applications. By 1987, state laws were revised, and the review procedure was placed with the Certificate of Need Section, Division of Facility Services, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. With funding for the health systems agencies ended, the Cardinal Health Agency dismissed its employees in 1987 and dissolved its incorporation in 1988.

From the guide to the Cardinal Health Agency Records (#4966), 1975-1987, (Southern Historical Collection)