Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

Pennsylvania Career Center’s New Website is LIVE

The Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center’s new website is up and running. View it at www.paprimarycarecareers.org. Designed by Gavin Advertising, the site puts more emphasis on encouraging candidates to search our job board, powered by 3RNET. The site is also maximized for search engines like Google and will be much more adaptable to all sorts of mobile devices. Please send any comments to Judd Mellinger-Blouch, Director, Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center.

Nearly 5 Times More Babies Born with Syphilis in 2021 than in 2000

That startling statistic is according to preliminary CDC data released this week. The data also show that sexually transmitted infections hit a record high for the second straight year in 2021. Syphilis rates rose 26% in 2021, HIV cases rose 16%, Gonorrhea rose 2.8% and Chlamydia rose 3%. The CDC is pointing to a reduction in local STD screening and treatment, plus more needle sharing from drug use and a decrease in condom usage. The statistics have health experts warning that the U.S. must invest significantly more funding in prevention efforts, especially as the nation continues to battle COVID-19 and monkeypox.

NCQA, CHCF Release Framework to Measure Health Equity in Medicaid Managed Care 

On September 15, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) released a framework that can be used by states to measure health equity in Medicaid managed care programs. The framework, which was developed by NCQA with funding from the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), consists of social interventions, access to care, structures of care, the experience of care, high-quality clinical care, and overall well-being. Read More.

CDC Finds More than 80% of Pregnancy-Related Deaths are Preventable

new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths that occurred between 2017 and 2019 were preventable. Researchers found six underlying causes accounted for the majority of fatalities: mental health conditions, hemorrhaging, heart problems, infections, blood clots, and cardiomyopathy. The leading causes varied by race and ethnicity. Twenty-two percent of pregnancy-related deaths took place during pregnancy, 25% occurred on the day of delivery or within a week after, and 53% of the deaths occurred between a week and a year after giving birth. A death is considered preventable if the committee determines that there was at least some chance of the death being averted by one or more reasonable changes to patient, community, provider, facility, and/or systems factors.

New Rule Makes Clear Impact on Noncitizens of Applying for or Receiving Benefits

The Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule applicable to noncitizens who receive or wish to apply for benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and states that support low-income families and adults. The new rule makes it clear that Noncitizens who receive health or other benefits to which they are entitled will not suffer harmful immigration consequences. Learn more.

Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) Bootcamp Begins in 2022

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is hosting a webinar to focus on Medicare updates and resources prior to the start of Medicare Open Enrollment. The webinars will be held on September 28 and 29 from 1:00 – 2:30 pm. Click here to register for the Sept. 28 webinar that will cover Medicare Plan Finder basics, updates, user tips, and information about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. Click here to register for the Sept. 29 webinar that will cover a Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) overview, general program and cost updates, OEP Media outreach campaigns, Call Center overview and activities, vaccination campaigns, State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) overview, OEP resources and fraud awareness, and prevention.

Congress Continuing Resolution Negotiations

Negotiations are ongoing in Congress as legislators try to craft a continuing resolution (CR) that can get enough bipartisan support to pass. Because the CR must pass by September 30 to keep the government funded, pressure is rising. However, several significant issues still need to be addressed, including military aid for Ukraine, COVID-19 and Monkeypox funding, disaster relief, and permitting reform.

Pennsylvania Health Department Recommendations Regarding the Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Vaccine

CDC Guidance released on September 1, 2022, recommends that patients 12 and older who received the primary series of any of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines should receive a booster dose of a mRNA bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. The mRNA bivalent booster dose should occur at least two months after the last dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The bivalent Pfizer BioNTech booster is approved for patients aged 12 years and older and the bivalent Moderna booster is approved for patients aged 18 years and older. The mRNA bivalent vaccines are only available for booster vaccinations. The original monovalent COVID-19 vaccine must be used for the primary series. The original monovalent COVID-19 vaccine can no longer be used for booster doses except for children aged 5-11 who are not eligible for the booster dose of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Since there are now multiple formulations of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines it will be extremely important for vaccine providers to make sure that the correct vaccine is given to each patient. The CDC definition of up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccine is someone who has completed their primary vaccine series and received the most recent COVID-19 booster vaccine recommended for them by the CDC. It is highly recommended that patients also receive their Influenza vaccine this fall and can receive both the COVID-19 bivalent booster and the influenza vaccine during the same visit. For complete details, the full Health Advisory 659 will be available here when it is published.