- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
- HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, Joined by Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Announces New Funding, Policy Action, and Report to Mark Landmark Year of HRSA's Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces $60 Million Investment for Adding Early Morning, Night, and Weekend Hours at Community Health Centers
- Volunteer Opportunity for HUD's Office of Housing Counseling Tribe and TDHE Certification Exam
- Who Needs Dry January More: Rural or Urban Drinkers?
- Rural Families Have 'Critical' Need for More Hospice, Respite Care
- States Help Child Care Centers Expand in Bid To Create More Slots, Lower Prices
- Rural Telehealth Sees More Policy Wins, but Only Short-Term
- Healing a Dark Past: The Long Road To Reopening Hospitals in the Rural South
- Study: Obstetrics Units in Rural Communities Declining
- Q&A: Angela Gonzales (Hopi), on New Indigenous Health Research Dashboard
- Not All Expectant Moms Can Reach a Doctor's Office. This Kentucky Clinic Travels to Them.
Up to $212,500 Funding Now Available to Researchers Investigating Health Disparities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) is pleased to release the Minority Research Grant Program (MRGP) 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This grant awards funding to health equity researchers at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) investigating health disparities and improving the health outcomes of minority populations.
As a grantee, you will enhance your impact and visibility in the research community, support our mission to advance health equity, and join a prestigious group of awardees whose collective MRGP-funded research has been cited in more than 190 publications. CMS will award up to six grants, totaling up to $1,275,000, in 2025.
Review the notice of funding opportunity CMS-1W1-25-001 and submit your application on grants.gov by April 1, 2025.
Eligible MSIs include:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
- Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)
- Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
- Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs),
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs), and
- Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
For more information on eligibility and the application process:
- Visit the MRGP website
- Watch the MRGP overview video
- Email OMHGrants@cms.hhs.gov for more information about eligibility and the application process.
Stay Tuned! CMS OMH will host informational webinars on February 13, 2025 and February 18, 2025. Join us to review the grant, understand the MRGP NOFO requirements, learn about resources and tips when applying, and hear from prior grantees. More information about the webinars is forthcoming.
New Funding: HRSA Rural Program of All-Inclusive for the Elderly Planning and Development
The Rural Program of All-Inclusive for the Elderly (PACE) Planning and Development, a new program from HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), is open and accepting applications for the program’s 4-year period of performance (September 30, 2025 – September 29, 2029). HRSA will make up to 4 awards, up to $500,000 per year, to provide resources to assist with the development of an initial Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) PACE program serving HRSA-designated rural areas or to expand an existing certified CMS PACE programs into HRSA-designated rural areas through PACE service area expansion. The goal of the program aims to improve access to, and delivery of, comprehensive and sustainable medical and social services for adults 55 and older living in rural areas.
Eligible applicants include all domestic public and private, nonprofit, or for-profit, entities with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations.
CMS PACE is a model of care that helps people meet their health care needs in the community instead of going to a nursing home or other care facility. PACE provides, and are financially responsible for, all health care services their enrollees. This includes providing care management to enrollees at a PACE center organization that serves as a central hub for adult day care services where enrollees can receive primary care, therapy, meals, recreation, and socialization. According to the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 2023 policy brief, the start-up and application process to become a certified PACE provider with CMS may present some challenges in rural areas.
A technical assistance webinar via Zoom is scheduled for applicants on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 2:30 pm Eastern. If you are unable able to join the webinar, a recording will be made available later.
Apply by April 17, 2025.
For more information about this funding opportunity, contact RuralPACE@hrsa.gov
Helpful links:
Just Released! American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics 2025
The American Cancer Society has released key findings from Cancer Statistics 2025 and its consumer-friendly companion, Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. The report, published annually since 1951, is considered the gold standard for cancer surveillance information, with timely cancer findings to help improve the lives of people with cancer.
This year’s report shows the cancer mortality rate declined by 34% from 1991 to 2022 in the United States, averting approximately 4.5 million deaths.
However, this steady progress is jeopardized by increasing incidence for many cancer types, especially among women and younger adults, shifting the burden of disease. For example, incidence rates in women 50-64 years of age have surpassed those in men, and rates in women under 50 are now 82% higher than their male counterparts, up from 51% in 2002. This pattern includes lung cancer, which is now higher in women than in men among people younger than 65 years.
These important findings are published in the January 16 issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, alongside Cancer Facts & Figures 2025, available on cancer.org.
See the full report at: Cancer Facts and Statistics | American Cancer Society
HealthHIV’s Fourth Annual State of Aging with HIV™ National Survey Released
HealthHIV’s Fourth Annual State of Aging with HIV™ National Survey examines crucial issues affecting people aging with HIV (PAWH) and the workforce that supports them. The findings reveal four interconnected challenges: financial precarity and persistent insurance gaps that block access to essential care, declining quality of life driven by widespread mental health challenges, a shortage of aging-focused services leaving caregivers and communities unsupported, and rising frustration with the healthcare system and insufficient government protections.
The survey examines crucial issues facing long-term survivors and adults aging with HIV. For the first time, this survey has two population focuses—one that reached the PAWH community and one that reached the workforce that provides health and human services to the population. Survey data was collected between August and September 2024 and included responses from 907 participants. HealthHIV conducted the survey as part of its Pozitively Aging program, which is supported by Gilead’s HIV Age Positively Initiative.
Key findings include:
- Financial precarity and persistent insurance gaps impact the vast majority of PAWH and block access to essential care: Nearly half of respondents lack a financial plan for retirement, and the majority of those who have one are unsure if it will cover potential long-term care needs. Over three-quarters avoided or delayed seeking medical care in the last year due to concerns about insurance coverage or out-of-pocket costs.
- Continued decline in quality of life for many PAWH, largely driven by mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety: More than three-quarters (76%) of PAWH experienced moderate to high mental health stress over the last six months, and mental health diagnoses, like depression or anxiety, were the second most common comorbidity impacting PAWH.
- The gap is widening between aging services and the specific needs of PAWH, leaving them and their caregivers unsupported and without tailored resources, training or support: Most organizations recognize the need for aging-focused services, but many haven’t implemented them. Over half of providers believe that informal caregivers of older persons with HIV lack necessary support. Broader aging services are fragmented from HIV-specific programs like Ryan White, especially with transitions to Medicare.
- Increasing discontent and anger with the health care system reflects widespread community fatigue and insufficient government protections: Most PAWH (72%) feel the government isn’t adequately addressing their needs, and the vast majority of all respondents—97% of providers and 88% of community members—call for enhanced advocacy efforts for the aging HIV community.
In coordination with HealthHIV’s Pozitively Aging program, findings from this survey will be used in the creation of vital education and training materials for the HIV care workforce and will inform advocacy and research priorities for the coming year surrounding those aging with HIV.
Click here to access the full report.
HHS Minority Health Office Announces 2025 Theme: Advancing Commitments to Eliminate Health Disparities
Since 1986,the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) has provided resources and information to support the success, sustainability, and sharing of health-disparity-reducing policies, programs, and practices. OMH is pleased to announce its theme for calendar year 2025: Advancing Commitments to Eliminate Health Disparities.
OMH encourages public, community, and nonprofit private organizations to adopt this theme in 2025 as part of communication efforts to advance their commitments to eliminate health disparities. Throughout 2025, OMH will use this theme for its national observances focused on racial and ethnic minority populations and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.
New Release! CMS Health Equity Data Book
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a Health Equity Data Book looking at Medicare, Medicaid, and the Marketplace populations. The Data Book presents an overview of data at-a-glance as well as CMS data focuses on demographics, chronic conditions, behavioral health conditions, and social determinants of health. This resource can be used by researchers, public health professionals, and others. The Data Book can help find, understand, and use up-to-date health disparities data to help inform policies, programs, and regulations.
View the Health Equity Data Book here.
This resource builds on past work from CMS to continue improving data to advance health equity. For more information on health equity data, please visit:
- CMS’ Resource of Health Equity-related Data Definitions, Standards, and Stratification Practices,
- The Path Forward: Improving Data to Advance Health Equity Solutions
- Data snapshots
- Data highlights
- Stratified reporting
- Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool
The CMS Office of Minority Health offers a Health Equity Technical Assistance program to assist organizations, researchers, and those looking for assistance with health equity data collection and analysis, resources to embed health equity, and other resources to improve health equity efforts. Contact HealthEquityTA@cms.hhs.gov for more information.
Sign up for our listserv to get the latest on health equity from the CMS Office of Minority Health.
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children Releases Policy Roadmap
In December, the PPC Board of Directors approved our 2025-26 Policy Roadmap that aligns with our organizational mission to improve the health, education, and well-being of children and youth in the commonwealth.
Ensuring each child living in Pennsylvania can reach their full potential means that PPC is committed to policy choices that improve maternal and child well-being, advance racial equity and support families disproportionately impacted by poverty.
Our work to advance equitable policy solutions and prioritize the well-being of Pennsylvania children and families remains as important as ever because we can’t achieve our goals if any child is left behind.
Learn more about our priorities in these five policy areas:
- Child Welfare: Ensure each child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to grow up in a home where they are safe and protected from abuse and neglect.
- Early Care and Education: Ensure each child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to participate in affordable and accessible high-quality early care and education, including infant and toddler child care and pre-kindergarten education.
- Home Visiting: Ensure each child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to grow up in a stable and healthy home environment.
- K-12 Education: Ensure each child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity for an adequate and equitable high-quality public education.
- Perinatal and Child Health: Ensure each parent and child in Pennsylvania can access affordable, quality health care.
View the new Policy Roadmap here.
Pennsylvania Announces Digital Connectivity Technology Program Funding: Round Two
In June 2024, the PBDA opened the Capital Projects Fund – Digital Connectivity Technology (Technology) Program. This program utilized $20 million of the $279 million in the Capital Projects Fund that were allocated to Pennsylvania through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.
In November 2024, the PBDA distributed over 9,000 laptops to 117 applicants, across 42 counties. These entities included libraries, municipalities, workforce training organizations, not-for-profit organizations, other community anchor institutions, in areas where affordability is a barrier. For details on the first round of approved applicants, please visit the Digital Connectivity Technology Program page.
The PBDA will open a second round of the Technology Program beginning April 1, 2025, to distribute the remaining laptops. In preparation for this second round, there will be two webinars which will provide an overview of the program, review FAQs, and outline any updates to the guidelines. Additional information for these webinars is provided in the attached flyer.
Should you have additional questions or needs, please contact the PBDA at pbda_capitalprojectsfund@pa.gov.
Updated Banking Desert Dashboard Published
While the popularity of online banking has grown, physical banking still plays an important role for many consumers. A lack of access to banking services can mean losing opportunities to improve financial health and build wealth.
Originally created by Alaina Barca and colleagues from the Federal Reserve Banks of Philadelphia and Cleveland, the Banking Deserts Dashboard has just been updated. Those updates include the release of 2024 banking desert data, and user experience improvements like an underlying base map to better orient users to census tract locations and an overall friendlier user experience.
Check out the dashboard to identify banking deserts and potential banking deserts across the United States. Across the nation, all the way down to counties, this dashboard uses census tract data to paint a geographical picture of where deserts and potential deserts are located.
A New Legislative Session – An Ongoing Commitment to Oral Health
A new legislative session in Pennsylvania kicked off last week, launching a two-year period for lawmakers to address critical priorities in the commonwealth. Amidst a variety of issues set for debate, PA Coalition for Oral Health remains dedicated to advancing policy changes that strengthen oral health infrastructure in Pennsylvania.
To guide our advocacy efforts, we are introducing the PCOH 2025 Policy Agenda. Shaped by PCOH strategic goals, this is our roadmap to promote better oral health outcomes across Pennsylvania.