In recognition of Men’s Health and National Cancer Survivors month Dr. Devdutta Sangvai, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, will be the guest for Representative Rodney’s Pierce’s next Bringing the Capital to the Constituents program. 

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.

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.

The session 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

This event is a collaborative effort between the office of Pierce, the health departments of Halifax, Northampton and Warren counties, 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 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.”
When it comes to men in the state, he said, “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 — the 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 the state. 

Pierce said 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 next program in the series will feature North Carolina Chief State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 9 at the Warren County Armory Civic Center in Warrenton in honor of National Fire Prevention Month.