Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19) has written an important opinion letter in the Washington Examiner. The Texas representative calls for a flattening of the curve of rural hospital closures. The opinion letter calls on our nation’s leaders to not leave rural America without resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Congressman Arrington advocated for rural access to the PPP, and for rural focused resources and funds.

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) research team has been working with HRSA to collect data on health centers’ ongoing experiences and responses to COVID-19. The data will be updated weekly to this infographic. The infographic highlights the percentage of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that have the ability to test, that have walk-up or drive-up testing, the number of tests conducted by health centers in the past week, how many patients tested positive, how many employees tested positive, the percentage of visits that were conducted virtually, access to essential personal protective equipment (PPE) and challenges to health center operations.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the nation’s struggling primary care system hard. But could the crisis present an opportunity to change the way we provide and pay for primary care? A new Commonwealth Fund article highlights the shortcomings of primary care in the United States and offers strategies for building a more robust primary care system, starting with increasing what we pay primary care providers and ensuring that people can more easily get these services that are critical to maintaining health. Read more.

In an April 19 Lancaster Online op ed, Alisa Jones, CEO of Lancaster Health Center ,  asserts that an effective response to the COVID-19 crisis requires the public health approach of both testing and contact tracing. Citing the World Health Organization definition of contact tracing as “the systematic approach to identifying positive cases, connecting with individuals who had contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 and regular follow-up with those contacts to monitor for symptoms,” the article shares LCH’s experience using this approach. Ms. Jones asserts, “Widespread testing and contact tracing are how we flatten the curve of COVID-19 infection and return our community to a semblance of normalcy.” Read more.

Congress is not expected back until May but is already discussing a fourth stimulus package to assist healthcare providers and others with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. NACHC is asking $73.2 billion for health centers, including $7.6 billion in emergency funding to assist with the impact of COVID-19 and $41.9 billion over five years for Health Center Program Fund reauthorization.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) released PA-HAN-499 with guidance for making decisions about return to work for healthcare personnel with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. This guidance replaces PA-HAN-489. Decisions about return to work should also be made in the context of local circumstances. Options include a test-based strategy or a non-test-based strategy. If healthcare personnel must return to work before meeting criteria, they should ideally perform non-direct care or direct care for persons confirmed to have COVID-19. Click here for all the 2020 health alerts, advisories and updates.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance. New this week is a breakdown of factors that influence racial and ethnic minority group health.  Another page updated daily has demographic characteristics of known cases in the U.S.  A CDC site for rural-specific information will have a recording of yesterday’s Coronavirus update for rural stakeholders and communities, along with an archive of previous calls.  CDC also does regular clinical calls for public health emergencies, called Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA).

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has expedited its process to release emergency grants to strengthen access to treatments for substance use disorders and serious mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. SAMHSA has also updated its list of Frequently Asked Questions about provision of methadone and buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder during the emergency.

Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) will administer grants to boost programs that deliver meals, ensure safe transitions home following hospitalizations, and provide other essential services to older Americans and Americans with disabilities during this challenging time.