Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled a $36.1 billion state spending plan on February 4, 2020 that will rely on continued strong economic growth. He proposes no increases in the state’s sales or personal income tax rates. The Wolf administration says the budget plan raises state spending by about four percent. The proposed budget adds an additional $450,000 for the Primary Health Care Practitioner Program to bring the program total to $5 million as was requested by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians and the Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center program.

From the Governor’s Budget Book:

“Investing in our Public Health Workforce, the Primary Health Care Practitioner Program encourages primary care practitioners to practice in Health Professional Shortage Areas throughout Pennsylvania, helping to ensure health care access in underserved communities. An additional $450,000 for the Primary Health Care Practitioner Program will facilitate expanded access to quality, affordable primary health care in areas of need by increasing the volume of health care providers as well as helping to provide them with adequate resources to treat vulnerable populations. This additional investment will help to reduce the clinician shortage in Pennsylvania through a more robust support network that will entice more health care professionals to work in the commonwealth.” 

Additional information on the proposed budget can be found here.

Together with the Juvenile Law Center, the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC) are championing policy reforms for older youth in the foster care system and have produced several resources to articulate the needs of this population. This week PPC released their third fact sheet in a series about Transition Age Youth, which seeks to educate policymakers on ensuring foster youth successfully transition to adulthood. In the coming weeks and months, PPC will work with their partners in the legislature to advance legislation to enhance permanency services for these youth. To date, Rep. Karen Boback, Chair of the House Children and Youth Committee, has filed a co-sponsor memo to introduce the legislation that would enact these needed reforms.

With so much going on in the world of health care and beyond, it would be easy to have missed what’s happened. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC) has developed highlights of the latest on Public Charge, CMS’ proposed “Fiscal Accountability” Rule and CMS’ issued guidance on Block Grants. Additionally, PPC released new fact sheets on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment in Pennsylvania by Congressional, State Senate and State House legislative districts (the first time we’ve ever presented enrollment datPreview (opens in a new tab)a at this state level!). Read on…

Saddled with chronic health workforce shortages, widespread substance misuse and high HIV transmission rates, rural care networks – often staffed by volunteers and peer counselors – increasingly are the backbone of care delivery in small town America, HRSA Administrator Tom Engels told some 500 conference attendees at the Rockville Hilton last month.

The audience consisted of participants in three outreach programs run by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The programs have infused some $29 million in seed money into remote pockets of the country to help advocates and providers form local healthcare partnerships.

Read about the Rural Partnership Development Meeting.

It can be difficult to communicate the benefits of living and working in a rural area. Even though Pennsylvania’s rural regions are often within an hour or two of a large town or city, it’s still a commitment for a physician, dentist or other clinician to work in rural areas. EduMed.org, a web-based organization that connects students with educational opportunities, has produced the page “Why You Should Work in Rural Healthcare, and How to Thrive When You Do“ to help you tell your story and make candidates more comfortable with and accepting of working in a rural setting. Some of the articles relate to working in any underserved area.

The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program is now accepting applications through Thursday, March 12, 2020. Nurse Corps supports registered nurses (RNs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and nurse faculty by paying up to 85% of their unpaid nursing education debt. In exchange, participants serve for at least two years at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses or an eligible school of nursing in the case of nurse faculty. Before you apply, learn about application details including eligibility and service requirements in the 2020 Application and Program Guidance. Program highlights for 2020 include:

• To combat the nation’s opioid crisis, special funding has been provided for psychiatric nurse practitioners. Learn more by listening to a previously recorded webinar
• To increase the field strength of nurses that provide maternity care to women living in rural and underserved communities, there is a percentage of Nurse Corps funds dedicated to nurses specializing in women’s health

Before you apply, read the annually updated Application and Program Guidance. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of the Nurse Corps contract, which outlines the requirement for fulfilling your minimum two years of service at an eligible critical shortage facility.

National research has revealed it and rural research suggests it: over 40% of today’s physicians are burned out. This in-depth story reviews information about burnout in healthcare professions and for physicians in particular. Along with reviewing causes and impact, a medical school wellness-advocate, a researcher, and a large healthcare organization with a rural footprint shared interventions and solutions.

On January 31, 2020, the Trump the Administration released a new tool to assist rural community leaders in building an effective local response to the crisis of addiction, the Rural Community Action Guide: Building Stronger, Healthy Drug-Free Rural Communities.  The Guide was developed by the Office of the National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The purpose of the Guide is to arm rural leaders with information they can put into immediate action to create change. It provides background information, recommended action steps, and promising practices to help manage the impact of substance use disorder on local communities and help persons with the disease of addiction. The topics are based on lessons learned from Department of Agriculture rural roundtable discussions held in over a dozen states, as well as the experiences of several rural stakeholder partners.

At the launch, ONDCP Director, Jim Carroll was joined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership: the Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams; Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistance Secretary for Health; Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistance Secretary, SAMHSA; and, Brian LeClair, Deputy Administrator, HRSA.

A diversity of partners (rural and urban) contributed to the work and attended the event including: Addiction Policy Forum, American Farm Bureau Federation,  Appalachian Regional Commission, Center for Court Innovation, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Faces & Voices of Recovery,  Housing Assistance Council, National Alliance for Recovery Residences, National Association of Counties, National Association of Development Organizations, National Farmers Union, National Rural Health Association, National Sheriff’s Association, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, NTCA- The Rural Broadband Association, National Rural Transit Assistance Program, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships).

The guide complements both the Community Assessment Tool, which gives county specific data about deaths and factors which may make a community more vulnerable to addiction, and the Federal Rural Resources Guide, which includes comprehensive information about different federal funds for rural communities impacted by addiction.  The Guide also has a companion supplement, a listing of promising practices which you can find here: Rural Community Action Guide: Promising Practices.

ONDCP will be holding a series of rural roundtables to discuss the Guide.  The first one will be held in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on February 19, 2020.