The president-elect campaigned on promises to shake up public health institutions, reshape federal health programs, and slash high costs across the system. Trump has said he’s ready for campaign lieutenants like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “go wild” on health, medicine, and food policy. Read more.

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued a recommendation for people 65 years and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised to receive a second dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose. See the announcement on CDC’s Newsroom website. CDC’s upcoming Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity call also relates to respiratory virus. The upcoming call, 2024-2025 Recommendations for Influenza Prevention and Treatment in Children: An Update for Pediatric Providers, is Thursday, Nov. 14 from 2:00-3:00 pm. Join the day of the session. **CE credits available** Visit the call webpage for call-in info and more details.

In January 2024, the commonwealth launched PA Navigate, a new website that connects residents to community organizations, government agencies and health care providers for access to resources for basic needs, such as food, housing, and childcare. Read more In efforts to educate the community, a PA Navigate flyer was developed if you’d like to share within your community.

Pennsylvania has joined several interstate licensing compacts and is poised to join numerous others. Interstate compacts provide flexibility for trained professionals to practice where they want and where they are needed. However, the regulatory process in Pennsylvania to enact these licenses is long and arduous. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Act 119, to give licensing boards the agility they need to get compacts up and running in a timely manner. The Act grants boards that are subject to an interstate licensure compact the power to promulgate temporary rules for compact implementation. Licensing boards would still be required to use the full regulatory process to establish permanent guidelines. Temporary regulations promulgated under this legislation would expire after three years.

ARC is seeking proposals from organizations, including non-profits, institutions of higher education, and other stakeholders to work in partnership with the ARC Academies & Institutes team to execute the Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI), a leadership development program for people who live and/or work in Appalachian and are passionate about helping their communities thrive.

Launched in 2019, the Appalachian Leadership Institute is a leadership training opportunity that equips Appalachian community leaders to use economic development as a tool to drive positive change. Since its launch, ALI has trained approximately 200 Appalachian leaders.

ALI is a collaborative effort between the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Organization that serves as our curriculum partner. The selected organization will provide expertise on content and curriculum planning under the leadership and approval of ARC. More information on the breakdown of roles and responsibilities can be found in the RFP.

Proposals must describe the strategy for promoting and implementing action-oriented leadership in the Appalachian Region, to include, but not be limited to, the following major components under the ALI umbrella:

• A program aimed at 40 leaders from Appalachia’s public, private, and non-profit sectors.
• Curriculum and sessions focused on ARC’s five investment areas.
• Case study work that reflects both the opportunities and challenges in the region.
• Proposed areas of training in leadership skills development.
• Alumni Network Programming
  • Curriculum and sessions that build upon the core curriculum of the program
  • Proposed strategy for network building and continued growth

Key dates are outlined below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Academies & Institutes Program Manager Jessica Mosley at leadershipRFP@arc.gov.

RFP open date: November 7, 2024
Questions due: December 13, 2024
Answers posted on arc.gov: December 19, 2024
Proposal due date: January 10, 2025
Interviews: February 24-28, 2025
Selection date: March 10, 2025
Contract period: August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026

CMS is excited to announce the establishment of a new federal advisory committee, the Health Equity Advisory Committee (HEAC). The committee has been announced in the federal register to notify the public of its establishment and the nomination process for membership on the committee.

Click here to view the Federal Register notice.

What is a Federal Advisory Committee?

The Federal Government has long recognized the important role of the public in developing effective policies. Advisory committees are a way of ensuring public and expert involvement and advice in Federal decision-making. For more information on CMS Federal Advisory Committees, please visit the CMS Federal Advisory Committee page.

What is the Health Equity Advisory Committee?

The Committee is established to advise and make recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the identification and resolution of systemic barriers to accessing CMS programs that hinder quality of care for beneficiaries and consumers. The Committee will also serve as a dedicated platform for CMS collaboration with key interested persons to advance health equity by identifying how CMS can promote quality and access for beneficiaries of all CMS programs.  The Committee will focus on health disparities in underserved communities, which are populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, such as but not limited to Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality as defined in Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

Who will serve on the Health Equity Advisory Committee? 

The Committee shall consist of 20-30 individuals who will serve at least a 2-year term. These members should have experience working with underserved communities which are populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, such as but not limited to Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality as defined in Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

Members should be knowledgeable in the fields of health equity; outreach to underserved populations; community/safety net providers; disability policy and access; and other relevant health equity matters that are presented or addressed by the agency. The Committee may also be comprised of Special Government Employees and Representative Members.  A Chair and Co-Chair will be appointed from the members.

What type of nominations are accepted?  

CMS will consider qualified individuals who are nominated by individuals or organizations representing affected stakeholders.  Any interested person or organization may nominate one qualified individual.  Self-nominations are not allowed but you may have a member of your care team, religious leader, colleague, community-based organization, or other partner nominate you. To ensure a nomination is considered, CMS must receive all the nomination information at the email address HEAC@cms.hhs.gov by December 12, 2024.

Each nomination must include the following information:

• A letter of nomination that contains contact information for both the nominator and nominee. One-page maximum.
• A statement from the nominee that they are willing to serve on the HEAC for at least a 2-year time period and an explanation of interest in serving on the HEAC. The nominee should also indicate which category or categories of underserved communities specified in section II.B their expertise can represent.  One-page maximum.
• A resumé or curriculum vitae that indicates the nominee’s educational experience and relevant professional and/or lived experience. Two-pages maximum.
• Two letters of reference that support the nominee’s qualifications for participation in the HEAC and how their educational, professional, and/or lived experience aligns with at least one or more of the 5 priority areas within the CMS Framework for Health Equity or one or more of the 6 priority areas within the CMS Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal and Geographically Isolated Communities. Please choose only one framework to align the nominee’s experience with a CMS priority area.  One-page maximum per letter.

Questions? For more information, please visit the HEAC webpage or email HEAC@cms.hhs.gov. Please also be sure to review the federal register notice.

In an effort to draw attention to the wide range of issues that impact rural health, Gov. Josh Shapiro has declared November 18-22, 2024, as Rural Health Week in Pennsylvania at the request of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association (PRHA) and the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH).

Gov. Shapiro made the proclamation to promote awareness of the full range of issues that impact rural health care throughout the Commonwealth and the health status of rural Pennsylvanians. Nationally, Pennsylvania ranks as one of the states with the highest number of rural residents, with 26 percent of Pennsylvanians residing in rural areas. In recognition of Pennsylvania’s diverse rural needs, the Commonwealth has supported the development of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, and other agencies and initiatives to address the needs of rural Pennsylvanians.

The week encompasses November 21, which is National Rural Health Day, established in 2011 by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) to showcase rural America; increase awareness of rural health issues; and promote the efforts of NOSORH, State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) and others in addressing those issues.

“Nearly 59.5 million Americans, including 3.4 million Pennsylvanians, live in rural communities,” said Lisa Davis, PORH director and outreach associate professor of health policy and administration at Penn State. “These small towns and communities continue to be fueled by the creative energy of citizens who step forward to provide a wealth of products, resources, and services.

Rural communities also face unique health care concerns: a lack of providers; accessibility issues, particularly in terms of transportation and technology; and affordability issues as the result of larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens and greater out-of-pocket health costs. Rural hospitals and health care providers, which frequently are the economic backbone of the communities they serve, deserve special consideration so that they can continue to provide high-quality services and meet the needs of rural residents.”

To celebrate the work being done to achieve health care access and equity in Pennsylvania, PORH will present Pennsylvania Rural Health Awards during virtual ceremonies across rural Pennsylvania.

PORH was established in 1991 to enhance the health status of rural Pennsylvanians and strengthen the delivery and quality of care in the communities in which they live. Each year, the organization presents awards to recognize rural health programs and individuals who have made substantial contributions to rural health in Pennsylvania. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, visit porh.psu.edu.

PRHA is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of Pennsylvania’s rural citizens and communities. Through the combined efforts of individuals, organizations, professionals, and community leaders, the Association is a collective voice for rural health issues and a conduit for information and resources. More information can be found at paruralhealth.org.

Scheduled for December 12, 2024! This free, virtual conference hosted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will convene change makers from the healthcare community and federal government to share new ideas, lessons learned, and best practices to reduce administrative burden and strengthen access to quality care.

Click here for more information and to register.