- Rural Children Struggle to Access Hospital Services, Say Researchers
- Outlining the Intersection between Health Care and Missing and Murdered Indigenous People
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces Critical More Than $1.5 Billion State and Tribal Opioid Response Funding Opportunities
- RPHARM Program Fulfills Need for Rural Pharmacists
- Farmers Don't Do Mental Health
- A Pilot Program in Rural Vermont Hopes to Build a Blueprint for Substance Abuse Recovery
- Rural Telehealth Extension Reintroduced in Congress
- Students From Across the State Emphasized the Need for Mental Health Resources in Rural Alaska During a Conference
- The South Was the Center of Rural Population Growth Last Year
- How HHS SUD Confidentiality Regulations Will Impact Rural Providers
- VA Announces Expansion of "Close to Me" Cancer Program as Part of the Cancer Moonshot, Bringing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Closer to Thousands of Veterans
- Navajo Psychiatrist Bridges Gaps Between Native American Culture and Behavioral Health Care
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
CMS: New From Coverage to Care Resources on COVID-19
From Coverage to Care (C2C) has released two new resources focused on coronavirus and health coverage.
Click here to see the new resources: go.cms.gov/c2ccovid19.
C2C’s Coronavirus and Your Health Coverage: Get the Basics talks about how to protect yourself and your family along with an overview on updates from Medicare, the Marketplace, and other information for consumers looking for information on health coverage and staying healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next, C2C has Stay Safe: Getting the Care You Need, at Home which focuses on how people can stay healthy within their home. This resource gives an overview of telehealth, managing ongoing health conditions, prescriptions, and other tips.
Want to receive updates on From Coverage to Care? Subscribe to the C2C listserv. To learn more or download C2C resources, please visit go.cms.gov/c2c or email CoverageToCare@cms.hhs.gov.
Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law Offers Webinar
The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law is presenting a 60-minute webinar on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, which will synthesize some of the most important agricultural legal developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to assist producers and agricultural employers understand what they need to know. This is anticipated to be the first in a continuing series of webinars as conditions evolve.
The focus of the initial webinar will be on regulatory actions and the legal issues that may ultimately have to play out in courts across the country.
Highlights will include an overview of:
- State-level actions by the Office of the Governor, PDA, DEP, PMMB, L&I, the Pennsylvania General Assembly and others that impact Pennsylvania agricultural operations in this crisis.
- Federal actions by the Executive Branch (the White House, USDA, DOT and others) and the U.S. Congress.
- The potential for invocation of the Defense Production Act re: food production and potential conflicts with state and local government authority.
- Risks and protections surrounding claims of legal liability for COVID-19 transmission; what is the meaning of the various lawsuits covered by the media so far and what are the legal issues to be aware of going forward?
For more information on this webinar, please contact Brook Duer at DHD5103@psu.edu or Jackie Schweichler at JKS251@psu.edu.
Pennsylvania Governor Issues Guidance on Dining
As more counties move to yellow and green, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf issued an order to elaborate on the reopening process for green phase counties and guidance on outdoor dining in yellow counties, dining in green counties, and professional sports in yellow counties.
Yellow Phase Outdoor Dining
Beginning June 5, restaurants and retail food service businesses located in counties designated as being in the yellow phase are permitted add dine-in service in outdoor seating areas so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, including maximum occupancy limits:
- Indoor areas, including bar areas, of restaurants and retail food service businesses must be closed to customers except for through-traffic. Non-bar seating in outdoor areas (i.e., tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.
- Customers being served must be seated at a table.
Prohibitions are also included. The following are not permitted:
- Self-service food or drink options, such as buffets, salad bars, condiments, and drink stations.
- Condiments on tables; these must be dispensed by employees upon the request of a customer.
- Reusable menus.
- Refilling food and beverage containers or allowing implements brought in by customers.
Green Phase Dining
Retail food service businesses, including restaurants, and bars located in counties designated as being in the green phase are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales, as well as dine-in service in both indoor and outdoor seating areas, so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, including maximum occupancy limits:
- Bar seating may be utilized if customers are seated and comply with physical distancing guideline of at least 6 feet or physical barriers between customers. Standing in a bar area will not be permitted.
- A maximum of four customers that have a common relationship may sit together at the bar, while adhering to the physical distancing guidelines or barriers between other customers.
No business is required to conduct in-person operations and should not do so if unable to follow applicable guidance.
Dining guidance provides businesses and employees in the restaurant and retail food service industry with specific details on operations, including following the Guidance for Businesses Permitted to Operate During the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency to Ensure the Safety and Health of Employees and the Public, available here, and provisions specific to mask-wearing, table-spacing, occupancy limits, sanitization, and implementation of a COVID-19 prevention plan, among other provisions to ensure worker and customer safety.
The dining guidance also notes that restaurants and retail food service businesses located in counties designated as being in the red phase are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales only and may not allow the service or consumption of food or beverages on the premises.
Now Available: Fact Sheet for State and Local Governments – CMS Programs & Payment for Care in Hospital Alternate Care Sites
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, state and local governments, hospitals, and others are developing alternate care sites to expand capacity and provide needed care to patients. This newly published fact sheet provides state and local governments developing alternate care sites with information on how to seek payments through CMS programs – Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – for acute inpatient and outpatient care furnished at the site.
Access to Medicare Part D Plans: A Comparison of Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas
Mochamad Nataliansyah, MD, MPH; Abiodun Salako, PhD; Fred Ullrich, BA; and Keith Mueller, PhD
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 created the Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug program allowing Medicare beneficiaries to add prescription drugs to their Medicare coverage. Within Medicare, beneficiaries can select either a stand-alone Part D Plan (PDP) or Medicare Advantage plan that provides prescription drug coverage (MA-PD plan). Those plans offer an array of payment options and provided benefits. PDPs must offer the same design throughout the region in which they operate so minimal differences across types of counties were found. MA-PD plans were offered in lower numbers in noncore counties (compared to metropolitan and micropolitan counties), were found to have higher monthly premiums and were less likely to offer enhanced benefits. Of most concern, the brief shows that 10.6 percent of noncore counties have no MA-PD plans available, and 8.7 percent have only one plan offered.
Please click here to read the brief.
Vulnerable Communities and COVID-19 in Pennsylvania
“The State of Health Equity in Pennsylvania (2019)” report states, “there are other areas in Pennsylvania where residents are more vulnerable. These residents’ health is at risk because they don’t have the same access to health care, education, jobs, clean environment and safety. Given Pennsylvania’s unique geography and population distribution, this reality affects many: urban and rural populations; racial and ethnic minorities; gender and sexual minorities; the young and old and many more.” This pandemic exacerbates poor health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Pennsylvania DOH is taking a proactive approach to safeguard residents.
Materials and resources are translated into various languages, briefings are done in Spanish and sign language. These include fact sheets, symptoms, what to do when sick, how to stop the spread, hand washing instructions and graphics. For a comprehensive approach, a COVID-19 Health Equity Response Team from staff and external stakeholders was formed. The goal is to develop a strategy to mitigate the potential of unintentional harm, loss of life, suffering and long-term multi-generational impact for vulnerable communities.
For support on health equity, more information and contact information can be found on the Office of Health Equity web page.
Legislation Introduced to Ensure Rural Health Providers Receive Relief Funds
Senators Murkowski, Hyde-Smith, Manchin and Bennet and Representatives Small and Hagedorn led the bicameral, bipartisan introduction of the Save Our Rural Providers Act (S. 3823). This important legislation would ensure that a portion of the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for payments to eligible health care providers is reserved for rural health providers. Twelve rural hospitals have already closed this year, and hundreds more are vulnerable to closure. This Act will provide the lifeline needed for rural providers as they struggle to keep doors open during this pandemic.
COVID-19 Positions for Health Care Providers in Pennsylvania
The CDC Foundation COVID-19 Corps has posted positions for health care professionals on their website. The available positions in Pennsylvania include: infection preventionist, research associate, contact tracing coordinator, regional coordinator, informatics epidemiologist, and clinical supervisor.
State Dental Patient Guidance Document Released
PCOH and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) have released their newest patient guidance document which has been added to the list of resources from DOH. It is important for all Pennsylvanians with acute dental needs to get proper treatment and feel comfortable doing so.
New Statewide Public/Private Partnership – The Kares Community Engages Seniors Through Virtual Gaming & Esports
Social isolation and loneliness among older adults is one of the most serious health issues facing our country today. Combatting that problem is the goal of a new public-private partnership – the K.A.R.E.S. Community (Keystone Athletics, Recreation and Esports) – which will use virtual technology to bring Pennsylvania seniors together for Esports and electronic gaming fun.
KARES’ partners include its founder, health technology and innovation consultancy, EnableHealth; the PA Esports Coalition; Pittsburgh’s Jewish Healthcare Foundation; Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute; Athletes for Care; RTI International; the KNGDM Group; the PA Office of Rural Health and the Keystone State Games, among others. The partnership is looking to pilot its first virtual activities at the next Keystone Games, re-scheduled now for October 2020.
Partnership leaders note that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is nearly impossible for seniors, especially in rural areas, to congregate. Technology and virtual gatherings, however, have made it possible for older adults to remain engaged and maintain social connections. The objectives of this initiative are to leverage technology to enable seniors to participate virtually in friendly competitive sports and games in a fun and healthy environment.
About 28 percent of older adults in the United States, or 13.8 million people, live alone, and in a 2018 survey of 20,000 participants conducted by Cigna, nearly half (46%) of those surveyed reported that they felt alone sometimes or always. Perhaps no other age group feels the keen sting of loneliness more than seniors — a condition only exacerbated by COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) agrees, adding that loneliness can also have clinical consequences. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.
Conversely, according to the NIH, people who engage in meaningful, productive activities with others tend to live longer, boost their mood, and have a sense of purpose. These activities seem to help maintain their well-being and may improve cognitive function.
The Initiative is currently identifying potential projects and partners from across PA, and has the support of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, which recently published the results of a statewide survey. The survey was conducted by the Pennsylvania Council on Aging and sought to assess how older adults have been managing through the current pandemic. The survey reported that more than 25% of the 3,700 respondents said they would like to take advantage of virtual gaming if given the opportunity.
“Older Pennsylvanians enjoy sports, games and other ways to socialize and congregate for fun and fitness,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging, Robert Torres, “I applaud the work of KARES, which seeks to safely and positively engage our senior community through the pioneering application of Esports and virtual gaming. I’m particularly encouraged by thier initial project which seeks to expand recreational opportunities for older adults through a partnership with the Keystone State Senior Games.”
Founded in 1983, the non-profit Keystone State Games, Inc. is a public/private partnership that has attracted over 500,000 participants of various age groups to their events, which provide a statewide, multi-sport program with an Olympic format to encourage and assist in preparing Pennsylvania’s athletes to enter national and international competitions.
“The Keystone Games are excited to be the first in the country to introduce a virtual element to senior games,” said longtime Executive Director, Jim Costello. “We will be looking to begin gradually by introducing a handful of online games for participants in our upcoming Fall Games and Expo, and then look to launch our first-ever virtual Winter Games in 2021, leveraging several Esports applications.” Concluding, Costello added “and it’s fitting we launch this new initiative in May, which is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!”
“The Pennsylvania Esports Coalition is also excited to work with the other partners on this initiative to bring the inherently social nature of Esports to a demographic that will no doubt benefit from the entertainment and technology the industry brings,” said Bill Thomas, Chairman of the Coalition. “The current COVID-19 pandemic has shown that we need to do a better job of addressing isolation in our older adult population, and we believe strongly that Esports and competitive video gaming can be a significant part of the solution.”
The Jewish Healthcare Foundation, a nearly 30-year-old organization based in Pittsburgh, has been committed to reducing isolation and loneliness among seniors since its founding. Over the last several years, it has focused on the application of technology to increase connection and engagement among older adults in Western Pennsylvania. “We have always been committed to keeping seniors safe and well and this includes keeping them engaged and connected with their communities,” said Mara Leff, Director of Innovation at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. “We think Esports is a fantastic outlet to foster this type of connection, and we are thrilled to be partnering to make it a reality.”
“Geisinger has a long history of supporting the Keystone Games,” said Dr. Michael Suk, head of orthopedics at Geisinger and a clinical leader in Esports. “This year we’re excited to help the games make the transition to a virtual environment, including the introduction of an online platform for health & fitness, a first for senior games in the country.”
“RTI International is thrilled to partner with KARES to offer its researchers and expertise to help combat senior isolation in new and effective, innovative ways,” said Jamie Pina, PhD, MSPH, Director, Applied Health Informatics Program.
“We commend Mark Stevens and his team at EnableHealth for bringing instrumental partners together to find creative solutions to address the health and fitness needs of seniors in these unprecedented times. Our team of more than 200 elite athletes are honored to be part of this important initiative,” said Anna Valent, Executive Director, Athletes for CARE.
“EnableHealth is proud to bring such an amazing group of individuals and organizations together for such timely and important work,” said EnableHealth Managing Director, Mark Stevens. “We’re grateful to Secretary Torres for his vision and support, and to Jim Costello for allowing us to make history while launching the Initiative’s first project together at this year’s Keystone games!”
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About EnableHealth
EnableHealth is a global professional services firm whose vision and mission are to create and sustain an innovative global healthcare ecosystem by accelerating the growth of transformative healthcare initiatives worldwide and enabling entrepreneurs to more quickly and effectively bring to market disruptive health technologies and business process solutions which increase quality while lowering costs. For more information, please visit www.GoEnableHealth.com
About the Pennsylvania Esports Coalition
The Pennsylvania Esports Coalition is a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization created to advance the development, growth and integrity of Esports in Pennsylvania through advocacy, education and promotion of the industry. The Coalition is comprised of stakeholders from all aspects of the Esports industry, including technology, entertainment, education, athletic, casino gaming and government sectors. For more information, please visit www.paesports.org
About the Jewish Healthcare Foundation
The Jewish Healthcare Foundation is an activist and grant-making foundation with three operating arms: the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI), Health Careers Futures (HCF), and the Women’s Health Activist Movement Global (WHAMglobal). It offers a unique brand of activist philanthropy to advance healthcare innovation, advocacy, collaboration, and education in the interest of better population health. For more information, please visit www.jhf.org
About Athletes for CARE
Athletes for CARE (A4C) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization launched in 2016 by passionate professional athletes who recognized the need to advocate for the health, safety and wellness of the more than 2 billion people of all ages who compete annually in sanctioned sports globally. Through that advocacy, we are improving health and wellness options for the billions of people around the world living with mental and physical illnesses including chronic pain, depression, anxiety, PTSD, CTE, TBI, substance abuse and opioid dependency. For more information, please visit www.athletesforcare.org
About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world’s most critical problems with science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering, and international development. For more information, please visit www.rti.org
About KNGDM Group
Using the power of perspective, purpose, and passion for uplifting communities, our mission is to build a network of investors, supporters, developers, and influencers that care about social justice. Founded by NFL veteran, Derrick Morgan, KNGDM Impact Fund exists to amplify individual disconnected efforts into a collective vehicle at-scale, creating more opportunities to improve economic conditions of the disadvantaged. For more information, please visit www.kngdmgroup.com/
About the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health
The Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH) is one of the 50 state offices of rural health. PORH is a partnership between the United States Federal Government, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania State University. PORH is charged with being a source of coordination, technical assistance, and networking; partnership development; and assisting in the recruitment and retention of health care providers. For more information, please visit www.porh.psu.edu/
About the Keystone Games
The mission of the Keystone State Games is to promote physical fitness, sports activity, and sportsmanship as a health improvement and disease prevention strategy for all Pennsylvanians and other participants and to create an expanded, coordinated and citizen-sponsored program of amateur athletic competition. For more information, please visit www.keystonegames.org
About the K.A.R.E.S. Community
The K.A.R.E.S. Community is a national online network of members of all ages that communicate and participate with one another in a variety of social and recreational activities. The mission of K.A.R.E.S. is to help individuals, especially seniors, stay connected while combatting isolation during times of social distancing. The K.A.R.E.S. Community’s focus is on the whole individual’s wellness – physical, mental, emotional and social. Members will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities online, as well as in person, once social distancing guidelines are lessened. The key to the K.A.R.E.S Community is that we will never be apart again. We are in this together, and together we will stay active, stay healthy, and stay connected! For more information, please visit www.karescommunity.org.
For more information, contact Mark Stevens at Mark@GoEnableHealth.com or 484-653-8571.