The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is seeking nominations to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. Specific areas of expertise being sought include public health, health equity and the reduction of health disparities, application of science to health policy, dissemination and implementation, behavioral medicine, and communication of scientific findings to diverse audiences. Nominations of individuals clinical expertise in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology will receive the strongest consideration. Read more here.

In 2019, more than 40 states introduced legislation describing the procedures, actions, and processes that a health care practitioner is permitted to undertake in keeping with the terms of their professional licensure.  This new interactive map shows recent scope of practice legislation by state.  The map was created by the National Conference of State Legislatures, supported by cooperative agreement between the Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Organizations of State and Local Health Officials. Read more here.

The Department of Health and Human Services, led by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, released the draft 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan for public comment. This plan, which was developed in collaboration with over 25 federal organizations, is intended to guide federal health information technology (IT) activities. Read more here.

In January 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced a focused all-agency effort and anti-stigma campaign, ‘Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters,’ aimed at expanding resources and the state’s comprehensive support of mental health and related health care priorities in Pennsylvania.

The governor announced several initiatives and reviews the administration will undertake for commonwealth agencies to bolster the effort. Furthermore, over the coming weeks, agencies will announce additional initiatives. The governor was joined by mental health advocates, social workers, educators, military veterans, and cabinet secretaries in making the announcement.

“For those struggling with their mental health, we have one message: Your mental health matters and it’s okay to reach out for help,” Gov. Wolf said. “We are stepping up our efforts to ensure every Pennsylvanian can access mental health care and more agencies can respond to the challenges facing Pennsylvanians struggling with their mental health. The act of reaching out for help – or to help – can make a huge difference for someone struggling.”

According to a 2017 study from the University of Southern California, approximately 1 million adult Pennsylvanians struggled with serious psychological distress at least once in 2015. Of those adults, more than 27 percent had an unmet need for mental health care. That population includes 42 percent who did not receive mental health care because they could not afford it.

Strengthening Mental Health Care Access

The Department of Human Services will take steps to incentivize the integration of physical and behavioral health services to remove barriers to coordinating care and treatment. DHS will create financial incentives to encourage managed care organizations that provide Medical Assistance benefits to create, maintain, and continuously improve collaboration between the entities and providers that coordinate and deliver physical health benefits and mental health benefits.

These steps will mark the beginning of a large-scale effort to combat mental health issues in Pennsylvania. Reach Out PA, the Suicide Prevention Task Force, and other Wolf Administration focuses will continue to bust the stigma surrounding mental health, and work together in a multi-pronged push.