- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
- HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, Joined by Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Announces New Funding, Policy Action, and Report to Mark Landmark Year of HRSA's Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces $60 Million Investment for Adding Early Morning, Night, and Weekend Hours at Community Health Centers
- Volunteer Opportunity for HUD's Office of Housing Counseling Tribe and TDHE Certification Exam
- Who Needs Dry January More: Rural or Urban Drinkers?
- Rural Families Have 'Critical' Need for More Hospice, Respite Care
- States Help Child Care Centers Expand in Bid To Create More Slots, Lower Prices
- Rural Telehealth Sees More Policy Wins, but Only Short-Term
- Healing a Dark Past: The Long Road To Reopening Hospitals in the Rural South
- Study: Obstetrics Units in Rural Communities Declining
- Q&A: Angela Gonzales (Hopi), on New Indigenous Health Research Dashboard
- Not All Expectant Moms Can Reach a Doctor's Office. This Kentucky Clinic Travels to Them.
With Few Dentists and Fluoride Under Siege, Rural America Risks New Surge of Tooth Decay
In the wooded highlands of northern Arkansas, where small towns have few dentists, water officials who serve more than 20,000 people have for more than a decade openly defied state law by refusing to add fluoride to the drinking water.
For its refusal, the Ozark Mountain Regional Public Water Authority has received hundreds of state fines amounting to about $130,000, which are stuffed in a cardboard box and left unpaid, said Andy Anderson, who is opposed to fluoridation and has led the water system for nearly two decades.
This Ozark region is among hundreds of rural American communities that face a one-two punch to oral health: a dire shortage of dentists and a lack of fluoridated drinking water, which is widely viewed among dentists as one of the most effective tools to prevent tooth decay. But as the anti-fluoride movement builds unprecedented momentum, it may turn out that the Ozarks were not behind the times after all.
“We will eventually win,” Anderson said. “We will be vindicated.”
Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, keeps teeth strong when added to drinking water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association. But the anti-fluoride movement has been energized since a government report last summer found a possible link between lower IQ in children and consuming amounts of fluoride that are higher than what is recommended in American drinking water. Dozens of communities have decided to stop fluoridating in recent months, and state officials in Florida and Texas have urged their water systems to do the same. Utah is poised to become the first state to ban it in tap water.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long espoused fringe health theories, has called fluoride an “industrial waste” and “dangerous neurotoxin” and said the Trump administration will recommend it be removed from all public drinking water.
Thriving PA Releases New Early Intervention Fact Sheet
Thriving PA released a new Infant and Toddler Early Intervention fact sheet, aimed at educating policymakers about the program as part of our advocacy for the 2025-26 budget cycle. The fact sheet notes services and benefits provided by EI and highlights state-specific data. In the 2022-23 school year, 48,199 children were served by the program in Pennsylvania.
Thriving PA supports, at minimum, the Administration’s proposed increase of $16.2 million for the Infant/Toddler Early Intervention program as part of a final FY 2025-26 budget package. The proposed increase would provide $10 million for a long-overdue rate increase for providers and serve an additional 3,000 children and their families. This increase is a first step in addressing the workforce shortage of Early Intervention providers. Additional support beyond the $16.2 million is recommended, as we estimate $49 million in new funding is needed this year to address increased costs to the program and the projected children served.
Free Autism Resources Available for Dental and Medical Offices
The ASERT Collaborative (Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training) is a statewide partnership that provides streamlined access to information for Pennsylvanians living with and impacted by autism.
The ASERT website hosts resources covering a wide range of topics for parents, self-advocates, professionals, and community members while also providing information on statewide events, support groups, and free online training opportunities. To request free ASERT brochures in English or Spanish for your office, email info@paautism.org.
Click here to view an informational flyer.
Click here to learn more about ASERT.
2025 County Health Rankings Data Available!
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps out of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has published the 2025 data. The data includes factors such as health care, education, and environmental impact. Users can check out how Pennsylvania compares to other states, but also how individual counties in Pennsylvania compare.
New Oral Health Brief Published: What Happens if Adult Medicaid Goes Away
The American Dental Association (ADA) released a new research brief, “What Happens if Adult Medicaid Dental Goes Away?” This resource outlines the cost implications of eliminating the adult dental Medicaid benefit.
If federal aid to state Medicaid programs is reduced, states will face considerable budgetary challenges to keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled and provided with the same level of services. This resource looks at the estimated costs due to emergency department visits for dental conditions, unmet periodontal needs among pregnant beneficiaries, and beneficiaries with diabetes and coronary artery disease.
The PBDA is hosting two webinars in anticipation of opening the second round of the Digital Connectivity Technology Program (DCTP). Each webinar will provide an overview of the program, review FAQs, and will implement breakout sessions focusing on libraries, non-profits, workforce, and education. Each breakout session will include an awardee from Round One of the program who will provide background on their project and will highlight the key elements that contributed to their success.
You can find additional details for each webinar, including registration, by clicking the links below. Please note that content covered at each session will be the same, however, questions and dialogue may differ. PBDA will be recording these sessions to post as resources on our website.
Research Brief Highlights Population Estimates
The U.S. Census Bureau released estimates of the July 1, 2024 population at the county level. This release includes both total population as well as components of change: births, deaths, and migration.
Key Findings from the Report:
- Twenty-eight counties increased from 2020 to 2024. The fastest-growing counties included Pike (+3.5%), Cumberland (+6.2%), and Chester (+4.9%).
- Thirty-nine counties decreased from 2020 to 2024. Counties that experienced the largest percentage decreases included Greene (-5.5%), Forest (-5.4%), and Cameron (-4.4%).
For more information on county population change in Pennsylvania, read this month’s brief.
Mapping Appalachia In All Its Complexity
You’ve probably seen our map designating the economic status for each of the 423 counties in the Appalachian Region. But did you know that we’ve made many more maps for you to use?
Appalachia is a complex place. Our maps seek to make information about its make-up and opportunities readily available to Appalachians.
🏛️ The map of Appalachian counties lays out local boundaries of all counties served by ARC.
🎓 Our post-secondary schools map highlights 592 institutions of learning across the region.
📊 The local development districts map provides more information about the 74 entities that facilitate multi-county economic development.
🗳️ Our congressional map can help you determine who represents your community in Congress.
See these interactive maps by clicking below!
- Appalachian Counties Served by ARC
- Postsecondary Schools in Appalachia
- Local Development Districts in Appalachia
- Congressional Districts in Appalachia
In-Demand Career Scholarship Opportunities for Pennsylvania Students Announced
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) just opened a new application period for Grow PA scholarship grants. This program helps in-state students pay for school and builds the workforce in Pennsylvania for in-demand occupations. The Grow PA Grant Program provides grants with a maximum award $5,000 per year and students can receive funds for a maximum of four academic years. After graduation, students must commit to live and work in Pennsylvania, within an in-demand occupation, for a number of years equal to the number of years in which they received the grant. These student grants are for the 2025-26 academic year and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
New Report: Oral Health Spending in the United States
A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) explores health care spending and utilization in the United States from 2010-2019. The investigators founds that spending for oral disease was $93 million, which was higher than spending for heart disease.
Click here for the oral health summary of the article.
Click here to read the full article.