More than 10,000 children in North Carolina will become regular smokers this year. For every pack of cigarettes sold in the state, it costs North Carolina taxpayers $7.17 per pack in healthcare costs to treat the serious chronic diseases brought on by cigarette smoking.

These are just some of the reasons that the Macon County Board of Health has voted to support a $1 tax increase on cigarettes being proposed by organizations like TRU – Tobacco, Reality, Unfiltered – and other anti-smoking groups in the state.

Angel Medical Center is celebrating Nurse Anesthetists Week. AMC has four Certified Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Jan Davis, Terry Campbell, Billie Hoyle, and Tony Sabol.

When under the care of a CRNA, you have a healthcare professional committed to watching over you from the time you go to sleep until the time you wake up.

CRNA’s stay with their patients throughout their procedure, monitoring vital signs and adjusting anesthetics to ensure the safest, most comfortable anesthesia experience possible.

Angel Medical Center included East Franklin School in its Heart Month activities, with the East Franklin Jump Rope Team giving a demonstration of their jump rope routines.

Eleven 4th graders and two PE Teachers, Mrs. Moore and Ms. Braswell, came and participated.

Cardiologist Dr. Micheal Kegan gave an address about heart disease, and what can be done to avoid it.

Is the health of Macon County getting better or worse? Healthy Carolinians of Macon County hopes to answer that question and many others through a telephone survey of 400 county residents. Random homes are being called over the next couple of months.

The survey is part of a comprehensive health assessment under way by the Healthy Carolinians group with the assistance of Stiles Healthcare Strategy, Inc., a health care consulting organization based in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The assessment also includes interviews and focus groups with community representatives and health providers.