Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

Report Details Economic Impact of Agriculture in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, working with TeamPA and Econsult, has produced the second study detailing the economic impact of agriculture in Pennsylvania.  Results show that agriculture contributes $132.5B to the state’s economy and remains a top industry, ranging from farm production to processing to feeding our families.

The report can be accessed at TeamPA_Agriculture2020EISUpdate_FINAL

USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Offset High Energy Costs in Rural Areas

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson today announced that USDA is seeking applications for grants to offset high energy costs in rural areas.

USDA is making the funding available through the High Energy Cost Grant program. This program helps state and local governments and nonprofit agencies acquire, construct, extend, upgrade, or otherwise improve energy generation, transmission or distribution facilities. Grants may also be used to install on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems and to make energy efficiency improvements.

Eligible projects must be in communities where the average residential home energy expenditure is at least 275 percent of the national average. USDA expects to award up to $10 million for Fiscal Year 2021.

Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped or sent overnight no later than July 6, 2021.

Electronic applications must be submitted to grants.gov by midnight Eastern Standard Time on July 6, 2021.

COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Helpline in Pennsylvania for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has announced a partnership with Pennsylvania-based Rite Aid Pharmacy to ease access to COVID-19 vaccinations for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. Beginning May 4, people with an intellectual disability, autism, and their caregivers will be able to call a hotline managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) to request a COVID-19 vaccine, and callers will receive direct outreach from a nearby Rite Aid Pharmacy to schedule their vaccine appointment.

People with an intellectual disability or autism and their caregivers can call ODP Vaccination Call Center at 1-800-424-4345 to request a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for themselves and/or their caregivers. This hotline is staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. From there, ODP will give Rite Aid names and locations of individuals who need to be vaccinated. Rite Aid staff will assign local pharmacies to reach out to callers to schedule vaccinations at a Rite Aid location near to the caller. This effort will also be able to help coordinate special accommodations for individuals who need assistance with transportation or on-site aid, among other needs.

Anyone age 16 or older with an intellectual disability or autism and their caregivers can request a vaccine appointment through this effort, regardless of whether they are currently enrolled in a services and supports program through ODP. ODP oversees services and supports for approximately 57,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Pennsylvania but estimates that this only covers about 25 percent of Pennsylvanians who may qualify as having an intellectual or developmental disability. ODP is working with Pennsylvania’s Developmental Disabilities Council, Temple University’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Special Olympics, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers to help people with disabilities and their caregivers know about this option and assist with accommodations.

“As we continue to work to ensure that all Pennsylvanians who want a vaccine are able to get them, this collaborative approach between ODP and Rite Aid will allow us to ease this process for people with intellectual disabilities and autism and help us keep them and their caregivers safe moving forward,” said DHS Acting Secretary Meg Snead. “Rite Aid has been an incredible partner in helping us reach vulnerable people in our licensed facilities and community settings, and I am incredibly grateful for their continued work to ensure that we are getting these life-saving vaccines out efficiently and equitably.”

Since December 2020, more than 8 million Pennsylvanians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 3.2 million Pennsylvanians are fully vaccinated. For more information on COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccine providers in your community, visit the Department of Health’s website.   

Get more information about vaccines administered to DHS-licensed facilities through the work with Rite Aid and other vaccine providers.

HHS Announces Nearly $1 Billion from American Rescue Plan for Rural COVID-19 Response

Funding Will Help Communities, Hospitals, Health Clinics Respond to the Pandemic and Support Local Efforts to Increase Vaccine Confidence and Uptake in Rural Communities

Today, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing the availability of nearly $1 billion to strengthen COVID-19 response efforts and increase vaccinations in rural communities. As part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to expanding access to vaccines and ensuring equity in the COVID-19 response, the Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of HHS, will increase the number of vaccines sent to rural communities, expand testing and other COVID-19 prevention services, and work to increase vaccine confidence by empowering trusted local voices with additional funding for outreach efforts in underserved communities.

“Rural health providers are vital to ensure equity in COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and in making sure rural residents have the information about vaccine safety, especially for populations who are at an increased risk for COVID-19 infection or severe illness due to systemic health and social inequities and geographic isolation,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Support to Rural Health Clinics and small rural hospitals for COVID-19 testing, strengthening vaccine allocation and confidence, and vaccine outreach will help rural residents make informed health decisions about COVID-19 to protect themselves and their communities.”

HRSA’s Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Program will provide $460 million to more than 4,600 rural health clinics (RHCs) across the country. RHCs will use the funds to maintain and increase COVID-19 testing, expand access to testing for rural residents, and broaden efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus in ways tailored to their local communities. RHCs are a special certification given to health care practices in underserved rural areas by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help ensure access to care for rural residents. HRSA will provide up to $100,000 per RHC-certified clinic site and will issue the funds this summer.

To further support COVID-19 testing in rural areas, HRSA will provide $398 million to existing grantees of the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) to work with approximately 1,730 small rural hospitals – those with fewer than 50 beds – and Critical Access Hospitals on COVID-19 testing and mitigation. SHIP state grantees will use the funding to support all eligible rural hospitals, up to $230,000 per hospital, and will issue the funds later in the year.

“Addressing the health care challenges rural areas face requires a targeted approach that’s tailored to the needs of local communities,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa. “This critical funding strengthens our ability to deliver on President Biden’s commitment to ensure that the nation’s underserved communities and those who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 get the help they need.”

HRSA will also support RHCs to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in rural communities and expand outreach to build vaccine confidence. Working in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HRSA is inviting Medicare-certified RHCs to join the new Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution (RHCVD) Program to directly receive vaccines from the Biden Administration. HRSA and CDC will continue to enroll interested RHCs to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the allocation for which is separate from jurisdictions’ weekly allocations.

In addition, through the Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program, HRSA will make nearly $100 million available in grants to eligible RHCs nationwide to address health equity gaps by offering support and resources to medically underserved rural communities where COVID-19 vaccine uptake lags in comparison to more populated areas. HRSA will fund all eligible RHCs that apply. The RHCVC Program is the first targeted RHC grant since the passage of the Rural Health Clinic Service Act in 1977.

RHCs will be able to use the funds to increase vaccine confidence, improve health care in rural areas, and reinforce key messages about prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Implementation efforts in rural communities will include disseminating information to rural residents about how and where to get vaccinated, and coordinating with existing vaccination sites and public health partners to identify strategies to increase vaccine confidence among key populations. RHCs may also use funding to promote vaccination and bolster patient literacy in rural areas on the benefits of broad vaccination and vaccine safety in support of continued efforts to return to a more normal lifestyle.

For more information about HRSA’s rural programs, visit the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy website: https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/index.html

To learn more about HRSA’s allocation to Rural Health Clinics for COVID-19 testing visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/coronavirus/rural-health-clinics-covid-19-testing-fy20-awards

To learn more about the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP), visit https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/rural-hospitals.

New HHS Reimbursement for Underinsured COVID Vaccinations

On May 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced a new program covering costs of administering COVID-19 vaccines to patients enrolled in health plans that either do not cover vaccination fees or cover them with patient cost-sharing. Since providers cannot bill patients for COVID-19 vaccination fees, this new program, the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund (CAF), addresses an outstanding compensation need for providers on the front lines vaccinating underinsured patients.

Click here for the Press Release and Fact Sheet of the CAF.

Pennsylvania Administration to Lift Mitigation Orders on Memorial Day, Masking Order Once 70% of Pennsylvania Adults Fully Vaccinated 

Pennsylvanians ages 16 and older who want a vaccine are urged to get one 

Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s administration, in coordination with the COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force, announced on May 4, 2021 that mitigation orders except masking will be lifted on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 at 12:01 AM.

The current order requiring Pennsylvanians to wear masks will be lifted when 70% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated. Face coverings are required to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home. In accordance with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, fully vaccinated Pennsylvanians are not required to wear a mask during certain activities.

“We continue to make significant progress in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 and as more Pennsylvania adults get vaccinated and guidance from the CDC evolves, we can continue to move forward with our reopening efforts,” ​Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam said. “I encourage Pennsylvanians to take the critical steps needed to put this pandemic behind us by getting vaccinated, follow through with both doses if you receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, and continue to take steps like masking, frequent hand washing and sanitizing and social distancing.”

Requirements such as testing and reporting ​new cases will remain in place for hospitals and long-term care facilities. Maintaining requirements for hospitals and long-term care facilities wi​ll allow Pennsylvania to continue to closely monitor COVID-19 spread while lifting other restrictions.

The Department of Health recommends that Pennsylvanians refer to CDC guidance and recommendations regarding ongoing COVID-19 safety measures and procedures.

These updates will not prevent municipalities and school districts from ​continuing and implementing stricter mitigation efforts.

“With millions of Pennsylvanians getting vaccinated, it’s time to plan the transition back to normal,” said Sen. Art Haywood. Hospitalizations and deaths are down. This action today is a key step forward.”

“While the restrictions that were put in place at the outset of the pandemic have been a major source of frustration for many Pennsylvanians and businesses, it is the collaborative work of this bipartisan Task Force that is allowing us to finally roll back the restrictions and get back to normal life,” said Sen. Ryan Aument.

“I’m thrilled after more than a year that we are able to lift these restrictions so that we can move to more normal life,” said Rep. Tim O’Neal. “This will help grow our economy and assist our small businesses that have sacrificed so much due to COVID-19. Thank you to Pennsylvanians who have chosen to be vaccinated. Your efforts have helped us arrive at today.”

“I am proud of the progress we have made with vaccinations throughout Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Bridget Kosierowski. “Lifting mitigation orders on Memorial Day and announcing that masking orders will be lifted once 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s adults are fully vaccinated are all benefits from following the scientific medical research and data. Many sacrifices had been made over the past year while we waited for help. The help is now here in the form of a vaccine and we must do everything we can to encourage everyone to receive their vaccination so we can overcome this pandemic. Let’s follow the science, because it’s the path to us all returning to normalcy.”

The governor’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic remains in place.

All Pennsylvanians ages 16 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. The provider map is available on the Department of Health’s website. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.

More information is available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

Pennsylvania Community Water Fluoridation Map Launched

The Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) is excited to share an interactive community water fluoridation map for Pennsylvania. PCOH has been collaborating on this project with the University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry and the Pittsburgh Collaboratory for Water Research, Education, & Outreach. The story map has three tabs with the first being informational. The second tab allows individuals to search for water system by typing in an address. The third tab is interactive and allows individuals to zoom in and out and to add and remove layers of information such as water system name, fluoridation status, legislative districts, municipal and county boundaries, school districts, and dental health provider shortage areas (DHPSAs). There is also a corresponding brief to go along with the map,
“In the Fight Against Tooth Decay: May the Fluoride Be With You!”

Click here to access the map.
Click here to read the brief. 

Pennsylvania Statewide Dental Access Coordination Report

The Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) is pleased to announce the March 2021 publication of “Statewide Dental Access Coordination: A Report for Pennsylvania”. With support from a Highmark Foundation planning grant, PCOH set out to learn how Pennsylvanians find dental care, what issues prevent them from finding or scheduling an appointment with a dental provider, and whether it is feasible to identify or create a single, easily accessible resource to connect Pennsylvanians in need of dental care with the providers who want to serve them. The findings are discussed and summarized in the report.

Click here to read the news release.
Click here to read the final report.

Pennsylvania Leadership Launches Public-Private Partnership to Vaccinate Mushroom Farmworkers 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania’s nation-leading mushroom industry stepped up to the plate to both feed America and keep their workers safe. Now, after a collaborative effort by the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Health, the American Mushroom Institute, LCH Health and Community Services, and the Chester County Health Department, mushroom farmworkers are scheduled to receive the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Following updated guidance announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Pennsylvania Department of Health has notified all COVID-19 vaccine providers that the pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine has been lifted.

“From day one of this pandemic we labeled agriculture as life-sustaining, but that label came with a heavy responsibility to keep food available and safe – we all relied on it,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “We all have a new appreciation for who is feeding us now – the people who grow and pack and process our food. We need them to be protected so that our food supply is protected.

“The American Mushroom Institute recognized both needs – they’ve worked hard to educate their workforce about the vaccine and boost confidence in the science. They now have a workforce who wants protection,” added Redding.

Pennsylvania is home to more than 60,000 farmworkers – both citizen and migrant – who work to ensure Pennsylvania’s farms run efficiently and produce food to feed the nation. Pennsylvania’s mushroom industry leads the nation in production, with nearly 60% of all mushroom production occurring in and around Chester County. The industry supports nearly 9,000 jobs and contributes $1.1 billion to the economy.

These farmworkers became eligible for vaccine as part of the commonwealth’s expanded special initiative to vaccinate frontline workers.

“Farmworkers play an important role in keeping the food supply flowing,” said Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam. “By bringing the COVID-19 vaccine directly to the mushroom farmworkers we are ensuring part of our food supply chain and helping to protect thousands of people doing critical work.”

The commonwealth has dedicated more than 5,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to farmworkers of the American Mushroom Institute network. The vaccinations are scheduled to take place through mid-May and will serve multiple farms and packing houses.

“We greatly appreciate the PA Department of Health and Department of Agriculture for their commitment in helping to bring much-needed vaccines to the mushroom farming community’s workers,” said Rachel Roberts, president of the American Mushroom Institute. “These front-line workers have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to harvest, pack, and transport fresh mushrooms to for consumers around the country. We welcome this effort.”

With the majority of the mushroom farmworker workforce being Latinx and Spanish-speaking, the partnership with LCH Health and Community Services – the local federally qualified healthcare center that serves much of the Chester County-area migrant worker population – is critical to the success of the vaccination initiative. LCH ensures staff and resources for the farmworkers are bilingual to achieve optimal education for maximum confidence in the vaccine.

“Mushroom farms, related businesses, and the community that relies on them have been a focus of the Chester County Health Department throughout the pandemic,” said Jeanne Franklin, Public Health Director for Chester County. “Working together with the American Mushroom Institute and partners like LCH has helped us to keep our southern Chester County community informed and prepared to meet the challenges of COVID-19, and this support from the State certainly advances our timeline in the crucial vaccination process.”

The decision to offer on-site delivery of the one-shot vaccine was decided by the essentiality of these workers and the risks they face every day to feed the commonwealth coupled with the disproportionate impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Black and Brown communities and the recognition of barriers like transportation or language access that may have prevented or delayed these workers from accessing the vaccine.

Essential workers who get the COVID-19 vaccine are protecting themselves, their family, their co-workers, and their community. In addition to this, farmworkers who choose to protect their health with the vaccine are also protecting the availability and accessibility of food.

New Publication! Population Health in Rural America: Proceedings of a Workshop

ural America is economically, socially, culturally, geographically, and demographically diverse. This multidimensional diversity presents complex challenges and unique opportunities related to delivering health care and improving health outcomes and health equity in rural communities.

To explore issues related to population health in rural America, the Roundtable on Population Health Improvement of the Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a public virtual workshop, “Population Health in Rural America in 2020” on June 24–25, 2020. The workshop planning committee was composed of rural health experts representing public health, health care, and tribal health. Presentations and discussions focused on rural America in context, rural health vital signs, rural health care in action, assessment and implementation strategies for improving the health and health equity in rural populations, and rural health policy.

This Proceedings of a Workshop summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Download the publication here.