Physician Assistant modernization bills, SB 397 (now Act 78) and SB 398 (now Act 79) passed out of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Senate and were signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf. The bills remove unnecessary restrictions on Physician Assistants (PAs), place decision making with PAs and supervising physician(s), place a permanent PA representative on the Medical and Osteopathic Boards, allow the filing of written agreements without needing prior approval of written agreement (states that already allow this do not show an increase in malpractice/reportable events), remove the 100 percent countersignature requirement and allow supervising physicians to determine need for countersignature, and align the supervision requirements under the Medical Board and Osteopathic Board.

A summary of the changes in the Medical and Osteopathic Practice Acts after passage of SB 397 and 398 is available on the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants (PSPA) website.

Pennsylvania nurses are among the frontline workers and first responders who were cheered on by their communities at the beginning of the statewide shutdown. But they were showing signs of burnout long before the COVID-19 pandemic began. That’s why Sen. Maria Collett, D-Montgomery, a registered nurse, spearheaded the COVID-19 Nursing Workforce Initiative, a plan to use $6.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds to support and retain nurses across the commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, which administers financial aid programs, will create and manage the loan forgiveness program. When it launches, eligible nurses — Pennsylvania residents who are licensed through the Department of State and began working at a qualifying facility before Dec. 31, 2021 — can apply for up to $7,500 in assistance to reduce outstanding loan debt, with a cap of $2,500 per year for three years. The Department of Labor and Industry will operate the apprenticeship and partnership program to showcase new career opportunities in the nursing field. At least one new apprenticeship and one new industry partnership will target underrepresented populations.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) made $100 million available to fund state-run programs that support, recruit and retain primary care clinicians through HRSA’s State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP). All 50 states, Washington, D.C. and U.S. territories can apply to receive between $80,000 and $1 million annually to fund their own loan repayment programs for providers serving in underserved areas. The funding opportunity has two new flexibilities available throughout the next project period (FY 2022-2026):

• No cost-sharing requirement: States are not required to demonstrate a match for the federal funding received through the grant.
• Administrative costs: States can dedicate 10% of the SLRP award to administrative costs, to increase state capacity to administer a loan repayment program.

The deadline to apply is April 8, 2022, and Pennsylvania intends to apply. Notices of Award will be announced prior to the project start date of Sunday, May 1, 2022.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a goal of driving all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries and most Medicaid beneficiaries into accountable care by 2030, according to a white paper outlining a “strategic refresh” at the CMS Innovation Center. Accountable care relationships might include advanced primary care, Accountable Care Organizations or other models that emphasize accountability for quality and total cost of care. Other strategic objectives outlined in the white paper include advancing health equity and affordability, spurring care innovations and partnering with stakeholders.

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Creating healthy communities means much more than simply being able to see a doctor. To thrive, communities need safe, stable housing, access to nutritional food, reliable transportation, access to affordable treatments and much more. But the voices of communities – especially Black and Brown, rural and other underserved communities – are rarely heard in conversations at the state and local level that impact their health.

The new BeHeard BeHealthy PA initiative will create new ways for communities across Pennsylvania to participate in building healthier communities by making their voices heard through listening sessions, a new survey panel and advocating for community-driven priorities at the state and local levels. The Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) is collaborating with trusted and locally connected organizations across Pennsylvania to engage local communities and make their voices heard! PHAN is seeking community partners to assist. The role of each community partner is to facilitate community conversations, recruit members of the local community to join a new survey panel and identify community leaders to take part in statewide efforts to advance community driven policies at the state and local levels.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a new video, “Find a Health Center,” to increase awareness about health centers and help potential patients locate a health center near them.