- Weathering the Storm Together: Community Resiliency Hubs Hold the Promise of Local Self-Sufficiency and Supportive Mutual Aid
- Virginia Tech Researchers Bring Rural Families into the Nation's Largest Study of Early Brain and Child Development
- Expanding Access to Cancer Care for Rural Veterans
- VA: Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting
- Scaling Rural Wellness with Clever Collaboration
- Stroudwater Associates Enhances Rural Healthcare Dashboard with New Data to Support State Rural Transformation Grant Applications
- Harvest Season Is Here: Busy Times Call for Increased Focus on Safety and Health
- HHS Dispatches More Than 70 Public Health Service Officers to Strengthen Care in Tribal Communities
- Wisconsin Rural Hospitals Team up to Form Network
- CMS Launches Landmark $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Program
- American Heart Association Provides Blood Pressure Kits at Southeast Arkansas Regional Libraries to Support Rural Health
- Broadening Access to Minimally Invasive Surgery Could Narrow Rural-Urban Health Gaps
- Instead of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together To Survive
- Help Line Gives Pediatricians Crucial Mental Health Information to Help Kids, Families
- Rural Health: A Strategic Opportunity for Governors
Research Brief Highlights Population Estimates
The U.S. Census Bureau released the July 1, 2025 detailed population estimates for states and counties. This release includes data by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin.
Key Findings from the Report:
- Pennsylvania’s 65+ population grew by just over 321,000 people (+13.0%) from 2020 to 2025, with the fastest growth in ages 75-79 (+21.6%).
- Pennsylvania’s Hispanic or Latino population grew by over 245,000 people (+23.3%) from 2020 to 2025.
For more information on the detailed population change in Pennsylvania, read this month’s brief.
Primary Care Medics: Lessons From the Military Could Close Health Care Gaps in Rural Pennsylvania
“Similar to how corpsmen and medics triage care and stabilize patients who can’t immediately see a doctor, a new initiative would deploy Primary Care Medics under the supervision of licensed physicians to improve primary care in the commonwealth’s rural communities.”
Read more here: Pennsylvania Capital-Star
Important Update Announced About 340B Pricing and Savings on Five Common Drugs
Significant changes are coming to 340B pricing for five drugs commonly prescribe. Effective July 1, the 340B price for the following drugs will increase from penny-priced (or close to a penny) to:
- Eliquis: $245/package
- Farxiga: $113.83/package of 30
- Jardiance: $120.05/package of 30
- Linzess: $166.38/package of 30
- Synjardy: $120.05/package
These increases are the result of manufacturers reducing the drugs’ sticker price (aka wholesale acquisition cost or WAC) on January 1, 2026. Those price reductions eliminated the inflation-penalty portion of the 340B discount, leaving only the standard discount (23% off brand-name drugs) applied to the lower sticker price. (340B price changes lag 6 months behind WAC changes.)
New Study Explores Diseases Arising from Oral-Systemic Connection
A new research study explored the impact of oral microbiome with systemic diseases. Researchers identified 40 systematic reviews and studies published between 2019 and 2025. They found that oral microbial dysbiosis may be associated with cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory infections, autoimmune diseases, adverse pregnancy outcomes, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer.
Wright Center Opens Dental Clinic in Rural Pennsylvania County
The Wright Center for Community Health will be adding dental services to the Wyoming County Healthcare Center in Tunkhannock, PA. The clinic is currently being prepared for patients and an official opening date has not been announced.
New Brief Assesses Social Needs Screening and Availability of Associated Programs in U.S. Hospitals
The new policy brief from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis assesses the extent to which rural hospitals screen for social needs and the level of alignment between screening and corresponding programing.
Rural PPS hospitals had greater alignment between screening and programming than CAHs. Hospitals engaged in ACOs also had greater alignment in screening and programming than those not in ACOs.
Read the brief here.
Most Recent Pennsylvania Farm Fatality Report Identifies Agricultural Hazards
Last year, 19 people died of injuries suffered in farm-related incidents in Pennsylvania, according to a report released by the Ag Safety and Health Program. The annual report helps guide the development of training and resources with the goal of making farms safer.
Read the report here.
2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book: PA Improves Child Well-Being Ranking; Federal Cuts Threaten Progress
Pennsylvania ranks 18th in child well-being in the 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation that looks at how children are faring across the country.
The report shows Pennsylvania making slight progress or holding steady in several areas, but Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is urging state and federal leaders to make sure that progress is not reversed.
For the first time, the Data Book includes a comprehensive score, from 0 to 1,000, in addition to state rankings. The score tracks 16 indicators across four domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors. Pennsylvania scored 626, above the national score of 547.
Pennsylvania improved among the indicators for economic well-being, health, and family and community, while its education ranking remained unchanged.
In health, Pennsylvania ranks 20th, up from 21st in 2023. The state also moved from 25th to 19th in the ranking for the percentage of children who are uninsured. However, that change reflects national trends in uninsured rates among children rather than a drop in the number of uninsured children in Pennsylvania. The state has 153,000 uninsured children, an increase from 2023.
That number is expected to continue to increase as changes to federal law are implemented, causing families to lose health insurance coverage.
Last year, Congress passed the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history through H.R. 1, also known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill. The law is being implemented in stages, moving closer to major changes in a program that provides health insurance coverage for more than 1.2 million Pennsylvania children, or approximately 40% of the state’s child population.
Children who rely on Medicaid include those with special health care needs, children in the foster care system, children in rural areas, children from military families, and children in low-income working families.
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children’s interactive map series, H.R. 1: Mapping the Cuts, shows how cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will affect health care access, food security, and economic well-being across the state.
The consequences of H.R. 1 will reach into nearly every corner of family life, making it harder for children to get care, harder for families to put food on the table, and harder for communities to support them. This is a serious and immediate threat to children and families across Pennsylvania.
The Data Book also shows Pennsylvania ranking 19th in economic well-being, up from 22nd in 2023. In the family and community domain, Pennsylvania scored 674, a 96-point improvement from 2019. In education, Pennsylvania ranked 10th among states, but its score was 491, down 145 points from 2019.
The KIDS COUNT® Data Book is now in its 37th year. The report provides statewide data to show where progress is being made, where more support is needed, and which strategies are making a difference.
PPC President and CEO Kari King was interviewed by Public News Service and Spotlight PA on the Data Book release.
Pennie Enrollment Continues to Drop
Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Marketplace Insurance Exchange, has experienced a significant drop in enrollment, with 160,000 Pennsylvanians who had coverage in 2025 choosing not to continue in 2026. This includes 85,000 cancellations or terminations during Open Enrollment and another 75,000 cancellations since February. New enrollees have offset some of these losses, the trend shows a growing number of Pennsylvanian’s leaving the marketplace due to affordability will most likely become uninsured.
The decline is increasing, especially among lower-income individuals, older adults not yet on Medicare, and rural residents. Non-payment of premiums is a major factor, with lapses up 60% from last year and double from two years ago. Since February, Pennie’s total enrollment has fallen by over 40,000, despite starting 2026 with 486,000 enrollees. This will drive many to utilize hospitals for care instead of primary care providers for preventive care.
HRSA Launches Application Validation Assistant
HRSA recently announced the launch of a new Application Validation Assistant (AVA) tool to assist grant applicants with their grant submissions through Grants.gov.
AVA is available through the EHBs Grantee Portal and does not require an account or login. Applicants can upload a ZIP file containing application forms and supporting documents to check for common errors and compliance issues before submission. AVA helps with application errors related to Application type, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), Grant number, Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) requirements, Place of Performance (PPoP) information, and attachment page-count limits.
The use of AVA may assist applicants with the completeness and accuracy of grant applications. For additional information about AVA, please see the Application Validation Assistant Wiki Help Page.