- Colorectal Cancer Is Rising among Younger Adults. Some States Want to Boost Awareness.
- Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust
- Food Stamps Go Further in Rural Areas — Until You Add Transportation Costs
- CMS Announces Resources and Flexibilities to Assist with the Public Health Emergency in the State of Texas
- CMS Proposes New Payments for Digital Health Under CY2025 PFS Draft Rule
- Improving Public Health by Strengthening Community Infrastructure
- Biden Harris Administration Proposes Policies to Reduce Maternal Mortality, Advance Health Equity, and Support Underserved Communities
- Nearly Half of U.S. Counties Don't Have a Single Cardiologist
- Randolph County, Ill. Turns Unused Part of Nursing Home Into State-Of-The-Art Behavioral Health Center
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- Expert: Rural Hospitals Are Particularly Vulnerable to Increasing Cyberattacks Targeting Healthcare Facilities
- Biden-Harris Administration Invests Over $200 Million to Help Primary Care Doctors, Nurses, and Other Health Care Providers Improve Care for Older Adults
- AJPH Call for Papers Special Section on Intersections of Public Health And Primary Care
- NIH HEAL Initiative Turns Attention to Pragmatic Trials in Rural Communities
2020 State & County Home Visiting Fact Sheets Available
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is happy to report our 2020 fact sheets are available for partners and advocates. These fact sheets we produce in our role as a proud partner of the Childhood Begins at Home coalition show unserved children by county, and the startlingly low number of children served by voluntary evidence-based home visiting programs statewide.
Use the map to see the number of children served in your county.
The national KIDS COUNT project allows us to produce these materials connecting data to home visiting initiatives. Learn more about Childhood Begins at Home.
Medicare: Information on Medicare-Dependent Hospitals
This resource provides an overview of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program, how the MDH designation differs from other rural hospital designations, and how MDH hospitals have changed over time. It discusses the decrease in the number of MDHs over time and examines a variety of operational and financial metrics across MDHs over time. Read the overview here.
For the full report: Full Report
Pennsylvania Wins Unprecedented Grant from the Pritzker Children’s Initiative
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is elated to announce that after nearly one year of work convening a comprehensive stakeholder table in the infant and toddler policy space – including both state officials and external advocates – Pennsylvania has received the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI) Prenatal-to-Age-Three Implementation grant.
The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of children and families receiving high-quality services by 25 percent by 2023, and by 50 percent by 2025, and the award demonstrates Pennsylvania’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality programs designed to support children’s healthy development and build a strong foundation for future learning.
Coverage and Utilization of Telemedicine Services by Enrollees in Large Employer Plans
This article reports on the offering and uptake of telemedicine services by large employer health plans. It includes data on access to telehealth for rural and urban large employer health plan enrollees. Read more here.
Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials
This report highlights the various measures of the rural and agricultural economy. It includes rates of rural versus urban poverty and unemployment, as well as rates of food security in principal cities, suburban, and rural areas. Read more here.
HHS Appoints Former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the appointment of the Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS). Jeff Colyer, a former Kansas Governor and surgeon by training, will be the fifth chair of the Committee. Read more here.
How HIEs are Promoting Interoperability for Rural Providers
Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) can allow health organizations to share patient medical records and increase efficiency of practice, but rural hospitals are less likely to participate. This article describes how HIEs could be useful to rural communities during natural disasters and discusses the importance of investing in rural areas so they can expand electronic health record utilization. Read more here.
VA Centers Use Telehealth to Give Vets Access to Creative Arts Therapy
This article highlights the Rural Veterans TeleRehabilitation Initiative (RVTRI) program which gives rural veterans living with traumatic brain injuries access to rehabilitation treatments through art, music, dance, and creative writing. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also launched The Creative Forces: National Endowment of the Arts Military Arts Healing Network which expanded the therapy program across the country. Read more here.
Rural Development Expert Takes Aim at Rural Drug Addiction
This article covers an address given by the senior advisor of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) at a meeting of the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Rural Action Caucus at their Legislative Conference. It discusses the ONDCP’s efforts to address drug addiction and treatment services in rural America. Read more here.
Teledentistry: Connecting Rural Communities to Dental Care
This resource summarizes a report that found rural Americans are more likely to experience tooth decay than their urban counterparts. It explores teledentistry as a solution to addressing the disparity and discusses states that have introduced legislation to establish teledentistry and expand access to oral health services. Read more here.