- Senator Baldwin Introduces HSHS Act to Protect Communities from Hospital Closures
- What to Know about Smoke, Heat and Health
- Tribal Partnership With UW-Madison Combines Ag Research With Indigenous Food Knowledge
- The Rewards of Working as Rural Docs
- Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
- Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities and Check Teeth, Get the OK in More States
- 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
Appalachian Regional Commission Releases ARISE Program Webinar
ARC recently released a new notice of solicitation for applications (NOSA) for the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), our $73.5 million funding opportunity supporting collaborative, multi-state projects in Appalachia.
More than 120 prospective grantees joined ARC for a webinar to learn more about the new ARISE application process and templates.
Learn more about updates to the ARISE application and funding process by going here or revisiting the recording of the webinar.
New Detailed Population Estimates Released for Pennsylvania Counties
The U.S. Census Bureau has released the 2022 Detailed National, State, and County Population Estimates, the final set of detailed population estimates for this vintage. The data as of July 1, 2022, provides estimates at the national, state, and county levels for population by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin.
Highlights from this release include:
- The population cohorts aged 75 to 79 and 70 to 74 were the fastest-growing, with those aged 75 to 79 far exceeding other growing cohorts.
- For every 10 non-Hispanic White individuals lost in Pennsylvania from 2020 to 2022, the state roughly gained 8 persons of color.
- The most substantial growth occurred in the Hispanic or Latino, multiracial*, and Asian* populations.
*Refers to non-Hispanic individuals.
To read more, visit: https://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/Data/Research-Briefs.
CMS Releases New Diabetes Infographic and Prevalence Data
CMS has released new estimates on diabetes prevalence and an accompanying infographic to describe the latest data and known disparities among Medicare enrollees with diabetes.
Diabetes is a condition of particular concern to many minority and underserved communities. The number of people in the U.S. with diabetes increased from almost 29 million in 2012 to more than 37 million in 2019. The new CMS diabetes prevalence infographic highlights existing health disparities as well as prevention resources to address the epidemic. The infographic also spotlights how the increased prevalence of non-gestational diabetes among minority populations has led to additional health complications. Finally, the infographic includes information on the increased impact that diabetes has on Medicare enrollees and the disparities that are observed among various subpopulations in the Medicare community.
In addition to the infographic, CMS has released the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Public Use File on diabetes prevalence and self-management among Medicare beneficiaries living in the community in 2020. This file presents estimates on diabetes prevalence, diabetes-related health issues, and diabetes knowledge and self-management by a variety of beneficiary characteristics including race/ethnicity, income, and primary language spoken at home.
You can find more information and access the Public Use File and supporting documentation here.
For more information on health equity, visit https://go.cms.gov/omh for the latest updates on resources, data, and more equity work, sign up for our listserv.
Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority to Hold Community Engagement Events Across the Commonwealth, Collect Feedback to Shape Expansion and Digital Equity Programs
Community engagement activities will support the development of the Commonwealth’s BEAD and Digital Equity plans
Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (Authority) Executive Director Brandon Carson announced a series of upcoming public engagement activities to support the development of the Commonwealth’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity (DE) program plans. Extending and expanding access to broadband across Pennsylvania and making connection more reliable and affordable is a top priority of Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration.
The ‘Internet for All: Connecting the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’ initiative aims to reach a diverse cross-section of residents, businesses, and organizations through a public survey and robust schedule of community conversations and roundtable discussions in all regions of the state. The feedback and data received during these events will be crucial to the Authority as it works to minimize Pennsylvania’s existing digital divide.
“Pennsylvanians have an absolutely essential role in helping the Authority develop the BEAD and DE plans and we want to hear from as many Pennsylvanians as possible at our upcoming community engagement events,” said Executive Director Carson. “We’re working hard to make Internet for All a reality in Pennsylvania, and being able to incorporate feedback from our residents, businesses, and organizations is crucial in helping us develop broadband plans that address barriers and needs.”
Community engagement activities will include:
- Community survey to help assess connectivity and digital access and identify barriers. The survey is being released throughout the commonwealth using several deployment methods to broaden its reach. Respondents will be able to submit a paper survey, respond online, or participate via phone. Paper surveys will be available for residents at select locations, including businesses, educational centers, local government offices, social service offices, and healthcare facilities.
- In-person community conversations across the commonwealth will provide Pennsylvanians with an opportunity to learn more about BEAD and DE and discuss issues such as barriers to digital access, equity, and literacy. The community conversations will also include discussions on affordability inequities, technical support, and cybersecurity needs. Several community partners will host conversation events to help collect feedback and further broaden the Authority’s outreach efforts.
- Mix of in-person and virtual roundtables will be held to allow for more dynamic events with stakeholders, advocates, and subject matter experts. The roundtables will enable participants to delve further into issues facing the commonwealth and share perspectives for overcoming current challenges.
Pennsylvanians should check the Community Events section of the Authority’s website often, as it will be updated to include details for new events as soon as they are scheduled.
The Authority has also formed a working group that includes stakeholders with digital access and equity interests who are active within their communities. This group is comprised of a variety of sectors and primarily includes organizations representing covered populations, as defined in the DE Act. The working group, which meets biweekly to stay apprised of the Authority’s BEAD and DE activities and offer insight, will continue to meet to help inform and guide the implementation of the DE plan.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority and the upcoming community engagement activities, visit the Authority’s website.
New Brief Highlights State Opioid Settlement Spending Decisions
In order to spend funding received through the national settlement and other opioid-related settlements, states have developed legislative and legal frameworks that distribute funds and decision-making authorities between the state government, local governments, and/or special abatement funds or trusts. States are in different stages in the process of receiving money, deciding how to spend it, implementing funded programs, and reporting on spending and outcomes. However, 17 states have now approved and published their plans for a first year of spending, which often include priority areas or approved uses for funds. A smaller subset of states have awarded settlement funds to specific abatement programs. Many of these plans were published in the final months of 2022 or first months of 2023 as part of annual reports on settlement spending activity.
This issue brief provides an overview of published statewide opioid settlement spending plans and appropriations made to date and highlights initial priorities and investments outlined in these plans.
National Rural Leaders Program Accepting Applications
The National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) Rural Health Fellows Program is a yearlong, intensive training program that develops leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America. The goal of the fellows program is to educate and develop a network of diverse rural leaders that will step forward to serve in key positions in the association, affiliated advocacy groups, and local and state legislative bodies with health equity as a main focus.
Each year, NRHA selects 10 to 15 highly motivated individuals who have proven their dedication to improving the health of rural Americans through their educational or professional experience.
The submission period for 2024 Rural Health Fellows applications is now open. For more information, contact Ally Zimmerman.
USDA Partners with Agricultural Producers to Strengthen Markets and Create Jobs for Producers in 19 States
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is making investments that will create new and better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses in 19 states across rural America.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are standing up for America’s farmers and ranchers by expanding processing capacity, creating fairer markets, more revenue streams and market opportunities which help bring down food costs for families at the grocery store,” Secretary Vilsack said. “We are partnering with entrepreneurs in rural areas to build brighter futures, connect business owners to new markets and create good jobs for generations to come. These investments reflect the goals of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild our economy from the bottom up and middle out and make our communities more resilient.”
USDA is making investments worth $320 million to strengthen food supply chains and create more opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs in 19 states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
To learn more, read the full news release.
KFF Launches Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker
The Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker presents the most recent data on monthly Medicaid enrollment, renewals, disenrollments, and other key indicators reported by states during the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision. The unwinding data are pulled from state websites, where available, and from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
To view data for specific states, click on the State Enrollment and Unwinding Data tab.
Pennsylvania Governor’s Administration Eliminates Medicaid Provider Enrollment Application Backlog
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration announced it has completely eliminated a backlog of Medicaid provider enrollment and revalidation applications, paving the way for more health care providers to become part of the Medicaid program, and giving Medicaid recipients more options for care. As of January 2023, there was a backlog of more than 35,000 provider applications and revalidation applications that were more than 30 days old. By federal law, organizations are not able to offer care to patients under the Medicaid program unless they are enrolled providers. In addition, the Department of Human Services must revalidate Medicaid service providers every five years.
Any backlogs in processing applications means that providers who want to offer services to Medicaid recipients cannot do so until their applications are approved.
2021 Pennsylvania Dentist and Dental Hygienist Workforce Survey Report Released
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has published the final “2021 Pennsylvania’s Dentist and Dental Hygienist Workforce Survey Report” based on the State Board of Dentistry data from the 2021 licensure renewals. In 2021, 9,174 dentists renewed their license with 8,456 being employed in dentistry. Over 65% of Pennsylvania dentists identified as male and nearly 70% identified as White. There were 7,530 dental hygienists that renewed their licenses with 24% working in rural counties.