- 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
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- Expert: Rural Hospitals Are Particularly Vulnerable to Increasing Cyberattacks Targeting Healthcare Facilities
- Biden-Harris Administration Invests Over $200 Million to Help Primary Care Doctors, Nurses, and Other Health Care Providers Improve Care for Older Adults
- AJPH Call for Papers Special Section on Intersections of Public Health And Primary Care
Pennsylvania Surpasses Average National Testing Rate, According to White House Task Force Report
The Pennsylvania Department of Health highlighted that Pennsylvania is above the average national testing rate as noted in the White House Task Force Weekly Report dated January 3.
According to the report, Pennsylvania was at the yellow level for number of tests performed per 100,000 people for the previous week. The yellow level is 2,000 to 2,999 tests per 100,000 population.
Director of Testing and Contact Tracing Michael Huff reported that to date, the department collected results from 8,466,597 COVID-19 PCR and antigen tests statewide. Over the past 30 days, the department reported an average of 55,208 PCR tests and 14,421 antigen tests daily, for a total of nearly 69,629 tests each day on average.
“We want Pennsylvanians to know that if they need a test, one is available,” Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “This week, we have added five free testing sites and will continue to expand testing opportunities across the state weekly. As COVID-19 remains a threat in our communities, we need to take precautions to keep ourselves safe by monitoring ourselves for COVID-19 symptoms, finding a testing site near to us if we have symptoms and staying home if we are sick.”
In partnership with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI), Pennsylvania offers COVID-19 testing over the next 12 weeks as five strike teams will provide regional testing for 61 counties. The six counties not receiving testing from AMI have county health departments providing other means of COVID-19 testing.
The county pop-up testing sites are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All tests are free and are on a first-come, first-served basis. The department provides an update each week regarding the testing locations for the following week.
The White House Report also noted that Pennsylvania has seen a decrease in new cases and a decrease in test positivity. Pennsylvania had 392 new cases per 100,000 population, compared to a national average of 413 per 100,000. According to the report, Pennsylvania’s percent positivity is at a rate at or above 10.1%, or the 21st highest rate in the country.
Learn more about testing and find a map of COVID-19 testing sites here.
You can find the weekly White House Task Force Reports available on the department’s website here.
Why Getting Covid-19 Vaccines to Rural Americans Is Harder Than It Looks, and How to Lift the Barriers
By Bennett Doughty and Pamela Stewart Fahs, The Conversation
Storage, distribution, and misinformation are among the key obstacles in vaccinating rural Americans. But new vaccines and expanding distribution networks offer some solutions. Read more here.
One Third of Rural Counties Lack Pharmacy Listed in Initial Vaccination Plan
By Tim Marema
The federal government will rely on pharmacies to help distribute Covid-19 vaccines when they become available to the public. Scores of rural counties don’t have a pharmacy that provides immunization services, a new study says. Read more here.
Deadly December Caps off 2020 in Rural Counties
By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema
As 2020 ends, Covid-related deaths in rural counties are occurring at twice the rate of major metropolitan areas. Read more here.
Rural Hospitals Have a Greater Percentage of Patients with Covid-19
By Tim Marema
But bed availability is tighter in urban areas, raising concerns that rural patients who need transfers to more specialized care may face access difficulties, a new analysis says. Read more here.
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls- January 2021
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and professional networks. These calls are not intended for the press.
Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page at: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/PodcastAndTranscripts
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls (twice a month on Tuesday at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern)
Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and healthcare systems to:
- Increase Hospital Capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls;
- Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce;
- Put Patients Over Paperwork; and
- Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare
Next Office Hours:
Tuesday, January 12th at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 4688247
Audio Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/p5jw6syi
COVID-19 Care Site-Specific Call
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety: A Fireside Chat with CMS, CDC, and front line staff and providers
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 4pm ET
Register in advance for this webinar (After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar): https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_VQnfc77zTaOho3-yYrtGUA
Join The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a fireside chat on vaccine safety. This is the third discussion in a special series, a part of the CMS National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call Series, aimed at addressing staff questions and concerns about the new COVID-19 vaccines. Each session will be moderated by CMS with speakers from CDC and representatives of front line staff and providers.
This chat will continue to address myths surrounding vaccine danger with the following panelist:
- Dr. Lee Fleisher, CMS Chief Medical Officer and Director, Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CMS)
- Dr. Amanda Cohn, Chief Medical Officer (Acting), Office of Vaccine Policy, Preparedness, and Global Health, Office of the Director (CDC)
- Roberta Jaramillo, Environmental Services District Manager, HealthCare Services Group
Preparing for the call:
- Would you like to submit questions for the panel to discuss? Send questions to COVID-19@cms.hhs.gov . There will not be a Q&A session during the call.
- Resource: Long term Care toolkit: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/toolkits/long-term-care/index.html
For the most current information including call schedule changes, please click here
To keep up with the important work the White House Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=36fa2226-6aae0b0d-36fa1319-0cc47a6d17cc-2d06c219f858d641&u=http://www.coronavirus.gov/. For information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.
Long-Term Care Facility Toolkit: Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccination at Your Facility
This toolkit provides long-term care facility (LTCF) administrators and clinical leadership with information and resources to help build vaccine confidence among healthcare personnel (HCP) and residents. You play a critical role in providing trusted information and ensuring high COVID-19 vaccination coverage in your facility.
Based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent panel of medical and public health experts, CDC recommends that HCP and LTCF residents be among those offered the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Strategies for Managing a Surge in COVID-19 Cases
In response to a surge in COVID-19 cases in many areas of the country, the federal Healthcare Resilience Working Group has released guidance detailing strategies to help healthcare providers manage patient surge (PDF – 197 KB). State, local, tribal, and territorial governments can use these strategies to enhance their health care capabilities and support a more comprehensive healthcare system response
Vaccine Administration for Those Without Health Care Coverage
Health care providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing, provided treatment for uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis, and/or incurred vaccination administration fees on or after February 4, 2020 can request claims reimbursement through the HRSA COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured program.
More than $2.8 billion in claims have been paid for COVID-19 testing and treatment of uninsured individuals. Get started today to receive reimbursement typically within 30 working days.
Get the Word Out – “No One Has Time for Flu”
The Ad Council partnered with fluent360, a creative agency based in Chicago, to develop the creative concept and materials for the No One Has Time for Flu campaign. The Public Services Announcements (PSAs) highlight the different circumstances many people are experiencing as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that, now, more than ever, no one has time to be sick with flu. Also visit the website for Get My Flu Shot.