ASHEVILLE, NC – One year after Hurricane Helene brought devastating impacts to western North Carolina, Vaya Health is reflecting on the progress made and reaffirming its commitment to the recovery still ahead.
As a local government agency responsible for the management and oversight of the public system of services in 22 of the federally declared disaster counties, Vaya played a critical role in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Vaya’s websites, portals, 24/7/365 call center, and payment systems all stayed operational. With more than 1,200 employees, many living in the hardest-hit areas, Vaya’s efforts to stabilize communities meant supporting both health plan members and Vaya staff directly affected by the storm.
“Our response efforts—both in the immediate aftermath of the storm and our ongoing work today—focus on putting people and communities first,” said Tracy Hayes, Area Director and CEO of Vaya Health. “Hurricane Helene’s impact on western North Carolina reinforced the critical need for a well-coordinated, community-centered disaster response, and Vaya’s efforts demonstrate the power of a public system rooted in collaboration, innovation, and resilience. As a local management entity with over 50 years of experience serving western North Carolina, we were uniquely positioned to support the hardest-hit communities with relief efforts on the ground.”
In the weeks after Helene, Vaya care managers and other staff reached out to nearly 8,000 high-risk members, helping to ensure access to medications, devices, and crisis support in the initial response phase. At the same time, network managers also contacted more than 1,000 providers and assessed over 3,400 clinics, outpatient facilities, behavioral health crisis centers, and other treatment sites. Within days, mobile crisis teams were back in the community, opioid treatment providers resumed guest dosing, and crisis walk-in centers reopened, even if operating at temporary or mobile facilities.
Providers praised Vaya’s responsiveness, with one noting: “It is fantastic to know we work with an LME/MCO willing and able to help when the need is great. The contrast with private insurers could not be clearer.”
Amid living through the chaos and devastation brought by Helene, Vaya employees still found a way to serve members and the community. With donation support from other LME/MCOs across the state, employees delivered food and medicine in their personal vehicles, checked on the wellbeing of unhoused individuals on their caseload, distributed water, supplies, and gasoline to keep provider generators running, hand-delivered necessary medication, and even grocery-shopped for a child with autism whose specialized diet was at risk. When Mitchell County’s greatest need turned out to be replacing flood-lost dumpsters, Vaya found a way to make it happen.
Nearly a year later, recovery is still under way. With more than 9,000 homes lost across the region, housing remains one of the greatest needs. Vaya is addressing this issue through the Back@Home Helene program, which provides housing stabilization and financial assistance to move unhoused individuals into permanent housing.
Vaya also leads the Hope4NC Crisis Counseling Program in western North Carolina, supported by a $2.9 million federal grant. Since January, peer support professionals and counselors, many with lived experience, have made more than 36,000 contacts with survivors through individual sessions, group support, and community education.
After the storm hit, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a series of disaster relief bills. With funding allocated by the N.C. Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, Vaya has been a locus of coordination for behavioral health, housing and other initiatives, collaborating with local partners to lead and support long-term recovery projects for the region. Current initiatives include:
- Safe Haven Shelter in Asheville, which has served more than 35 women and children since opening in August
- Mobile Opioid Treatment Units launching this fall to expand rural access to opioid recovery programs
- Stress Management Training and Listening Circles to help communities process trauma
- Family Respite Support for children, offering safe spaces while parents rebuild
- Peer Respite House in Henderson County, opening this year for short-term recovery stays
- Specialized Trauma Counseling for deaf and hard-of-hearing survivors
Experts anticipate ongoing mental health needs in the years ahead as the initial coping phase gives way to the deeper impacts of trauma, grief, and loss.
“The past year has been challenging for everyone in western North Carolina, but it has been particularly stressful for those with complex health needs,” said Dr. Richard Zenn, Chief Medical Officer of Vaya Health. “At Vaya, we understand that the effects of trauma, including trauma related to natural disasters like Hurricane Helene, can be ongoing. As we move further into the reconstruction phase from Helene, please know that help is, and will continue to be, available.”
Though the recovery phase will be long, Vaya Health remains committed to ensuring the public behavioral health system stands ready to meet those emerging needs.
About Vaya Health
Vaya Health is a specialty managed care organization and local government agency that oversees publicly funded health care services across a 32-county region of North Carolina for people with significant behavioral health needs, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries. Vaya manages Medicaid, federal, state, and local funding to meet member and community needs while advancing whole-person health. Together with members, contracted providers, and local partners, we’re moving forward to a healthier North Carolina. Vaya Health can be found online at vayahealth.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/VayaHealth/, on X (formerly known as Twitter) @VayaHealth, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/vaya-health.
