Former high school athlete Tyrone (Ty) Patillo of Aliquippa, PA, has community service in his blood. His father was the first minority firefighter in the community. Ty continues the family tradition of giving back. His dedication to helping his hometown led him to look for solutions to make healthy food options more accessible in the area.

Autumn Vogel of the Keystone Development Center (KDC) shares a similar passion for public service and community work. As the co-op developer with KDC, she loves to help communities use the power of co-ops to solve local problems.

Now, with the help of USDA Rural Development (RD), Autumn and Ty will be partnering together to help realize his vision of more equitable food access for the community, with the formation of the Aliquippa Food Co-op. Ty has already been working with the KDC to learn about co-ops, draft plans, and form a steering committee. With a $150,000 Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) grant in hand, KDC will help Ty and the steering committee move into the organizing and pre-construction phase.

In 1991, Ty and teammates such as NFL Hall-of-Famer Ty Law, led the Aliquippa High School football team to their first state championship. Ty used football as a path to success. His performance led him to play at Division 1 – The University of Akron in Ohio and then generated a successful career in real estate development.

Ty describes his community of more than 9,000 residents as being close knit – where everybody knows everybody. In communities like Aliquippa, cooperation can make or break a community. With family still living in Aliquippa, Ty became aware of the low-access food areas that exist in several parts of Beaver County – including his hometown.

After several ideas to address this issue fell through, Ty decided to combine the need for healthy foods and a close-knit community into a regional solution. He began the plan to develop a food co-op.

“This gives me an opportunity with this food co-op to get involved and really create something that the community can own,” Ty said.

None of this would be possible without local, state, and federal partnerships, and of course local champions like Ty Patillo. On Nov. 1, 2024, USDA RD announced the HFFI investment to aid the Aliquippa Food Co-op.

“Many low-income communities in Pennsylvania lack adequate, affordable access to healthy food,” Pennsylvania State Director Bob Morgan for USDA RD said. “USDA is proud to partner with KDC to ensure that these funds and resources reach the communities where they are needed most, so people can find nutritious food options anywhere they live.”

This announcement was part of USDA’s comprehensive set of efforts, bolstered by funding made available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), to create more and better markets that benefit both producers and American consumers.

Without partnerships such as those with KDC, it would be difficult to reach the communities that need these investments the most.

Autumn has been a co-op developer with KDC for about five years. Autumn posits that her passion for public service and community work began during her childhood and college education at Allegheny College.

“Many of us look at the world around us and wish that it could be a little different,” she said. “I have a belief in people’s ability to work together for the place that they are in for a shared wealth, prosperity, and well-being.”

“Co-ops have been a really good way for me to see people coming together, to make decisions together, to work for things they can share and have,” she said. “They can address needs together that they could not address on their own. It is a really powerful model.”

Since 2021, USDA has invested more than $1.56 million in its partnership with KDC through programs such as the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG), Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG), Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG), and HFFI programs.

“Our [KDC’s] history is bound up in USDA funding,” Autumn said. “We wouldn’t really exist without that partnership. It is the bulk of funding that our center gets, and I know that is true for other centers as well.”

The Aliquippa Food Co-op is an inspiring group and KDC is in a supporting role, she said.

“They are so committed to that place, and they really do have a vision for the co-op and what it could mean for the area,” Autumn said.

Ty learned how to run, organize, and launch a successful cooperative in one of KDC’s co-op academies and graduated from the program in 2023. He left the program with the message that you can’t run a co-op by yourself, so he established a steering team and plan with the help of KDC. KDC was then able to provide further technical assistance to Ty and the steering committee thanks to funding support from NCBA-CLUSA’s Strengthening Co-op Capacity for Historically Underserved Farmers program.

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative was a little more flexible of a program for KDC because it allows co-development centers like KDC to support urban organizations. Because Aliquippa is located close to Pittsburgh, it is considered an urban community through federal regulations.

Ty and his food co-op steering committee have selected a site for the future co-op. They also conducted a feasibility study into the site’s potential performance and the local market. The co-op sees supporting local food entrepreneurs and farmers as core to its mission.

Now that the outreach and community engagement has begun, they plan to open the food co-op in the next three years and anticipate the co-op will serve about 30,000 people in a four-mile radius.

“Getting local food into this market is critical,” Autumn said. With partnerships such as these in Aliquippa, access to affordable healthy food will be possible.

The Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program (Outreach) is open and accepting applications for the program’s 4-year period of performance (May 1, 2025-April 30, 2029).  HRSA will make up to 50 awards to support rural communities to expand the delivery of health care services. These awards include:

• An estimated 40 awards, each up to $250,000 per year, under the program’s regular track to support healthcare needs identified by the rural community applicant;
• Up to 10 awards, each up to $300,000 per year, under the program’s special track to address the underlying factors that drive rural health disparities related to heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury/substance use, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, and maternal health.

Eligible applicants include all domestic public and private, nonprofit, and for-profit entities with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations.  Applicants are also required to propose projects that serve exclusively HRSA-designated rural areas and be a part of a network comprised of three or more organizations with at least two-thirds or 66% percent network organizations physically located in a HRSA-designated rural area.

Successful Outreach Program awardees will: 1) expand the delivery of health care services to include new and enhanced services exclusively in rural communities; 2) use innovative, evidence-based and promising practice models to inform their approach to addressing needs specific to their community; 3) demonstrate health outcomes;  and 4) plan for sustainability after grant funding ends.

A technical assistance webinar via Zoom will be held for applicants on Wednesday, Dec 11 at 2:00 pm Eastern.   

Examples of previously funded projects under this program are available at this link.  Applicants may also benefit from the availability of Evidence-Based Toolkits for Rural Community Health which are informed by previous program investments by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and the Rural Health Information Hub.

For more information about this funding opportunity, contact the Program Coordinator, Mew Pongsiri, at RuralOutreachProgram@hrsa.gov.

The application deadline is January 27, 2025.

Helpful links

• Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov
• Profiles of current and past Outreach Program grantees
• Evidence-Based Toolkits for Rural Community Health

In recognition of National Rural Health Day 2024 which took place on Nov. 21, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH) announced that sixteen of Pennsylvania’s rural hospitals have been recognized as winners of the 2024 Performance Leadership Award.

Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards recognize top quartile performance (i.e., 75^th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in quality, outcomes, and patient perspective.

The Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, a comprehensive and objective framework for assessing how rural hospitals perform. INDEX benchmarks are relied on by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure performance across multiple areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

Pennsylvania’s critical access and other small rural hospitals were recognized for the following awards:

Awards for quality

• Barnes-Kasson County Hospital, Susquehanna, PA
• Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center, Meyersdale, PA
• Fulton County Medical Center, McConnellsburg, PA
• Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital, Jersey Shore, PA

Awards for outcomes

• Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg, PA
• Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, Lewistown, PA
• Penn Highlands Brookville, Brookville, PA
• Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street, Pottsville, PA
• UPMC Bedford, Everett, PA
• UPMC Horizon, Greenville, PA
• UPMC Northwest, Seneca, PA
• UPMC Somerset, Somerset, PA
• Wayne Memorial Hospital, Honesdale, PA
• WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital, Waynesboro, PA

Awards for patient perspective

• Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center, Meyersdale, PA
• Conemaugh Miners Medical Center, Hastings, PA
• LECOM Corry Memorial Hospital, Corry, PA

“Our rural hospitals play a crucial role in enhancing health care quality, patient experience, and overall outcomes, while navigating the complexities of modern health care systems,” said Sandee Kyler, PORH rural health systems manager and deputy director. “The Leadership Awards recognize the exceptional efforts and innovations these hospitals demonstrate in meeting high standards of care. Through their dedication, rural hospitals are driving positive change and achieving remarkable success, despite the challenges they face. This recognition celebrates their unwavering commitment to improving patient care and shaping the future of health care in rural communities.”

“The prestigious awards for quality care and patient outcomes to these small rural hospitals speak volumes about their dedication to excellent care and we are fortunate to have them as health care providers throughout the Commonwealth,” said Lannette Fetzer, PORH quality improvement coordinator. “I am so proud of their tremendous accomplishments and congratulate them all.”

“The Performance Leadership Awards capture the commitment, diligence and innovation with which America’s rural hospitals approach the delivery of care within their communities,” said Troy Brown, Network Consultant, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “It’s a tremendous honor to be able to recognize the efforts of this year’s award winners and celebrate their achievements.”

The Chartis Center for Rural Health provides services in strategic, clinical, financial, and digital and technology transformation. Other agency brands include Greeley, Healthscape Advisors, and Jarrard. The agency also addresses critical industry priorities like health equity, practitioner burnout, and rural health. More information is available at chartis.com.

PORH was established in 1991 to enhance the health status of rural Pennsylvanians and strengthen the delivery and quality of care in the communities in which they live. Each year, the organization presents awards to recognize rural health programs and individuals who have made substantial contributions to rural health in Pennsylvania. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, visit porh.psu.edu.

For more details about the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, contact Billy Balfour at wbalfour@chartis.com.

The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) has announced the 2025-2026 ASPPH/USDA Rural Health Fellowship opportunity for recent graduates.

The ASPPH/USDA Rural Health Fellowship opportunity launched in 2023. The USDA Rural Health Liaison has been successful in securing two additional years since (2024-2025, and now 2025-2026). The new one-year fellowship will begin in June 2025.

By participating in the ASPPH/USDA Rural Health Fellowship Program, the selected fellow will have the opportunity to:

• contribute to USDA programs related to rural health
• lead the development of tools to better understand and access USDA programs that can be used by federal and non-federal partners
• prepare and implement rural health initiatives or strategies with USDA programs and federal and non-federal partners; and
• build and maintain relationships across USDA and between USDA and partners

The Fellowship will be based in Washington, DC, but hybrid/remote candidates will be considered. The position is a full-time training opportunity for one year (estimated June 2025 – June 2026), with the possibility of a one-year extension. Detailed program information and all application instructions can be accessed on the ASPPH application website.

To be eligible for this program, applicants must have received their Masters or Doctorate degree prior to the beginning of the fellowship (no later than June 2025) or within the last five years (no earlier than May 2020). Graduate degrees must come from an ASPPH member graduate school or program of public health accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). All applicants must be US citizens or hold a visa permitting permanent residence (“Green Card”) in the US to be eligible for the fellowship program.

Application deadline is 11:59 PM ET Thursday, January 9, 2025.

If you have questions, please send a message to rural.health@usda.gov

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden today announced that USDA is launching a new pilot program in 23 states, American Samoa and Puerto Rico to make it easier for rural homeowners to repair and rehabilitate their homes.

The pilot will help USDA’s Single Family Housing Home Repair Loans and Grants program better meet industry standards, while continuing to protect homeowners from fraud. It removes regulatory barriers to make it easier and faster for contractors to complete needed home repairs for rural homeowners.

To learn more, read the full Stakeholder Announcement.

World AIDS Day announcement showcases HRSA’s historic success in advancing HIV care nationwide

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a record-breaking 90.6 percent of people with HIV receiving medical care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program are virally suppressed, exceeding national viral suppression rates. Viral suppression means people with HIV taking their medication cannot sexually transmit HIV and can live longer and healthier lives.

HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, joined by White House Office of National AIDS Policy Director Francisco Ruiz and HIV community leaders, announced these latest data at a World AIDS Day community event at La Clínica del Pueblo in Northwest Washington, D.C. This milestone highlights the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program’s vital role in expanding access to care for individuals with HIV, improving health outcomes, and contributing to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.

“At the Health Resources and Services Administration, the care and treatment we have continuously supported through our Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program over the last 34 years is making it possible for hundreds of thousands of people with HIV to live long, healthy lives,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Today’s record-breaking data highlight the impact of the Ryan White Program and underscore the vital role of the program to ensure no communities are left behind as we work towards ending the HIV epidemic.”

HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, medication, and support services to more than half of people with diagnosed HIV in the United States each year. The program tailors approaches to best meet the needs of individual people with HIV and their communities, including by addressing health-related needs like housing, transportation, medical case management, mental and behavioral health care, and food access that directly affect the ability of patients to enter and stay in care and access treatment services. The federal Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative expands upon the vital work of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to reach people newly diagnosed with HIV and people with HIV out of care by enhancing linkage to and engagement in care, decreasing disparities, and improving viral suppression.

The new Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program data reflect several key milestones:

• More than 576,000 people with HIV in the U.S. received life-saving care, medication, and essential support services through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, representing over 50% of those with diagnosed HIV in the U.S.
• Nearly 91 percent of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients receiving HIV medical care were virally suppressed in 2023. This is up from 70 percent of clients virally suppressed in 2010 and significantly higher than the 65 percent virally suppressed nationally (which includes people who do not qualify or receive treatment through the Ryan White Program).
• Nearly 48 percent of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients are aged 50 years and older, demonstrating the program’s success in supporting older clients and its commitment to addressing the unique needs of people with HIV as they age.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program supports recipients that address the epidemic in communities most severely affected by HIV, including cities and counties (Part A); states and territories (Part B); local community-based groups that provide ambulatory health services for people with HIV (Part C); local community-based groups that provide medical care for low-income women, infants, children and youth with HIV (Part D); and for HIV workforce education and training, oral health care, and other innovative models of HIV care and treatment (Part F).

To access the new 2023 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program By the Numbers data infographic, visit: https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/ryanwhite/resources/rwhap-hrsa-numbers-2023.pdf (PDF – 871 KB).

To learn more about HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, visit ryanwhite.hrsa.gov.

For more information about HRSA’s role in the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative, visit www.hrsa.gov/ending-HIV-epidemic.

Beginning in 2025, all Medicare plans will include a yearly $2,000 cap on covered out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. The cap only applies to drugs that are covered by their Medicare plan, making it especially important for those with Medicare to review their plan to make sure their specific drugs are covered. If people with Medicare have prescription drugs that are not covered by the plan they choose, they will not be able to fully benefit from the cap.

Plan Finder provides an opportunity to input your prescriptions to be able to easily see if a plan covers them and their preferred pharmacy.

Likewise, starting in January 2025, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan will take effect. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is a new payment option in the Inflation Reduction Act, also known as the prescription drug law, that works with the current drug coverage to help manage beneficiary’s out-of-pocket costs for drugs covered by their plan by spreading them across the calendar year (January–December), participation is voluntary.

How does the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan help my patient?

• For a certain set of people, it will help to manage their out-of-pocket covered drug costs. This plan is not right for everyone and does not save money for patients, but helps spread out existing costs.
• Costs are spread out across the calendar year (January – December) through monthly payments through a health plan versus in a lump sum at the pharmacy counter.

How does the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan work?

• There’s no cost to participate in the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
• If this payment option is selected, each month the plan premium will continue to be paid, if they have one. A bill will be received from the health or drug plan to pay, instead of paying the pharmacy
• If a person with Medicare determines this program is right for them, please have them contact their plan.

We encourage you to visit:

https://www.medicare.gov/prescription-payment-plan
https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d.