- RPHARM Program Fulfills Need for Rural Pharmacists
- Farmers Don't Do Mental Health
- A Pilot Program in Rural Vermont Hopes to Build a Blueprint for Substance Abuse Recovery
- Rural Telehealth Extension Reintroduced in Congress
- 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
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- 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
Celebrating the Contributions of Pennsylvanians Living with Autism
Commonwealth citizens living with Autism Spectrum Disorder are important to our communities.
April is Autism Acceptance Month, and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is recognizing services offered to individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. However, this is not only important during April. Every day we celebrate individuals who are breaking barriers and contributing to their communities, excelling in employment, and promoting self-advocacy. All individuals living with autism or intellectual disabilities should have autonomy, choice, and opportunities to live everyday lives.
Autism in PA
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
ASD is a complex, lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. Autism is experienced differently for everyone and to varying degrees. It is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is often referred to as a “spectrum condition.”
In 2021, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD. Currently, more than 180,000 Pennsylvanians are living with autism.
What are the characteristics of ASD?
How is ASD diagnosed?
A medical professional who may have experience with Autism — including pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychologists — may be able to make an assessment. The evaluation itself can vary depending on the professional administering it, the age of the person being assessed, the severity of his or her needs, and local available resources. A medical assessment for Autism typically includes:
- A medical history of the mother’s pregnancy
- Developmental milestones
- Sensory challenges
- Medical illnesses, including ear infections and seizures
- Any family history of developmental disorders
- Any family history of genetic and metabolic disorders
- An assessment of cognitive functioning
- An assessment of language skills
- An Autism-specific observational test, interview or rating scale
If you have questions or feel you need additional help, try reaching out to a local Autism Society affiliate, an Autism support group, your primary care provider, or possibly another parent with a child or family member with Autism.
Intervention & Support
Treatment
Every individual with autism has unique strengths and challenges, so there is no definitive approach to autism treatment and intervention. Each autism intervention or treatment plan should be tailored to address the person’s specific needs. A person’s treatment plan can include behavioral interventions, other therapies, and medicines.
Support through ASERT
DHS is responding to the increased prevalence of ASD by expanding access to services, while also working to address the need to build the capacity of professionals trained to assist individuals with autism and their families across their lifespan. The state-funded Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training (ASERT) initiative provides support and information to Pennsylvanians with ASD. ASERT also maintains a collaborative that brings together medical centers, centers for autism research and services, universities, and other providers involved in the treatment and care of individuals of all ages with autism and their families to support service providers, individuals with autism spectrum disorder, and their families.
- Finder a support group near you
- Join the conversation — Neurodiversity: Voices and Views 2022
- Justice Resource Collection
- Be Safe: Resources and Strategies for Sexual Abuse Prevention
- COVID-19 Resources
Additional Autism Resources
- myODP — DHS Office of Developmental Programs
- Everyday Lives — DHS Office of Developmental Programs
- #ASDNext
- Autism Speaks
- Autism Society
- A Proclamation on World Autism Awareness Day, 2022 — The White House
Health Policy and Administration Student Receives Jennifer S. Cwynar Community Achievement Award
Maira Nawaz, a student in Integrated B.S. in Health Policy and Administration/Master of Health Administration program within the Penn State Department of Health Policy and Administration (HPA), received the 2022 Jennifer S. Cwynar Community Achievement Award in April 2022. Nawaz, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is also pursuing a minor in information sciences and technology.
The award from the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH) recognizes community achievement by a Penn State senior majoring in Health Policy and Administration who has demonstrated service and commitment to a community or an underserved population, preferably, but not exclusively, in a rural area of Pennsylvania. The award was established in memory of Jennifer S. Cwynar, a 2008 graduate of HPA and a 2008 undergraduate intern at PORH.
Nawaz was nominated by Diane Spokus, Ph.D., M.Ed., MCHES®, associate director of professional development in HPA. Spokus lauded Nawaz for her dedicated and detail-oriented work ethic, commitment to community service, and her focus on public health. She noted that Nawaz can be depended on to follow through and who continually seeks professional development opportunities and service to others. “Students like Maira, who participate in various internship experiences, and who are involved in clubs and volunteer their time to worthwhile causes, are excellent role models. They will be great future health care leaders.”
During her academic career, Nawaz expanded her knowledge through internships at Mount Nittany Physician Group Primary Care practices in rural central Pennsylvania; Atlantic Health System in New Jersey; the American Lung Association; and WellSpan Health in York, Pennsylvania. Nawaz broadened her operational and administrative skills by standardizing the rooming process for patients, calculated Medicare net revenue, streamlined guidelines, analyzed and evaluated insurance enrollment data, assisted in improving interactive voice response systems and member websites, and created user stories for members to improve customer satisfaction during support calls. She also executed smoking cessation tasks such as Amazon’s Alexa project, a Juul costs project, and smoking prevalence in veterans; organized health promotion community events; wrote articles for local newspapers on moral courage; and worked with the LatinX community to improve health care opportunities and awareness. These experiences gave her a deep appreciation for the social determinants of health and population health.
While at Penn State, Nawaz served as the guest speaker liaison for the Penn State Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Administrators (ACHCA) Club Executive Team. She participated in the UNICEF Club, was a member of the Pakistani Student Association, and volunteered at the Central PA Food Bank, Country Meadows Senior Center, and was a Holy Spirit Hospital Junior Volunteer.
“We are very pleased to present this award to Maira Nawaz and to honor the legacy of Jennifer Cwynar, who was an exceptional student and intern with our office,” said Lisa Davis, director of PORH and outreach associate professor of HPA. “This is one way in which we can encourage excellence in those who will become leaders in advocating for the health of vulnerable populations.”
PORH formed in 1991 as a joint partnership between the federal government, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and Penn State. The office is one of 50 state offices of rural health in the nation and is charged with being a source of coordination, technical assistance, networking, and partnership development.
PORH provides expertise in the areas of rural health, population health, quality improvement, oral health, and agricultural health and safety. PORH is administratively located in the Department of Health Policy and Administration in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State University Park.
To learn more about the Jennifer S. Cwynar Community Achievement Award or the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, visit porh.psu.edu.
Fenway Health Transgender/Gender Diverse Youth Advocacy Toolkit Announced
Fenway Health has created a communications toolkit with talking points, social media graphics, and letters to the editor for anyone doing advocacy around transgender/gender diverse youth. The toolkit is focused on health care and everything is derived from a policy brief Fenway published late last year about the potential harms to health posed by the spate of anti-trans youth bills filed in states across the country in 2021.
Five-Year Trends in U.S. Children’s Health & Well-being Results from 2016-2020 Released
Five-Year Trends in U.S. Children’s Health and Well-being, 2016-2020, a Maternal Child Health Bureau study using their National Survey of Children’s Health data was recently published in the JAMA Pediatrics. A 29% increase in anxiety and 27% increase in depression over the five-year period was noted along with during the period of 2019-2020 (the first part of the pandemic) there was a 34% increase in parents who reported they quit, declined, or changed jobs due to child-care problems in the past 12 months, 32% increase in unmet health care needs, a 20% increase in behavioral/conduct problems, and a 9% reduction in preventive medical visits. You can also read an editorial that accompanied the article, Adversity and Opportunity – The Pandemic’s paradoxical Effect on Child Health and Well-being.
The New CDC COVID-19 Quarantine & Isolation Calculator is Available
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation (Q&I) Calculator is now available online. It is a mobile-friendly tool to help people follow quarantine and isolation guidance and receive customized information for their unique situations. It covers an easy-to-use way to figure out when and for how long people with COVID-19 and close contacts need to stay home, get tested, and wear a well-fitting mask and provides important information about what precautions people with COVID-19 and their close contacts can take to protect loved ones and slow the spread in their communities. It is not for people with COVID-19 who are moderately or severely ill, have a weakened immune system as they should talk with their healthcare provider for guidance, who can refer to the Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19: Interim Guidance. Health systems can add the Quarantine and Isolation (Q&I) Calculator onto their websites by embedding the syndicated content code.
FCC Requests Comments on Promoting Telehealth in Rural America
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeks comment on revisions to its initiatives to fund access to broadband and telecommunication services for rural healthcare providers. FCC proposes to modify the way the internal funding cap applies to upfront costs and multi-year commitments in the Healthcare Connect Fund Program and to streamline the invoice process in the Telecommunications Program. The rule also seeks comments on ways to further increase the speed of funding commitments.
Keystone Health Study Finds Telehealth of Value in OUD Treatment in Pennsylvania
The implementation of telehealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic helped an FQHC retain patients in its opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment program, ensuring continued access to care, a new study shows. As health care became increasingly virtual during the pandemic, telehealth helped in providing high levels of care to opioid use disorder (OUD) patients, particularly those involved in buprenorphine treatment programs. The study took place at Chambersburg, PA-based Keystone Health, an FQHC that serves about 56,000 patients, 60% of whom come from rural areas. Researchers collected information, including visit dates, progress notes, urine drug tests, current and prior buprenorphine formulation, and dosage, to conduct a retrospective chart review. Read more.
The Prevalence of Pre-diabetes in Teens Escalates
There was a significant jump in the prevalence of prediabetes among teens in the U.S. between 1999 and 2018, according to an analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics. The researchers used data from nearly 7,000 kids ages 12–19 in the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which included the collection of blood samples. The number of kids who were prediabetic increased from more than 11% to 28% over that time. The researchers noted that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a recommendation on screening for prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes among adults but hasn’t yet made recommendations for kids.
Nearly 75% Of U.S. Counties Lost Population Last Year as Deaths Outnumbered Births
Almost three-quarters of all U.S. counties reported more deaths than births last year, a development largely caused by the pandemic, which contributed to a dramatic slowing in the nation’s overall population growth, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Low fertility rates, which have persisted since the end of the Great Recession, and the nation’s continuing demographic shift toward an older population also combined to create the smallest population increase in 100 years. Read more.
U.S Records Highest Annual Death Rate in History
Nearly 3 in 4 counties across America suffered more deaths than births between the middle of 2020 and the middle of 2021, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, as the coronavirus pandemic claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and slowed the nation’s growth rate to its slowest pace in history. More people died than were born in 2,297 of the nation’s 3,143 counties last year, the largest number of counties to record a natural decrease in American history. The new figures show more than 3.4 million Americans died in the yearlong period covered by the new data; the highest number of deaths ever recorded in a single year. The figure is 20% greater than it was two years ago before the pandemic began.