Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

National Survey Launched for Licensed Oral Health Professionals

The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the American Dental Therapy Association, and the Oral Health Workforce Research Center are asking licensed, practicing oral health professionals to take part in a survey about knowledge, beliefs, and experiences with patient care delivery. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Click here for more information and to take the survey.

Pennsylvania Releases 2025–2030 Rural Health Plan

The 2025-2030 Pennsylvania Rural Health Plan is a comprehensive roadmap to improve the health and well-being of rural residents across the state. This is the first stand-alone rural health plan in our state since 2000. Developed with input from rural community leaders, health professionals, academic institutions, and policymakers, the Plan identifies key priorities and action steps to address the unique health challenges and opportunities in Pennsylvania’s 48 rural counties. It places a strong focus on access to care, behavioral health, oral health, maternal health, workforce development, broadband connectivity, and health equity.

Click here to view the plan.

Bill to Address Pennsylvania A Nursing Shortage Approved by House Committee

Legislation to support and sustain a strong, well-trained nursing workforce across Pennsylvania that was introduced by state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski was approved by the House Labor & Industry Committee on July 1. Kosierowski’s legislation would establish the Nursing Shortage Assistance Program within the Department of Labor and Industry and would provide grants to qualified nursing servicers to assist nursing students with securing post-graduation employment and repaying student loans incurred while obtaining a nursing degree from an educational institution located in the commonwealth. Read more about the bill

New Study: Faculty Development in New and Emerging Rural Residency Programs

recent study published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education examines how newly funded rural residency programs are implementing faculty development, a critical element for accreditation and long-term program success. Among the 43 Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) grant recipients reviewed, just over half engaged in some form of faculty development, with 37% offering structured, longitudinal programs and 51% reporting participation in activities like conferences or workshops. The findings highlight both the value and variability of faculty development strategies in rural settings and suggest a need for greater support and infrastructure to ensure consistent educator training across programs.

Final Recommendation Statement Released: Screening for Intimate Partner Violence and Caregiver Abuse of Older or Vulnerable Adults

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a final recommendation statement on screening for intimate partner violence and caregiver abuse of older or vulnerable adults. The task force determined that clinicians should screen women of child-bearing age, including those who are pregnant and postpartum, for intimate partner violence. More research is needed to recommend for or against screening for caregiver abuse in older or vulnerable adults. The final recommendation is available here

Educating Consumers About Medicaid

Pennsylvania’s Mandatory Managed Care program for Medicaid recipients known as HealthChoices was introduced in 1997. This new program moved away from the traditional Fee-For-Service model. The goal of HealthChoices was to provide integrated and coordinated healthcare delivery with medical, behavioral and substance abuse services for Medicaid recipients. The program was offered on a voluntary basis in certain counties but in 2012, the state began a major expansion of the program by requiring mandatory enrollment in Managed Care Organizations (MCO) in 2013. 

The stigma of accessing services through Medicaid, a government funded program, affected many enrollees and contributed to negative attitudes and bias toward recipients. Communities, organizations, and recipients highlighted the need to reduce the stigma of using Medicaid. Studies have shown that even some providers may treat Medicaid enrollees differently than those with private health insurance. Some saw using Medicaid as a sign of personal failure or the inability to afford other forms of health care coverage. 

With this in mind, the Department of Public Welfare, now the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, worked with MCOs to help reduce social stigma and negative perceptions of those with Medicaid by changing the appearance of the Medicaid ID card. MCOs like Keystone Health Plan East, Gateway and others changed the look, feel and color of their Member ID cards to make them less identifiable but also carry the company brand, style and logo. Many companies aligned their Medicaid ID cards to look or feel like their Medicare or Commercial cards.

The push to reduce stigma over the years has been such an overwhelming success that now, many Medicaid recipients do not know or understand they have Medicaid for their health coverage.

Shapiro Administration Signs New Law to Improve Substance Use Programs and Response

State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, announced that his legislation to ensure the state is meeting its benchmarks with substance use programs was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro. Williams said DDAP has played a critical role in advancing education, intervention, treatment and recovery initiatives across Pennsylvania. As the state continues to fight the opioid crisis and other emerging drug threats, DDAP has strengthened its collaboration with the departments of Health, Corrections, Human Services and other key agencies. Given DDAP’s growing responsibilities and evolving initiatives, HB 640 updates the department’s annual reporting requirements. HB 640 also improves the annual report that the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs submits to the General Assembly. 

How Many Pennsylvanians Will Lose Medicaid and SNAP Benefits Due to Passage of the Reconciliation Bill?

The Shapiro Administration released new data on how many Pennsylvanians will lose Medicaid and SNAP benefits because of the Congressional Reconciliation Bill that President Trump signed into law on July 4. This bill will have devastating impacts here in the commonwealth. Statewide, nearly 144,000 Pennsylvanians who receive SNAP could lose access to critical food assistance, while 310,000 Pennsylvanians could lose Medicaid coverage. The Shapiro Administration provided a breakdown of how many Pennsylvanians would lose Medicaid and SNAP benefits by congressional district.