- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
- Minnesota's Rural Ambulance Providers Look to State Capitol for Their Own Lifeline
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Support the Primary Care Workforce
- Over 3,000 Homes on the Navajo Nation Receive Accurate Addresses for the First Time
- Rural Population Grows for Second Consecutive Year
- Rapides Library Offers Telehealth to a Town Without Doctors
Pennsylvania Department of Health Launches COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard
The Pennsylvania Department of Health launched an online early warning monitoring dashboard that provides information statewide and county COVID-19 prevalence to track increases in disease in the community on a weekly basis.
“This dashboard provides the entire community with early warning to changes in COVID-19 infection so that we can take action to prevent spread,” Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Recent increases in COVID-19 cases in parts of the state have shown the need for Pennsylvanians to continue to take simple steps to prevent the spread of this virus. Wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, maintain social distancing and stay home if you are sick.”
The dashboard shows data points being used to assess the spread of the virus in the state and in each county, including:
- Difference in confirmed cases (last 7 days vs. previous 7 days);
- Incidence rate (last 7 days and previous 7 days) per 100,000 residents;
- PCR positivity rate (last 7 days and previous 7 days);
- Difference in the average daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the last 7 days and the previous 7 days;
- Difference in the average daily number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators in the last 7 days and previous 7 days; and
- Percent of hospital emergency department visits in the last 7 days and previous 7 days due to COVID-like-illness (CLI).
The dashboard will be updated on a weekly basis to assist in providing information regarding the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Governor’s Administration Announces $4.2 Million to Support Agricultural Projects in Five Counties
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) announced the approval of 13 agricultural projects being funded through the First Industries Fund (FIF). These projects, located in five counties, will help existing farms expand their operations, bring in additional revenue, and transition agribusinesses to the next generation of farmers.
The press release can be found here.
Pennsylvania Invites Farmers to Take Survey to Better Understand Where Improvements Can be Made
The Natural Resources Conservation Service-PA is inviting farmers and forestland owners to fill out a new survey to help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed, specifically at the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency.
The survey consists of 20 questions and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Responses are confidential, and individual responses will be aggregated.
The survey will be open for at least six weeks and will be closed once USDA receives a 30 percent response rate.
Click Here to take the survey and learn more.
Pennsylvania Governor’s Administration Grants Hazard Pay to Front-Line Workers in Life-Sustaining Industries
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the recipients of $50 million in grants to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this reimbursement-based grant is available to employers offering hazard pay during the eligible program period and will be administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).
The total list of recipients can be seen here.
Pennsylvania Governor’s Administration Grants Hazard Pay to Front-Line Workers in Life-Sustaining Industries
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the recipients of $50 million in grants to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this reimbursement-based grant is available to employers offering hazard pay during the eligible program period and will be administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).
The total list of recipients can be seen here.
New USDA Survey to Measure Areas for Improvement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new annual survey of farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners. The survey will help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed, specifically at the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
This survey is part of the President’s Management Agenda. It requires High Impact Service Provider agencies across the federal government, including FSA and NRCS, to conduct annual surveys to measure and respond to areas needing improvement.
The survey consists of 20 questions and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Responses are confidential, and individual responses will be aggregated. The survey will be open for at least six weeks and will be closed once USDA receives a 30% response rate.
A selection of 28,000 producers will receive the survey over the next few weeks, but all farmers are encouraged to take the survey at farmers.gov/survey.
USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Costs for Organic Certification
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that organic producers and handlers can apply for federal funds to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic certification through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Applications for eligible certification expenses paid between Oct. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2020, are due Oct. 31, 2020.
OCCSP provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Eligible producers include any certified producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent. Eligible expenses for cost-share reimbursement include application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, travel expenses for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage.
To apply through FSA, you can find an FSA county office near you with the Service Center Locator. The FSA OCCSP application form is available at USDA’s eForms site, by selecting “Browse forms” and entering “OCCSP” in the “title or keywords” field on the search page.
State agencies may apply to administer OCCSP for 2020 through Grants.gov (Opportunity numbers USDA-FSA-SND-NOCCSP-2020 and USDA-FSA-SND-AMA-2020).
Pennsylvania’s Governor Announces $96 Million for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that $96 million in state grants have been awarded to 4,933 Pennsylvania small businesses that were impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis and subsequent business closure order.
Businesses in every Pennsylvania county received grants in this first of two rounds of funding, and 2,512 grants – or 51 percent – were awarded to historically disadvantaged businesses.
“As we continue to address this public health crisis, it’s critical that we also focus on our state’s economic recovery and supporting our small businesses across the state, which continue to be impacted by our necessary mitigation efforts,” Gov. Wolf said. “This funding will go a long way to help small businesses, including historically disadvantaged businesses, at a time when they need it most.”
The COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance funding was developed in partnership with state lawmakers and allocated through the state budget, which included $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which $225 million was earmarked for relief for small businesses.
The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) distributed the funds to the Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which are administering the grants through three programs: $100 million for the Main Street Business Revitalization Program, $100 million for the Historically Disadvantaged Business Revitalization Program, and $25 million for the Loan Payment Deferment and Loss Reserve Program.
“The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly affected small businesses across the commonwealth, an unfortunate circumstance that could not have been predicted or prepared for,” said DCED Secretary Dennis Davin. “However, through the collective action of the Wolf Administration, the General Assembly, and the CDFI Network, Pennsylvania’s hardest hit and most at-risk businesses will be able to access the funding they need to shore up their resources and regain sound financial footing as we move into recovery.”
The second and final round of funding is open starting today through 11:59 PM on Friday, August 28. Eligible applicants not awarded in the first round do not need to reapply and will be rolled into the next round for consideration. More information on the COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance Program, including how to apply, is available on DCED’s website.
“The PA CDFI Network targeted these funds to reach the smallest and most vulnerable businesses across the state and we received an immense response with close to 50,000 applications submitted in the first round and more than $860 million in total requests,” said Daniel Betancourt, chairman of the PA CDFI Network and President & CEO of Community First Fund. “We are grateful to be part of this first step with Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Legislature to get much needed resources to the small businesses that have been so adversely impacted by the pandemic.”
The grants may be used to cover operating expenses during the shutdown and transition to re-opening, and for technical assistance including training and guidance for business owners as they stabilize and relaunch their businesses.
CHART Model Overview Webinar
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a webinar on August 18, 2020 to provide an overview of the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. The CHART Model will test whether upfront investments, predictable capitated payments, and operational and regulatory flexibilities will enable rural health care providers to improve access to high quality care while reducing health care costs. During the session, the CHART Model team will present on key aspects of the Model, including its objectives, eligible participants and their roles, payment options, and timeline. The forum will also provide an opportunity for potential applicants to ask the CHART team questions regarding these topics. Following the event, presentation materials will be available on the CHART Model webpage (innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/chart-model).
August 18, 2020; 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET
2020 STARS Standards Released by Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released an announcement regarding the 2020 Keystone Stars Performance Standards and 2020 Keystone STARS Program Manual. The newly updated standards and manual will replace the previous Keystone STARS Standards, which were released in 2018. OCDEL worked with many stakeholders to review the Keystone STARS quality indicators to inform changes to the standards, and is providing additional resources to help support programs on using them effectively.
Further, the announcement makes changes to the Program Quality Assessment (PQA) within Keystone STARS due to the COVID-19 pandemic. OCDEL will temporarily change the Keystone STARS requirement for PQA for all STAR 3 & 4 programs, or those seeking to more to a STAR 3 or 4 designation, to have an external PQA using either Environment Rating Scales (ERS) or CLASS and meet the minimum threshold scores for each STAR level. In its place, an internal assessment process will be required.
OCDEL will be releasing a recorded webinar with further information for providers next week, which will provide an overview of the 2020 Keystone STARS Performance Standards.