- HHS Launches Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit Program to Support Mothers and Babies
- A Rural CIO's Guide to Getting More from Technology
- Missouri Independent Hospitals Seek Strength in Numbers with New Clinically Integrated Network
- An Ambitious Financial Experiment Tried to Support Struggling Rural Hospitals in Pa. For Years. Did It Work?
- Request for Information: Data Intermediaries and Approaches to Strengthen Public Health Data Exchange
- 'Spreading like Wildfire': How One KY County Is Grappling with a National Tick-Borne Scourge
- HRSA Awards Nearly $90 Million to Expand Addiction Treatment and Recovery Services in Rural Communities
- FORHP Awards More Than $6 Million to Strengthen Rural Health Networks
- HRSA Awards Nearly $19 Million to Expand Access to Healthcare Through Telehealth and Innovative Technologies
- First-of-Its-Kind Initiative Aims to Deliver AI to Rural and Critical Access Hospitals and Clinics in North Carolina
- 988 Crisis System Grantee and Partners National Conference
- Paramedics Are Helping Patients Manage Illnesses, Connect with Services and Avoid Calling 911. But These Programs Can Be Tough to Sustain in Rural Areas.
- Kansans in Need of 'Stupidly Expensive' Medical Equipment Are Turning to Loan Closets for Help
- How Libraries Are Bringing Heart-Health Resources to Rural Communities
- A Virtual Lifeline: How Maternal Health RPM Transforms Care
Cholesterol Management: Improving Patient Adherence to Statin Therapy
Quality Insights has developed their 2021 Cholesterol Management Practice Module https://improve.qualityinsights.org/Files/Projects/PA-DOH/PA_CholesterolModule_WFM_FINAL_508.aspx that offers a variety of strategies and tools care teams can utilize to improve patient-adherence outcomes. Review the module and visit the links below to learn more:
- Updated for 2021: Care Team Interventions to Implement American Heart Association Cardio Vascular Disease Primary Prevention Guidelines https://mcusercontent.com/3c9fc473fc413830f0c7ccfaf/files/f56d7db0-0ea3-13da-6429-f3684eb6b434/Care_Team_Workflow_PA_2021_508.pdf
- White Paper-Team Up for Quality Care: The Role of Primary Care Teams in Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease https://improve.qualityinsights.org/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e33d8be5-de73-48bc-af66-70d461c5b9d8
- National Association of Community Health Centers: Statin Therapy for High-Risk Patients Provider Training Package https://www.nachc.org/clinical-matters/nachc-million-hearts-initiative/#highrisk
- American College of Cardiology Low-density Lipoprotein – Cholesterol (LDL-C) Manager App: A free app that guides clinicians through one continuous lipid-lowering process by linking three tools – the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) Risk Estimator, Statin Intolerance app, and the Lipid Lowering Therapy Pathway tool – all based on up-to-date ACC clinical policy. https://www.acc.org/LDLCmanager
- The Adherence Estimator: a patient-centered tool designed to help care teams gauge a patients’ likelihood of adhering to newly prescribed oral medication for certain chronic, asymptomatic conditions https://www.ehidc.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/Adherence%20Estimator%20Kit_%20Interactive%20PDF.pdf
CDC Correction Shows Fever Pennsylvanians Vaccinated
A data correction made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week made a dent in the state’s perceived progress on vaccinating the adult population. Under a data adjustment disclosed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), the number of people considered fully vaccinated dropped from 73.7% of those 180and-older to 68.9% because of a reduction of about 1.2 million doses after removal of duplicate information and correction of data on first, second and booster doses.
CDC Strengthens Booster Recommendation
On November 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strengthened its guidance to recommend a booster shot https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html#considerations-covid19-vax-booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines for all adults ages 18 years or older who completed their primary vaccination more than six months ago. See the CDC statement https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1119-booster-shots.html This recommendation aligns with and follows the Federal Drug Administration’s authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines as a booster and supplements previous guidance on boosters for other COVID-19 vaccines, covered in this bulletin https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USHHSHRSA/bulletins/2f91b54 The following resources are available to help health centers understand what this means: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html and https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html
Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Program Dental Fee Schedule Update
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Medical Assistance Programs has a new bulletin: https://www.dhs.pa.gov/docs/Publications/Documents/FORMS%20AND%20PUBS%20OMAP/MAB2021113001.pdf to notify dentists of updates to the Medical Assistance (MA) Program Dental Fee Schedule.
Pennie, Off to a Great Start in Pennsylvania
Pennie, the Pennsylvania’s Health Insurance Marketplace, has enrolled more than 327,000 consumers as of November 21, 2021. More than 130 trained health center-based enrollment assisters registered with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and are providing unbiased free enrollment assistance to consumers statewide at 43 health centers. Enrollment data shows more consumers are enrolling in Gold level plans at 31% compared to 22% in 2020. The average premium for those eligible for Advanced Premium Tax Credits is $142.42 and those not eligible for Advanced Premium Tax Credits is $485.89. Consumers are encouraged to always update their yearly income projection and shop for other plans for better options. Open enrollment ends on January 15, 2022, but consumer must select a plan by December 15 for a January 1 effective date.
Pennie Open Enrollment Toolkit
Visit https://agency.pennie.com/ to access customizable flyers, posters, logos, videos and much more. Pennie offers a variety of downloadable social media posts, educational materials in English and Spanish. You can also request large quantities of printed materials to be shipped directly to you using the https://agency.pennie.com/materialrequest/