Bertie County Department of Social Services Board Chair James Lee offered praise for DSS Director Daphine Little during the Public Comment session at a recent meeting of the Bertie County Commissioners.
Lee offered an overview of Little’s tenure highlighting her accomplishments of emerging from N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) oversight due to previous missteps before she was hired, to increasing departmental professionalism.
“We went through an application process to find a director, but it was very hard to do. We were fortunate and lucky enough to have her to compete for the job. Even after the application process, we still had to go through a lot of effort to get her to take the job,” Lee said. “And I think the county is blessed to have her as the director, because since she’s been here, the department has changed 100 percent.”
Lee pointed out Little has gone to various community activities, sharing with them the type of services that’s available within the Department of Social Services and informing the community of other services offered.
“She’s making every effort to provide quality training for the new people,” Lee said. “I would just like to take advantage of this opportunity to tell you if there is any way you see fit, that the county will compensate her for the type of work that she’s doing and to increase the salary to reflect the type of stuff that she’s putting into the county. That would be appreciated.”
The director’s star is rising and Lee’s concerns focused on the possibility another county would attempt to hire Little away from Bertie County.
Last month, Little was praised by NCDHHS Director Kody Kinsley when he and N.C. Governor Roy Cooper attended a Medicaid Expansion program in Windsor highlighting Bertie County’s expansion enrollment efforts.
Little offered the commissioners an update on DSS efforts to enroll those eligible under the recent Medicaid Expansion legislation.
“We need residents to come in to the office and register and sign up for Medicaid Expansion so that they can get the benefits that they deserve. So on March 19th, we had a Medicaid expansion event, ‘Get Covered Medicaid for Bertie County and Washington County’ and it was well attended and the enrollment is on going and going well,” explained Little.
“We had staff there that wanted to basically get the citizens that are age 61 to 64 to sign up for Medicaid expansion to basically see if they’re eligible,” he continued. “So we are promoting applications and we are promoting sign ups. The agency is going to be coming out to the senior center to make a presentation and we are also speaking to the churches to see if we could come out one Saturday in May or June.”
Mount Olive Baptist Church will also be co-hosting an enrollment event with Little in the coming months.
Bertie County statisticd show currently 1,700 residents are eligible for Medicaid coverage. Of those 1,700 eligible, more than 900 residents already enrolled in the program.
Enrollment requirements have changed. Medicaid provides health care coverage for people with low incomes. There are programs for children, pregnant women, adults and people who are blind or with disabilities. N.C. Medicaid covers people ages 19 to 64 years old. Residents may be able to qualify for coverage even if previously denied.
Social Service Board Member and Commissioner Ron Roberson also added accolades for Little.
“I want to thank you for sharing that because as the chairman of the board, Mr. Lee mentioned earlier, all the interest and all the hard work you put into the program is wonderful and you have turned the program around. I thank you for that. We appreciate all you do,” said Roberson.
For those eligible for Medicaid Expansion enrollment contact the Bertie County Department of Social Services at 252-794-5320 or visit the office, which is located at 110 Jasper Bazemore Ave. in Windsor.
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