Families, caregivers, and health care professionals across western North Carolina have a new date on the calendar this fall: the second annual Growing Well Conference returns to Boone October 4 through 6, bringing together providers, researchers, and people with lived experience to talk through the challenges of raising children with complex medical needs in rural communities.
The event will be held at Appalachian State University's Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences, according to nccdd.org. This year's theme, “Moving Mountains for People with Special Health Care Needs,” frames a program built around what organizers describe, per calendar.appstate.edu, as offering “inspiration, education, and connection for those working to support children and youth with special health care needs in rural western North Carolina.” The conference was flagged by NCDHHS
in a social media post inviting the public to join its Assistant Secretary for MH/DD/SUS at the event, describing the theme as one that “underscores resilience.”
Who the Conference Is Built For
Organizers say the gathering is open to community members, advocates, caregivers, parents, and health care professionals, not just clinicians or specialists. Sessions will be led by a mix of health care providers, researchers, government leaders, educators, and individuals with lived experience, according to the same calendar.appstate.edu listing. The format will combine individual and group presentations, expert panel discussions, and hands-on demonstrations rather than a straight lecture circuit.
Topic areas laid out by nccdd.org include the medical management of children with complex health conditions, cross-system collaboration in child welfare and mental health, and support for youth navigating the transition from school into adulthood, including employment opportunities. The programming reflects a life-course approach to disability support, tracking families' needs from childhood through the challenges of early adulthood, per the same source.
Registration Costs and Scholarship Options
Registration for the conference is open now, according to appwell.appstate.edu. The regular registration rate covering both Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 is $250, while attendees who only want to come for a single day can register for either Oct. 5 or Oct. 6 alone at $200 per day, per the registration page.
For families and individuals who might otherwise be priced out, scholarships are available for North Carolina families and people with lived experience, with potential travel reimbursement also on the table for applicants, according to nccdd.org. The organizers describe this financial support as a deliberate effort: sponsor contributions are meant to let community members and people with lived experience attend at greatly reduced rates, the appwell.appstate.edu sponsor page notes.
A Presenting Sponsor, With Some Naming Inconsistency
The conference's registration page credits Vaya Partners as the event's presenting sponsor, while a promotional save-the-date graphic circulated for the event lists VayaHealth as the presenter instead. The dossier does not clarify the exact relationship between the two names, so both attributions are noted here rather than resolved.
Whatever the precise sponsor branding, the conference's stated purpose stays consistent across its materials: pairing professional expertise with the perspectives of families and individuals actually living with special health care needs. Organizers describe the event as blending keynote presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities, according to appwell.appstate.edu, giving attendees both structured learning and informal space to connect with others working on similar challenges in rural parts of the state.
