On August 16, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule to improve access to hearing aids by establishing a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. These OTC hearing aids will be available to adults with mild to moderate hearing loss as soon as mid-October 2022 directly in stores and online. For a summary of OTC Hearing Aids provided by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders please click here.

Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), advancing major healthcare policy changes, including updates to Medicare’s drug benefit, caps on insulin out of pocket for Medicare beneficiaries, authorizing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and extending of American Rescue Plan Affordable Care Act subsidies. While the IRA provides the framework, critical details and policy decisions will be left to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop and finalize in the coming months and years as the implementation dates for these policy changes are staggered over the next several years. Read more here

In a new blog, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) highlights Pennsylvania’s work with managed care organizations (MCOs) to improve access to oral health care services through quality improvement projects, measures, and incentives. States are engaged in a variety of efforts to improve health outcomes for people enrolled in Medicaid while reducing health care costs. NASHP says Pennsylvania’s experience shows that quality initiatives are one potential lever to incentivize MCOs to provide innovative oral health programming.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order designed to discourage the use of conversion therapy on LGBTQ individuals in the commonwealth, a move that was praised by LGBTQ leaders, though Wolf acknowledged that it does not go as far as he would like.

From Becker’s Hospital Review

Citing a need to boost nurse hiring and retention, Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network has launched a new mobile internal staffing model.

The new program, called Work Your Way, aims to provide greater work flexibility for nurses, surgical technologists and other employees, according to an Aug. 19 news release.

Eligible workers will cover rotational shifts in telemetry, critical care, perioperative care and emergency medicine at Allegheny General, West Penn, Forbes, Jefferson, Wexford, Canonsburg, Allegheny Valley and Saint Vincent hospitals. Options are available for external and internal applicants who prefer to work weekends and those who prefer night shifts.

Mileage will be reimbursed at 62.5 cents per mile for individuals in the program traveling more than 50 miles from their home, according to a frequently asked questions section on the health system’s website. Lodging will be reimbursed for individuals in the program traveling more than 75 miles from their home.

“The severe nursing shortage across the nation continues to affect all hospitals and health systems. Creating and executing innovative solutions helps us address the staffing challenge and at AHN we are doing just that,” Allegheny Health Network Chief Nurse Executive Claire Zangerle, DNP, RN, said in a news release. “Our new mobile internal staffing program is one of many solutions relative to the staffing challenges. It’s also an opportunity for nurses who are interested in joining AHN’s community of nursing in a unique way with competitive wages, excellent benefits and the flexibility of practice at different AHN hospitals.”

The new Allegheny Health Network program comes as hospitals and health systems across the U.S. are going beyond financial benefits to retain staff, offering more flexibility in terms of their work.

To learn more about the program, click here.

Whether you’re a seasoned or a rookie recruiter, you’ll benefit from the 2022 3RNET Academy. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center, rural facilities can attend for free. Register on the Pennsylvania 3RNET Academy page.

The academy kicks off Oct. 4, 2022 and runs every other week until Dec. 13, 2022, at 2:30 pm and is focused on the following topics:

• Session 1 – Guiding Your Recruitment for Retention Process – Practical Tools to Position Yourself as an Employer of Choice in Today’s Workforce Environment
• Session 2 – Planning and Preparation – Creating a Foundation for Success
• Session 3 – Marketing to and Finding Candidates – The New Normal
• Session 4 – Matching and Committing – Interviewing, Site Visits, and Closing the Deal
• Session 5 – Retaining for the Lifecycle of the Employee – Flexibility and Re-Recruiting
• Session 6 – 2022 Academy Wrap Up – Trends, Discussion, and Q&A with Industry Experts

Contact Judd Mellinger-Blouch, Director of the  Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center, with questions.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine summarize the proceedings of their workshop on equity-centered approaches to indigenous, undocumented, and ethnic minority communities.

Researchers at Drexel University and UC Davis are recruiting family caregivers of people living with dementia for a nationwide, remote study funded by the National Institute of Aging.  Experts note there is very little research regarding the differences in the rural-urban prevalence of dementia, but many factors present barriers to care once a diagnosis is made for rural patients.  Eligible caregivers for the study must be 21 years or older, speak English, and have internet access and a capable device.