Clinicians working to address the opioid epidemic may be eligible for free training to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT). This training will help you qualify for some National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs. If you are already in an NHSC program, you may qualify for enhanced award benefits. NHSC is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to increase the number of Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) Waiver-certified clinicians in high-need communities. SAMHSA’s Provider Clinical Support System (PCSS) offers the most effective, evidence-based clinical practices in preventing, identifying, and treating opioid-use disorder (OUD).

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has granted The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s pioneering National Family Medicine Residency Program a full 10-year accreditation, the highest rating available. The ACGME is a private, not-for-profit organization that sets quality standards for U.S. graduate medical education programs and renders accreditation decisions based on compliance with these standards of best practices. As the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Consortium in the country, The Wright Center trains residents to provide care to the nation’s most vulnerable patients in high-performing, certified Patient-Centered Medical Homes, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community-based hospitals. From humble beginnings in 1976 as the Scranton Temple Residency Program with just six internal medicine residents, it has blossomed into a physician-led, nonprofit organization with more than 650 employees and close to 250 physician learners.

The Commonwealth recently announced selection of a vendor for the Resource Information and Services Enterprise – or RISE PA – the upcoming statewide resource and referral tool. RISE PA will allow participating providers from local non-profits, healthcare organizations, local government and faith-based organizations to work together and coordinate care, making it easier for families and individuals to access the help they need. To learn more, join Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Miller and other state officials for an informational webinar. Webinars are regional and require registration. Click on the link for your region to register.

• Lehigh/Capital Zone on March 12, 2021 at 10:00 am: Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Perry and York counties
• Southeast Zone on March 16, 2021 at 1:00 pm: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties
• Southwest Zone on March 19, 2021 at 10:00 am: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Green, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties
• New West Zone on March 23, 2021 at 10:00 am: Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango and Warren counties
• New East Zone on March 30, 2021 at 10:00 am: Bradford, Carbon, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne and Wyoming counties

The Senate held hearings for three key Biden-nominated health officials: Xavier Becerra (HHS Secretary) was in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, and Vivek Murthy (Surgeon General), Rachael Levine (HHS Assistant Secretary of Health) were both in front of the Senate HELP Committee.

The House Budget Committee began the markup of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. The House Rules Committee will be the next committee to review the legislation before it moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.