In 2019, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began supporting research on treatment for opioid use disorder in criminal justice settings.  The Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) studies the effectiveness of new medications and other interventions as part of the NIH HEAL Initiative – Helping to End Addiction Long-Term. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks the impact on rural areas: from 1999 to 2019,  the rate of drug overdose deaths in rural counties increased from 4.0 per 100,000 to 19.6.  To show the government’s response and ongoing work, JCOIN created an interactive map of federal and state funding invested in this work nationwide.

Researchers studied more than 100,000 patient visits at a primary care clinic in West Virginia between January 2019 and November 2020.  The sample included 13,013 telemedicine visits to compare patient use and completion rates with in-person visits.

The Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program uses a networking model to improve outcomes for mothers and infants.  The first grantee cohort, funded in 2019, included networks in Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas that provided prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care to 3,101 rural mothers.  Grantees say that hiring patient navigators emerged as an early success strategy, and each of the networks laid the groundwork for expanded telehealth.  More details about the grantees’ successes and challenges can be found in the full report.

Transgender women are among the priority populations in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy because of the disproportionate impact of HIV they experience. Three recent resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) are focused on HIV prevention and care in transgender communities. Click here to access the documents.

In observance of Asthma Awareness Month, the Pennsylvania Asthma Partnership, a critical part of the Pennsylvania Asthma Control Program, is announcing the publication of a new Asthma Strategic Plan. The plan contains four goals and multiple related objectives to improve the reach, quality, effectiveness, and sustainability of asthma control services and to reduce asthma morbidity, mortality, and disparities. Check out the plan on the Department of Health website. For questions, additional information, or to inquire about getting involved in the Pennsylvania Asthma Partnership, click here.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has information and resources for families seeking formulas during the shortage. These materials are available in multiple languages. The Information for Families during the Formula Shortage website contains a comprehensive list of resources and guidance. The Baby Formula Shortage Social Media Toolkit provides graphics and messaging to direct families in need to the HHS site and offer resources to find infant formula, as well as providing guidance and best practices.

Axios reports that the ultra-high-pressure U.S. job market may finally be starting to release a little steam. Job numbers for May show that an overly healthy job market – with many more jobs than available or skilled candidates – seems to be moving toward a more balanced state. Employers added 390,000 jobs in May, the U.S. Department of Labor said the lowest job growth in a year. Policymakers at the Federal Reserve and in the Biden administration want to see a labor market that is still healthy but cools from its red-hot levels seen earlier in the year, which tend to fuel higher inflation. See the data from the May jobs report.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) offers resources on how to integrate community health workers (CHWs) into public health practices and build an infrastructure for CHW workforce development. This includes exploring financing options and certification. ASTHO also offers webinars on leadership for CHWs that focus on the importance of this role in Community Health Centers and other healthcare organizations. Review ASTHO’s resources for CHWs.

The ways Community Health Centers are serving low-income communities during the COVID-19 pandemic are highlighted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in a new issue brief. Community health centers have seen a rise in patients seeking non-medical services such as housing, food, nutrition, and transportation during the pandemic and have added new mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services in response to growing needs. More than half of the health centers that responded to the survey said that, amid the economic disruption of the pandemic, more patients are seeking social and supportive services that complement primary care.

A three-digit phone number—988—will debut in July in Pennsylvania as well as across the nation. The new number, seeking to replicate the success of the easy-to-remember 911 emergency number—will route to the crisis centers that currently respond to calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which now operates at 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). A goal is to change the conversation around suicide, a leading cause of death, and reduce the stigma around seeking help for mental illness. The hotline will go live on July 16.