- Students From Across the State Emphasized the Need for Mental Health Resources in Rural Alaska During a Conference
- The South Was the Center of Rural Population Growth Last Year
- How HHS SUD Confidentiality Regulations Will Impact Rural Providers
- VA Announces Expansion of "Close to Me" Cancer Program as Part of the Cancer Moonshot, Bringing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Closer to Thousands of Veterans
- Navajo Psychiatrist Bridges Gaps Between Native American Culture and Behavioral Health Care
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
NIOSH COVID-19 Update
As part of NIOSH’s efforts to keep stakeholders up to date on the CDC and NIOSH COVID-19 response, below is a summary of new information posted:
- A recent NIOSH Science Blog Post, The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Opioid Overdose Epidemic: A Perfect Storm for Workers?, discusses the interlinked nature of the COVID-19 and opioid misuse, opioid use disorder, and overdose. The new challenges and stressors workers face during the pandemic may lead to an increase in substance use.
- CDC has published a new webpage on Optimizing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies. This resource provides links for strategies to optimize the supply of various types of PPE, as well as general PPE information.
- A new infographic on COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Nonhealthcare Workplaces is available. When a COVID-19 case is identified that impacts a workplace, the health department may ask the employer for help. This infographic provides tips for employers if they are asked to assist a health department with case investigations and contact tracing.
Supporting Maternal and Child Health During COVID-19
The National Governors Association (NGA) surveyed executive branch officials from 38 states and territories regarding state policies to safeguard against COVID-19 for pregnant women, postpartum women and infants.
The survey was supported through HRSA’s cooperative agreement with the National Organizations of State and Local Officials (NOSLO),
HRSA Plans October 5 Release of 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health Data
HRSA will release 2019 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) on October 5, which is also National Child Health Day. The NSCH provides the latest national and state-level data on the health and health care needs of children as well as information about their families and communities.
Survey topics include:
- Children’s physical and mental health;
- Health insurance status;
- Access to and use of health care services, including:
- Receipt of preventive and specialty care;
- Patient-centered medical home; and
- Services to support transition to adult health care for adolescents;
- Lifetime exposure to adverse childhood experiences, and more.
The NSCH is funded and directed by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which oversees sampling, survey administration and the production of a final data set for public use.
Look for the release on our social media channels (@HRSAgov), and like and share to show your support of Child Health Day.
Rates of Alcohol-induced Deaths Among Adults Aged 25 and Over in Urban and Rural Areas: United States, 2000–2018
October 2, 2020| Data Brief No. 383
Select key findings
Data from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality
- Age-adjusted rates of alcohol-induced deaths among adults aged 25 and over were stable from 2000 to 2006, then increased 43% from 10.7 per 100,000 in 2006 to 15.3 in 2018.
- For both males and females, alcohol-induced death rates increased at a greater rate between 2000 and 2018 in rural compared with urban areas.
Keywords
urban–rural, trends, health disparities, National Vital Statistics System-Mortality (NVSS-M)
For more information, visit the full report
Draft Viral Hepatitis Strategic Plan 2021-25 Open for Comments
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a draft Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan: 2021-2025, which will serve as a roadmap to hepatitis elimination. The plan is available for public comment until Oct. 8, 2020 at 5:00 pm. The plan provides a framework to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat to the U.S. and features five primary goals:
- Prevent New Hepatitis Infections
- Improve Viral Hepatitis-Related Health Outcome of People with Viral Hepatitis
- Reduce Viral Hepatitis-Related Disparities and Health Inequities
- Improve Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Data Usage
- Achieve Integrated, Coordinated Efforts that Address the Viral Hepatitis Epidemics Among All Partners and Stakeholders
HHS is looking for input on whether the plan’s goals, objectives and strategies appropriately address the viral hepatitis epidemic and whether there are any critical gaps. Comments can be submitted to Hepatitis Plan Comments. Click here to read the whole plan.
NIDA Step by Step Guides to Finding Treatment for Drug Use Disorders
This series of publications is filled with resources and information to help you or someone you care about who might have a drug use disorder, including a guide specifically written for young people.
Million Hearts® 2nd Edition Hypertension Control Change Package
Million Hearts® 2022, a national initiative co-led by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), strives to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes within five years by focusing on undiagnosed hypertension, cholesterol management, and tobacco use. The Million Hearts Hypertension Control Change Package published in 2015 has been updated. Click here to download the Hypertension Control Change Package. Don’t forget to visit the Million Hearts website.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Health
This webinar brings together experts to explore the impacts of systemic racism and social and economic inequalities on the health and well-being of Latinos, and to provide effective strategies for addressing these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The expert panelists discuss:
- The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Latino communities and how unemployment, uninsurance, immigration status and limited English proficiency have been the strongest predictors of COVID-19 cases
- The diverse history of Latinos in the United States and the need for more inclusion and representation of Latinos and other communities of color in clinical trials and studies
- How a health plan in Florida is partnering to implement community-based primary care to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of the diverse Latino population in the state
View the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) infographic on Latino health & COVID-19; available in English and Spanish. View NIHCM’s recent infographic and webinar on the impact of COVID-19 on the health of Black Americans.
FDA Issues Updates on Dental Amalgam
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided updated recommendations on Sept. 24, 2020 about the use of dental amalgam. The information potentially has a large impact on dentistry and public health dental programs. For more information, visit these links:
- Safety Communication
- Patient Brochure website
- Patient Brochure printable format
- Dental Amalgam website
However, the American Dental Association (ADA) News reported on Sept. 24, 2020 that the ADA “reaffirmed its position that dental amalgam is a ‘durable, safe and effective’ restorative material in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Sept. 24 statement that existing evidence shows that dental amalgam is not harmful to the general population and treatment options should be thoroughly discussed by the patient and dentist.”
Where Potential COVID-19 Vaccines Stand in the U.S.
Four vaccines for the novel coronavirus are now in late-stage testing in people in the United States. Here are some details:
- Johnson & Johnson vaccine – The vaccine uses noninfectious adenovirus, a common cold virus, to deliver a gene from the novel coronavirus to human cells and produce copies of the SARS-CoV-2 protein, potentially priming immune cells to fight infection. The vaccine is being tested as a single dose and can be stored refrigerated for at least three months, potentially alleviating some of the concerns about the logistics of distribution.
- Moderna vaccine – Messenger RNA, genetic material carrying information about a viral protein, is delivered to cells that produce the protein, which the immune system is then trained to recognize. RNA vaccines are a newer technology, favored for their potential speed in development, but none have been approved for humans for any virus. The vaccine is being given in two doses and is stored frozen.
- Pfizer vaccine – This vaccine is also an mRNA vaccine being tested as two doses. It currently requires storage at -70°C (-94°F). Pfizer has an initial agreement with the U.S. government for 100 million doses if the vaccine is approved, with an option for 500 million more doses.
- AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine – Similar to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, this candidate is a viral vector vaccine but uses a different adenovirus. The vaccine’s trial in the U.S. is currently paused after a “suspected adverse event” in a participant in a U.K. trial of the vaccine. It is being given in two doses and is expected to require refrigeration.
Amidst growing public skepticism and distrust of vaccines, the FDA is planning to tighten requirements for assessing a vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, the Washington Post reported.