HRSA is seeking qualified candidates to be considered for appointment to the committee that advises the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on how to improve the health status of infants and women before, during, and after pregnancy.  For its membership, the committee tries to ensure a balanced representation of geographic areas, gender, and ethnic and minority groups, as well as individuals with disabilities. Deadline January 23.

To more effectively address known barriers to treatment for substance use disorder (SUD), policy researchers looked at feedback from 27 community-based programs serving predominantly people of color across the U.S. Beyond poverty and racism, providers describe challenges retaining staff with appropriate language and cultural skills as well as a complex patchwork of social skills.  Released in November by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) the report calls for more research to understand how federal, state, and local policies and programs can maximize the strengths of communities of varied backgrounds, while also implementing evidence-based practices.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is making a big push to prevent the spread of influenza.  Most recent data from the 2021-2022 season show 4 million flu-related medical visits, 100,000 flu-related hospitalizations, and 5,000 flu deaths.  This year has already seen several states with the highest levels of respiratory illness that include fever plus a cough or sore throat.  The CDC recommends flu vaccination for everyone aged 6 months and older and provides a broad range of communication resources to get the word out.

The deadline to apply for the Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program is Dec. 14, 2022, at 7:00 pm. Physicians, dentists, and psychologists are eligible for up to $80,000 full-time and $40,000 half-time. Other practitioners are eligible for up to $48,000 full-time and up to $24,000 half-time. Please make sure your primary care, dental, and behavioral health providers know about this opportunity. To find out who is eligible, go to the website or download The LRP Fact Sheet. If you or a staff member is interested in applying, review the Request for Applications first. Questions? Contact Judd Mellinger-Blouch, Director of Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center.

Fierce Healthcare reported that Medicare saved $70 million in 2021 through its direct contracting model, which pays providers population-based capitated rates, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The savings were generated by 53 organizations from April through December 2021, with 38 organizations earning $47 million in shared savings. The model has been revamped to address health equity and will transition to the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (REACH) Model in 2023. Read More.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an Informational Bulletin that describes the 2023 and 2024 updates to the Core Set of children’s healthcare quality measures for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Core Set of health care quality measures for adults enrolled in Medicaid (the Adult Core Set). The updates to the Core Sets will take effect in the 2023 reporting cycle, which will begin in the early fall of 2023.

With more than 14 million people enrolled in coverage nationwide through the 2023 health insurance marketplace Open Enrollment period, this marks the nation’s lowest uninsured rate ever at 8%. Open Enrollment began Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 15. Pennie, Pennsylvania’s health insurance marketplace, has seen more than 332,000 enrollments as of Nov. 30. Historically, the largest number of enrollments are attributed to auto-renewals from existing customers. Pennie-certified enrollment assisters at community health centers are enrolling customers in person, telephonically, and virtually to meet the need for unbiased, free assistance. New enhancements on the Pennie website, such as the customer service chat feature and additional income calculation questions, enable consumers to get questions answered sooner and pinpoint variations in monthly income.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority released the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Statewide Broadband Plan. The plan addresses both the immediate needs and long-term needs of Pennsylvanians. The Authority’s plan to expand broadband across the commonwealth focuses on the challenges and opportunities including improving broadband service infrastructure and availability, digital equity and affordability, device and technology access, and digital literacy and technical support. With a clear picture of the current state of broadband in Pennsylvania outlined—including up to 800,000 unserved Pennsylvanians—the plan includes actionable steps to achieve universal broadband access. As Pennsylvania and other states seek to narrow the digital divide, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just released a draft of a nationwide broadband availability map. The new National Broadband Map lets individuals search specific addresses to find information about fixed and mobile services available there. The public, including local governments and businesses, has an opportunity to challenge the map or comment on its accuracy until Jan. 13.

Introducing Reimagine Rural, a podcast featuring rural towns experiencing positive change

While the dominant narrative regarding rural America is one of decline and division, Reimagine Rural is a new podcast that visits rural towns across the United States that are experiencing positive change and explores how public investment in rural people and places can lead to increased and equitable prosperity.  

Hosted by Tony Pipa, a scholar in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution and a product of rural America, each episode features local voices telling the story of progress in their community and considering the intersection with policy and public resources.   

Join Tony on this journey to visit a diverse set of towns across America to learn more about how rural communities are adapting to the 21st century. 

Episode 1 debuted on November 22.   Click here to see the list of podcasts and for information on how to subscribe.