CVICU Clinical Nurse

BETA begins North Carolina eipp operations for rural healthcare. BETA Technologies has begun flight operations in North Carolina under the US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), using its all-electric ALIA CTOL aircraft to test potential healthcare logistics missions. The operations, conducted through North Carolina's eLIFT programme, began on September 17 and are intended to examine how electric aircraft could connect regional medical centres with community hospitals and rural and coastal areas. The campaign includes simulated deliveries of medical supplies and equipment, including a deployable medical field tent, as well as flights involving healthcare partners across the state. BETA is working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Metro Aviation, ECU Health and WakeMed. The flight campaign has covered more than 1,300 nautical miles and includes routes designed around potential future healthcare connections, including between Raleigh Executive Jetport and Pitt-Greenville Airport and communities served by Dare County Regional Airport. The programme will use BETA's existing Charge Cube at Raleigh Executive Jetport, which was installed in 2024. More than 15 additional charging locations are under development across North Carolina, with the aim of creating the infrastructure required for a wider network of electric aircraft operations. The trials are also intended to examine how electric aviation could support healthcare services during disruptions to surface transport. North Carolina's coastal areas are vulnerable to hurricanes, flooding and storm surge, which can affect road and ferry connections. Future operations are expected to assess whether electric aircraft could move medical supplies and healthcare personnel when conventional transport routes are unavailable. BETA said the programme is also focused on developing a repeatable operating model for rural healthcare access, including the movement of critical supplies, specialist teams and potentially patients in future operations. The company's North Carolina activities also include its Morrisville facility, which develops and tests flight-control computers for its electric aircraft. BETA said the site has created nearly 70 jobs since opening in 2023. Thomas Sleightholm Thomas is a content writer for eVTOL Insights, covering all aspects of the global Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem. Got a story for him? Please send an email to [email protected]

North Carolina expands donor human milk access to outpatient settings. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has expanded access points for obtaining and donating pasteurized donor breastmilk beyond hospitals statewide. Families can now receive prescribed donor human milk through select pharmacies while new drop-off depots increase opportunities for approved donors. 6h ago Wednesday, Sept 23 By C. H. Hart The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced on Sep. 23 an expansion in donor human milk access sites across the state, aiming to make it easier for families to obtain and donate pasteurized donor milk. Breast milk provides essential antibodies for premature and medically fragile babies in neonatal intensive care units, with six out of ten NICU infants needing more human milk than their mothers can supply. The department said expanding outpatient access will help families who require donor milk after hospital discharge, offering support as a mother's own supply is established or when supplementation is medically necessary. WakeMed distributes about 300,000 ounces of pasteurized donor human milk annually, with 95% going to NICUs in North Carolina and the Southeast. Traditionally used mainly in hospitals, the new initiative - developed by NCDHHS in partnership with WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank - extends availability to outpatient settings as well. "We are working to increase access to safe, high-quality human milk for infants when they need it," said Dr. Kelly Kimple, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Public Health. "Expanding access to screened human donor milk beyond the hospital helps ensure families have the resources they need to support their infant's nutrition and feeding goals. By making donor milk available in outpatient settings, we can help families maintain access to this important support as they transition home and continue their feeding journey." Donor human milk is now available by prescription at participating pharmacies and lactation care centers for outpatients when medically indicated. Currently, two locations distribute pasteurized donor human milk: 501 Pharmacy in Chapel Hill and Novant Health Breastfeeding at Presbyterian Medical Center Women's Center in Charlotte. To meet increased demand for donated milk, five new depots were established since 2024 in Cumberland, Durham, Jackson, Mecklenburg and Pasquotank counties; additional drop-off sites opened or are planned this year including GenerationEd - Greensboro (designated June 2026), Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center - Winston-Salem (opening October 2026), New Hanover County and Pitt County. Individuals interested in donating must be approved through a screening process managed by WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank before dropping off frozen donations at designated locations. "Every donation can make a meaningful difference for a vulnerable infant," said Kerrie Gottschall, MSN, RN, Manager of WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank. "We are grateful to the generous families who donate their milk and to the community partners helping us make donation more accessible across North Carolina." In July 2026, NCDHHS launched a campaign informing residents how breastmilk donation supports newborns statewide. The Food and Drug Administration recommends consulting healthcare providers regarding use of screened donor human milk from accredited sources that follow safety protocols; obtaining such products directly from individuals or over the internet is discouraged. WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank remains North Carolina's only Human Milk Banking Association-accredited facility.