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RALEIGH — North Carolina State Representative Rodney D. Pierce (D-27) announces the second installment of his signature event series, Bringing the Capital to the Constituents, with a special session focused on health equity and access in rural North Carolina.

The event will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 at the Northampton County Cultural and Wellness Center in Jackson. The event is free and open to the public. Community members, healthcare providers, and local leaders are encouraged to attend.

This timely session — held in recognition of Men’s Health Month and National Cancer Survivors Month — will feature Dr. Devdutta Sangvai, Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Secretary Sangvai will speak on the department’s mission, his personal and professional journey, and his vision for improving health outcomes across the state, particularly in underserved rural communities.

This event is a collaborative effort between the Office of Representative Rodney D. Pierce, the Halifax County Health Department, Warren County Health Department, Northampton County Health Department, Trillium Health Resources, Rural Health Group, and ECU Health North Hospital.

“We’re bringing Raleigh to rural North Carolina — bringing the decision-makers, the leaders, and the solutions directly to the people,” said Rep. Pierce. “This series is about bridging the gap between state government and the real needs of our communities. “

Pierce also highlighted the significance of this installment being held during Men’s Health Month and National Cancer Survivors Month, particularly after attending the county’s annual Relay for Life fundraiser held on May 16 at the Cultural and Wellness Center.

“I think we all have been impacted in one way or another by cancer,” he said. “We either know someone who’s battling it, someone who defeated it, or we or someone we know may have been a former or current caretaker of someone who had or has it.

“Furthermore, when it comes to men in our state, we’re more likely to experience heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, strokes, diabetes, and other ailments than women. We also tend to not live as long as them. We’re trying to use this event to build awareness about a variety of issues in rural health, including those around men and cancer.”

In February with bipartisan support, Pierce introduced HB 128 “Prostate Cancer Control Program,” which would have created a program in NCDHHS to provide free and low-cost prostate cancer screenings to men at high risk. It is the most common cancer among men in NC. The bill, which would have appropriated $2 million in recurring funds over the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years to implement the program, remains in the House Rules Committee.

The June 19 session in Jackson will highlight:

The challenges and opportunities in rural healthcare;

Behavioral and mental health, public health, Medicaid expansion and insurance access;

Access to healthcare, health disparities; support for women, children and seniors;

Economic and workforce development in healthcare: and

The impact of paused or terminated federal funding for NC DHHS on rural public health.

Each installment of the Bringing the Capital to the Constituents series features high-level state agency leaders who engage directly with the public to explain the roles of their departments and participate in an open Q&A session. Secretaries Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr. (Department of Public Safety) and Jocelyn M. Mallette (Department of Military and Veterans Affairs) both took part in March’s initial installment of the series, geared toward veterans and law enforcement, held at American Legion Shaw-May Post 38 in Roanoke Rapids.

The series will feature NC Chief State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Warren County Armory Civic Center in Warrenton in honor of National Fire Prevention Month.