Governor Tom Wolf announced a first-of-its-kind, statewide Suicide Prevention Task Force to develop the state’s suicide prevention plan, a long-term strategy to reduce suicide in Pennsylvania, and let Pennsylvanians in crisis know their lives are valuable and help is available. The announcement was made by various state agencies that will be represented on the task force, Rep. Mike Schlossberg, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, and Prevent Suicide PA.

It is vital that people with lived experience with mental health recovery and/or who have survived suicide attempts participate in this task force. To apply, get more information or to be added to the task force email distribution list, please email Caitlin Palmer, caipalmer@pa.gov, special adviser.

Harrisburg (June 3, 2019) – Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation Celebrates Its Successes in 2018 and Releases its 2018-2019 Annual Report that Outlines the Organization’s Latest Accomplishments, Including the Publication of Funding Your Assistive Technology: A Guide to Funding Resources in Pennsylvania.

The latest accomplishments of Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) were highlighted at a press conference held today at the Capitol Rotunda at 10:30 a.m., hosted by Nancy Murray, President of The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh/ACHIEVA and the in-coming Board President of PATF, and Susan Tachau, Chief Executive Officer of PATF.

PATF continues to achieve outstanding results for individuals with disabilities and older Pennsylvanians, helping them purchase the assistive technology (AT) devices and services they need. The program leverages a small amount of public funding into a large number of loans that strengthen our communities. In addition, the repayment of loans from past borrowers provides funding for future borrowers. Remarkably, even though PATF makes many non-traditional loans, its loan loss rate for the last year is only 2.1%, which is better than the industry nonperformance average.

Through loans valued at more than $36M ($1.5M in 2018) and with over 14,000 Pennsylvanians helped since its founding in 1998, PATF is the only Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in Pennsylvania that extends consumer loans to individuals with disabilities and their families.

At today’s press conference, PATF released its 2018-2019 Annual Report, demonstrating a continued demand for its financial products. The Report highlights the following noteworthy statistics for 2018-19:

• 278 no-interest or low-interest consumer loans were extended worth $1.5M.
• More than 1,178 people were helped through Information & Assistance (I&A) services.
• 122 trainings were conducted about financial education, funding resources and assistive technology.

Nancy Murray spoke about the importance of helping people with disabilities and family members navigate the complexities of financing their AT needs. She urged everyone to pick up a copy of PATF’s new, comprehensive book, Funding Your Assistive Technology: A Guide to Funding Resources in Pennsylvania. Published in April, 454 people have already downloaded the book from PATF’s website, www.patf.us.

Susan Tachau thanked Governor Wolf and the General Assembly for their long-standing support of PATF. She stated, “We are so grateful to the Governor and our elected officials for making it possible for PATF to help Pennsylvanians with disabilities of all ages and incomes help themselves. Most of our borrowers do not have access to conventional lending markets-and therefore, do not have access to the capital that’s needed to purchase assistive technology. We remain committed to creating programs that are meaningful and respond to our ever-changing world of technology.”

Pennsylvania policymakers spoke about their continued commitment to provide essential public and private funding for the program. Speakers included:

• Senators Camera Bartolotta, Bob Mensch, and Christine Tartaglione; and
• Representatives Sheryl Delozier, Patty Kim, Brandon Markosek, and Melissa Shusterman.

Additional speakers included:

• Ms. D.J. Stemmler, PATF borrower featured in the 2018-2019 Annual Report, stated “PATF was willing to fund the van and the adaptive equipment-something most commercial banks won’t do. Without this loan, I wouldn’t have been able to continue to work.”
• David Gates, Esq., Senior Attorney, PA Health Law Project and PATF Board member, who discussed the importance of integrating financial education into community programming and he encouraged attendance at PATF’s upcoming conference, Vision for the Future: Financial Empowerment for Individuals with Disabilities on October 3, 2019 at the Keystone Building, Harrisburg.
• Matthew Seeley, Esq., Executive Director, PA Statewide Independent Living Council, who discussed blending PATF funding with PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) funds for the purchase of his van so that he could work and be active in the community.
• Abbie Spackman and Kendra Martin, PA AgrAbility Project, who talked about PA’s AgrAbility Program, a program that helps farmers with disabilities remain in production agriculture, and their collaboration with PATF.

Nancy Murray closed the press conference by announcing that PATF was honored to be included again in the Governor’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2020 in a line item called Assistive Technology Financing (or Devices), within the Department of Labor & Industry. The appropriation supports PATF’s operations on behalf of people with disabilities of all ages and incomes throughout the Commonwealth. PATF is advocating for an increase of $50,000 (total of $500,000) to support the costs associated with outreach and underwriting new loan applications and providing financial education trainings and one-on-one coaching.

About PATF

Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), founded in 1998, provides education and financing opportunities for people with disabilities and older Pennsylvanians, helping them to acquire assistive technology devices and services that improve the quality of their lives. It is headquartered in King of Prussia, PA and uses a network of Funding Assistance Coordinators across the state to assist prospective borrowers. The organization’s website is www.patf.us. Contact them at (888) 744-1938, or patf@patf.us. PATF is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Contact:

Susan Tachau, CEO

1-888-744-1938

stachau@patf.us

Improving Oral Health Care Services in Rural America.  The shortage of practicing dental professionals in rural communities is influenced by a variety of factors, especially the limited number of dentists who are able and/or willing to start a rural practice.  The archive of this hour-long presentation is now available, in which experts discuss policy recommendations in the recent report on this topic from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services.

Health Professions Training Programs Dashboard.  Visit HRSA’s new dashboard at data.HRSA.gov to view data from HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce education and training programs for academic year 2012–2013 to present. Find out how these health workforce grant programs are supporting HRSA’s goal of providing high quality, culturally competent care in rural and underserved communities.

Supporting Rural Health: Practical Solutions for State Policymakers.  With input from HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the Milbank Memorial Fund presents this issue brief with findings from three regional meetings of federal and state health officials and health services researchers working on rural issues.  Case studies summarized in the brief shed light on successful models for incentivizing investment, the need for workforce development, and the need for ongoing research and policy development specifically directed toward rural health.

David B. Nash, MD, MBA, Founding Dean, Jefferson College of Population Health, has announced that the application process is now open for the 2020 Hearst Health Prize! The winner will receive a $100,000 prize in recognition of outstanding achievement in managing or improving population health. Up to two finalists will receive a cash award of $25,000 each.

The Hearst Health Prize, in partnership with the Jefferson College of Population Health (JCPH), was created to help identify and promote promising initiatives in the field that improve health outcomes. The goal is to discover, support, and showcase the work of an individual, group, or institution that has successfully implemented a population health program that has made a measurable difference.

Last year, they received over 150 impressive submissions from across the country showcasing a range of projects aimed at improving the health of populations. The 2019 winner, Sharp Transitions, was recognized at the Population Health Colloquium for its outstanding home-based palliative care program for patients with advanced and progressive chronic illness who are not ready for hospice care. Additionally, two finalists, Arkansas SAVES, and Mental health Outreach for MotherS (MOMS) Partnership® were each awarded $25,000 for their impactful programs.

Finalists will be invited to present their project during a special poster session at the Population Health Colloquium in Philadelphia, March 30-April 1, 2020. The winner of the prize will be announced during the opening session of the Population Health Colloquium on March 31, 2020.

To apply or learn more about the Hearst Health Prize visit: Jefferson.edu/HearstHealthPrize. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, August 9, 2019, 3:00 PM (EDT)/12:00 Noon PM (PDT).

If you have any questions, please email HearstHealthPrize@Jefferson.edu. Please share this amazing opportunity with your colleagues!

Representative Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA) introduced the Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2019, H.R. 2951 which, if passed, will add dental coverage to Part B of the Medicare program.  The legislation has now been introduced in both chambers of Congress. This is another milestone in efforts to elevate the need for improved oral health coverage in public health care programs.

Click here for more information.

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Rural Community Loan Repayment Program (LRP) is a new program for providers working to combat the opioid epidemic in the nation’s rural communities. The application cycle will open soon and you can sign up for email notices. The NHSC LRP will make FY 2019 loan repayment awards in coordination with the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) initiative within the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) to provide evidence-based substance use treatment, assist in recovery, and to prevent overdose deaths across the nation. Check out information on the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program website.

More than 25% of rural U.S. residents had trouble accessing health care in the last few years, and almost half of them reported it was because they could not afford the care, according to a survey by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health released this week. The survey found that 49% of respondents said they would not be able to afford an unexpected expense, such as a medical bill totaling $1,000. (Source: NPR’s “Shots,” 5/21)

Virtual Training for Trauma-Informed Care.  The Office on Women’s Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers free online courses with continuing education credits to help providers integrate  the principles of trauma-informed care into clinical practice.  The course work is informed by research findings demonstrating that exposure to traumatic events, particularly in childhood, is highly prevalent in our society. A recent report from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services examined the long-term health effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences for rural, tribal and other at-risk populations.