- 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
Here You Can Find Information on Trauma-Informed Outreach and Engagement
The Homeless and Housing Resource Council (HHRC) is offering the course Trauma-Informed Outreach and Engagement to provide foundational information about trauma-informed outreach and engagement strategies, approaches, and service delivery models. There will be a focus on ways to support individuals who have serious mental illness, substance use disorders, or co-occurring disorders. This course has been accredited for 3.0 continuing education units (CEUs) by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). NOTE: If you are not yet registered on the HHRC website, free registration is necessary to access the course.
There Have Been Changes Made in Federal Regulations Regarding Medical Providers Prescribing Buprenorphine
View a presentation to understand the recent changes in training requirements for providers prescribing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Physicians, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and behavioral health professionals can visit the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) behavioral health technical assistance website to watch the 11-minute presentation.
HRSA Has Released Curated Resources on Child and Adolescent Health
HRSA curated a packet of training and TA materials for health centers that want to develop processes for improving service delivery and outcomes for children and adolescents. The materials relate to telehealth, food insecurity, mental and behavioral health, oral health, and staffing shortages and retention.
CDC Now Offers Free HIV Self-Test Kits
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Together TakeMeHome initiative is a national direct-to-consumer program that offers free HIV self-tests by mail. People can order up to two free HIV self-tests every 90 days. Tests are available to anyone 17 or older, regardless of health insurance or immigration status. CDC supports this program in partnership with other organizations. They also offer resources health centers can use to promote self-testing as part of their “Let’s Stop HIV Together” initiative.
A New Toolkit Has Been Created to Support Routine Vaccination Catch-Up in School-Aged Children
Kindergarten vaccination coverage in the United States is the lowest it has been in decades, placing children and their communities at risk for preventable disease outbreaks. The Public Health Foundation, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed an actionable toolkit containing evidence-based strategies, tools, and resources to support and address routine vaccination catch-up. Share and review the toolkit with your education partners.
Recently Women’s Unpaid Caregiving Labor Has Valued at $627B
Becker’s Hospital Review reports that a common scapegoat for the gender wage gap now has numeric value: U.S. women would collectively make an additional $627 billion per year if paid for their caregiving work. That figure comes from the 2022 American Time Use Survey, conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families. If a woman earned the mean wage of $14.55 per hour for childcare workers or home aides, the average American woman would bring home an additional $4,600 annually. Unpaid caregiving labor costs financial opportunity for everyone, regardless of gender, according to the report. Men’s unpaid caregiving work is worth more than $300 billion per year, costing each individual $2,300 annually.
Pennsylvania Safe Haven Sites Had Rescued Five Babies in 2022
Five babies were dropped off at the state’s Safe Haven sites last year, new data from the PA Department of Human Services shows. The state’s Safe Haven Law allows new moms to relinquish babies at sites, such as hospitals and police stations, in a bid to provide a means to protect the children in situations where they might be unsafe. Since the law was enacted in 2002, a total of 55 newborns have been received as Safe Haven infants. These infants have come from 31 counties, with most relinquishments occurring in the Western region of the state (27 infants). The Central region had the second highest number of infants relinquished at 16, followed by seven in the Northeast region, and six in the Southeast region. The data was included in the state’s annual report on Child Protective Services.
Efforts are Underway in Pennsylvania to Improve Black Maternal Health
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis, and Muffy Mendoza from Brown Mamas talk about efforts in Pennsylvania to improve Black maternal health. Watch the video here.
The Updated Federal Unwinding Reports for Pennsylvania Are Being Released
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has published three reports required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Pennsylvania’s Medicaid unwinding. The first report is a point-in-time baseline report with pending data. The second report is a monthly snapshot of data. Both reports are for the entire Medicaid population. A third document called the Continuous Eligibility Unwinding Plan explains how DHS will process all Medicaid and CHIP renewals. The July 2023 monthly report shows 273,057 total beneficiaries for whom a renewal was initiated during the reporting period with 247,827 due for renewal. Of those renewed and retained, 11,842 were renewed on an ex parte basis, 83,667 were renewed using a pre-populated form, 26,627 were transferred to Pennie, 20,606 individuals were terminated for procedural reasons and 105,085 renewals were not completed. The ex parte automated process has experienced system glitches, and some applications are being processed manually. To view these reports, visit the PA DHS Federal Unwinding Reports webpage.
Find Out How Many Older Adults in Employer Plans Can’t Afford Care
With premiums and deductibles outpacing income growth over the past decade, employer health plans are failing to protect many older adults from health costs or ensure access to affordable care, a new Commonwealth Fund study shows. Large shares of adults ages 50 to 64 in these plans, especially people with low or moderate income, can’t afford needed care and struggle to pay their medical bills. Learn what policymakers can do to expand coverage options for people in this age group. Read more.