- Fact Sheet: The Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Investments in Rural America, Invites Public Nominations for Rural Innovators Initiative
- Rural Victims of Intimate-Partner Violence Need More Resources and Support, Study Finds
- A Tribe in Maine Is Using Opioid Settlement Funds on a Sweat Lodge to Treat Addiction
- Fact Sheet: USDA, HHS Announce New Actions to Reduce Impact and Spread of H5N1
- Call for Experts: Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence
- Bill to Expand Definition of 'Village' Qualifying for Water Funds Passes Alaska House
- Child Care Workers Caught in Middle of Michigan's Broken Child Care System
- Few Options Available for Substance Abuse Treatment in the Big Bend
- In Rural Texas, ERs Are Facing a Growing Mental Health Crisis
- Ways and Means Members Put Forth Solutions to Strengthen Telehealth Access and Improve Health Care for Rural Communities
- Sage Memorial Hospital in Navajo Nation Constructs New Facility to Improve Health Care
- How the State, Tribes and Federal Government Are Working to Curb SD's Syphilis Epidemic
- Rural Children Struggle to Access Hospital Services, Say Researchers
- RPHARM Program Fulfills Need for Rural Pharmacists
- A Pilot Program in Rural Vermont Hopes to Build a Blueprint for Substance Abuse Recovery
PCOH Announces CWF Equipment Grant Awardees
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) is pleased to announce the recipients of grants totaling $153,250 in the inaugural round of our Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) Equipment Grant Program. The CWF Equipment Grant Program issues grant funds to community water systems wishing to initiate, update, or expand the basic public health practice of community water fluoridation. By supporting the public health measure of water fluoridation, PCOH seeks to improve the overall health and well-being of Pennsylvanians served by community water systems. Congratulations to each of the grantees! PCOH is honored to support the work that water systems are doing throughout PA to provide optimally fluoridated water to their residents.
The awardees are:
- Erie Water Works
- Downington Municipal Water Authority
- Harrison Township Water Authority
- Greenville Water Authority
- Reading Area Water Authority
- Sewickley Water Authority
- Shippensburg Borough Authority
This program is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Grant NU58DP006467: Using Surveillance Data and Evidence-based Interventions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes in Pennsylvania and administered by PCOH.
AHA: One Rural Hospital’s Four-Stage Plan to Prepare
The American Hospital Association (AHA) highlights a rural California’s plan to prepare for a potential surge related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including steps taken to provide care through community outreach and maintain financial support.
Rural Insight Into COVID-19 Critical Care and Pulmonary Management
An hour-long YouTube video brings frontline information for rural providers and hospitals addressing COVID-19, hosted in partnership between Kansas Patients and Providers Engaged in Prevention Research (KPPEPR) and High Plains Research Network (HPRN) of Colorado.
Rates of Living Alone by Rurality and Age
Living alone is associated with higher risk of social isolation and poor health for populations without access to appropriate support and resources. Little is known about how rates of living alone vary by rurality, however. In this infographic, the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center identifies rates of living alone for all adults and within specific age groups using two classifications of rurality. The report can be accessed here.
CDC COVID-19 Updates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance. New this week is a set of guidelines for meat and poultry processing workers and employers. CDC also does regular clinical calls for public health emergency response, called Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA).
Pennsylvania Governor’s Administration Highlights Comprehensive Food Security Efforts
As Pennsylvania works to mitigate the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus, the Wolf Administration has made it a priority to address food insecurity in the commonwealth by protecting our local supply chain, advocating for necessary waivers and resources, and ensuring equal access to healthy food for all.
Pennsylvania is home to a strong and diverse agriculture and food industry, with a reputation for innovation and generosity, that creates a strong foundation for food security in the commonwealth. Ensuring Pennsylvanians have equal access to food is a critical piece of a large, complex puzzle.
First Lady Frances Wolf has called for healthy Pennsylvanians to consider volunteering to help those who need it, reminding them to follow all safety precautions while doing so.
Learn more about Food Security in Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania has the 10th Smallest Increase in Unemployment Due to Coronavirus – WalletHub Study
The U.S. unemployment rate is still on an upward trend, with roughly 30.3 million Americans now having lost their jobs since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, despite the fact that some states have already begun to selectively reopen businesses. Today, WalletHub released updated rankings for the States with the Biggest Increases in Unemployment Due to the Coronavirus as a follow-up to our report on the Cities with the Biggest Growth in Unemployment Due to COVID-19, along with accompanying videos.
To identify which states’ workforces have been hurt most by COVID-19, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on increases in unemployment claims. We used this data to rank the most impacted states in both the latest week for which we have data (April 20) and overall since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis (March 16). Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A. To see the states most impacted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
Increase in Pennsylvania Unemployment Due to Coronavirus (1=Worst, 25=Avg.):
- 1,010.96% Increase in Unemployment Claims (April 2020 vs April 2019)
- 131,282 the week of April 20, 2020 vs 11,817 the week of April 22, 2019
- 12th lowest increase in the U.S.
- 380.92% Increase in the Number of Unemployment Claims (April 2020 vs January 2020)
- 131,282 the week of April 20, 2020 vs 27,298 the week of January 1, 2020
- 8th lowest increase in the U.S.
- 2,337.93% Increase in Unemployment Claims Since Pandemic Started
- 1,620,512 between the week of March 16, 2020 and the week of April 20, 2020 vs 69,314 between the week of March 18, 2019 and the week of April 22, 2019
- 20th lowest increase in the U.S.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-biggest-increase-in-unemployment-due-to-coronavirus/72730/
Department of Agriculture Adopts Temporary FDA Food Labeling Policy, New Products Debut in Grocers, Restaurant Delivery
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture reviewed the Food and Drug Administration’s temporary policy regarding nutrition labeling during the COVID-19 public health crisis, and provided clarity behind new items for sale in Pennsylvania’s grocery stores and restaurants.
This temporary policy by the FDA allows restaurants to sell ingredients and bulk prepared foods direct to consumers, and allows food manufacturers to distribute foods intended for restaurant-use to grocery stores for purchase by consumers. This means grocery shoppers may see industrial sized bags of soup or other prepared items, with non-traditional nutrition information labels. Eggs by the flat, instead of by the dozen, have also been approved by a separate guidance document from the FDA. This temporary flexibility also allows restaurants to sell meal kits or raw ingredients in addition to their regular menu of takeout items.
Similar to recognizing a need for decreased food labeling requirements, the FDA issued guidance offering restaurants and retail food establishments flexibility for menu labeling. Under normal circumstances, restaurants and retail food establishments that are a part of a chain of 20 or more locations must provide nutrition information (calorie declarations) for standard menu items. Recognizing that business practices have been required to change as a result of COVID-19 – including modified menus, printed takeout menus, or online portals – the FDA will not object to restaurants that do not meet requirements.
COVID-19 Data from the U.S. Census Bureau
Updated regularly, the site provides access to demographic and economic data that may be useful in decision-making, including state and local data on at-risk populations, poverty, health insurance coverage, and employment.
COVID-19 Child Welfare and Related Health Resources
The Children’s Bureau at the Administration for Children and Families provides resources for foster care providers and the child welfare workforce in response to the COVID-19 emergency. The page includes a list of state and national resources.