The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a dear colleague letter on July 27, 2022, describing important clinical manifestations and treatment considerations of monkeypox. The letter highlights that many persons with monkeypox are presenting with oral, genital, and anal mucosal lesions that may not be overtly visible on the exam. These lesions can be associated with significant pain which can have a profound impact on activities of daily living and often requires intervention. 

A well-trained staff is a crucial component of an effective telehealth program. This best practice guide highlights strategies for training staff on telehealth and shares resources to enhance your practice.

Telehealth and remote work are going to continue to be a “way of life” even after the pandemic is over. This newly released publication provides health center leadership with ideas and best practices on how to adapt policies and procedures for a remote and hybrid workforce. The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s (ACU) STAR² Center and the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality (HITEQ) Center (both HRSA-funded National Training & Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs)) collaborated on this publication.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced the availability of nearly $15 million to grow the nursing workforce, improve access to nursing education and advance health equity. The funding includes the Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies Program, which is $10 million for a new initiative to invest in the nursing preceptor workforce in order to help unclog this challenge in the nurse training pipeline. A second funding initiative, the Registered Nurse Training Program, will invest indirectly in increasing the number of nursing students trained in acute care settings, with a specific focus on training in addressing social determinants of health in order to advance health equity in underserved areas. Learn more about HRSA’s funding opportunities.

Amazon’s recent acquisition of One Medical for $3.9 billion signals the tech giant is confident it can transform primary care in the United States. But while Amazon has tremendous resources — as well as a proven ability to turn economic sectors upside down — the company faces enormous challenges in blazing a new path through America’s huge, tangled health care sector. In their new article for Harvard Business Review, the Commonwealth Fund’s David Blumenthal, M.D., and Lovisa Gustafsson ask if profit-driven entrepreneurship and bottom-up innovation can finally take U.S. health care from worst to first. Read more.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. uninsured rate hit a record low of  8% in the first quarter of 2022. About 5.2 million individuals have gained coverage since 2020, with individuals making below 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and between 200 – 400% FPL seeing the biggest increase in coverage. The report cites enhanced Exchange subsidies and continuous enrollment during the public health emergency as contributors to the low rate. Read More.

A new “Contract Pharmacy Services” tab on the HRSA 340B website describes the basics of contract pharmacies and outlines how covered entities are supposed to register their pharmacies in OPAIS and some tips related to that. The page links to the 2010 contract pharmacy guidance in the Federal Register. Contact Eric Kiehl, PACHC Director of Policy and Partnership, with feedback and questions.

The Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health is sharing a new publication, In the Wake of Dobbs, Are Community Health Centers Prepared to Respond to Rising Maternal and Infant Care Needs? The document provides a deep dive into the potential effects of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on health centers and their communities. Specifically, this report examines the effects of the decision on health centers in the 26 states that already have taken steps to ban abortion or are likely to do so, and it finds widespread evidence of critical maternal and infant health resources. The analysis recommends the rapid deployment of additional resources to help health centers meet what is likely to be a surging need for maternity and infant care. Accompanying this report is an infographic summarizing its key findings.