- 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
Thriving PA Releases State and County WIC Fact Sheets
Children need access to quality nutrition to build a healthy foundation for lifelong well-being. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides access to healthy nutrition for infants, toddlers, and pregnant and postpartum women.
Unfortunately, only 56% of eligible Pennsylvania children and families participate in the program. Thriving PA’s newly-released state and county fact sheets show WIC coverage rates in the program. With children up to age five accounting for 78% of participation, ensuring every eligible family can access the program and receive the nutritional support needed for their household is essential.
Through modernization efforts—like moving to an online Smart Card used to access benefits and permanently implementing telehealth policies—Pennsylvania can make the program more accessible to families. Other benefits of the WIC program include reducing household food insecurity and incidences of preterm births and low birth weights, improving diet quality, and improving access to health care and social services.
Thriving PA continues to advocate for increased participation and program improvements that are decades overdue. Learn more at www.thrivingpa.org.
Chive to Thrive: Thriving PA Delivers Chives to Legislators to Bring Awareness to Maternal and Child Health Needs
Thriving PA, a non-partisan, statewide advocacy campaign seeking to improve the quality of and increase access to a coordinated system of health supports, took to the Capitol last week to bring more awareness to and encourage support of policies to strengthen perinatal and children’s health across the commonwealth.
The delivery of chive plants to legislators aligned with a critical advocacy week, Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, and teased an upcoming report Thriving PA will release this summer that surveyed birthing people in Pennsylvania. Early analysis of survey results shows that 76% of respondents felt they needed care for their mental health.
The campaign also convened focus groups about the lack of access to maternal mental health supports. Maternal mental health disorders are the number one complication of childbearing and a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. Currently, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. Thriving PA advocates for access to the health resources and supports needed to give birth to and raise children safely.
PA Partnerships for Children Updates Child Care Online Mapping Tool
Every child deserves an equal opportunity for quality early care and education to prepare them to learn, grow and succeed. Use our recently released interactive child care maps created for the Start Strong PA campaign to access data by congressional district, state house or senate district, school district or county.
These maps show the percentage of children under five participating in the Child Care Works subsidized child care program who are NOT receiving care in a high-quality program. Specifically, statewide data shows of the 180,480 children under age 5 living in families eligible for the CCW subsidy program, only 25% are receiving assistance to pay for child care. Only 45% are in high-quality child care.
During National Foster Care Month, Fostering Youth Transitions Report Released
May is National Foster Care Month, where we should take an opportunity to honor those in out-of-home placement and the individuals who support them. In 2021, 20,490 children and youth were placed in the foster care system—many who were unable to safely remain in the homes of their parents or caregivers and others who could’ve stayed in their home communities with community-based services.
We recognize and thank the kinship caregivers and foster parents who have stepped up to care for them. We acknowledge biological parents and caregivers working tirelessly to mitigate the risk and safety concerns that lead to placement. We also thank the caseworkers, providers and advocates on the front lines daily, ensuring that foster children grow, thrive and achieve permanency.
To further highlight the child welfare system in May, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy. Transition age youth are foster children ages 14 and older who are in or exiting the system to adulthood. This population has poorer outcomes compared to their peers in the general population. The report notes that although the number of teenagers and young adults in foster care has decreased by 45% nationally over the past 15 years, systems are falling short of delivering services to those who are in care.
Read PPC’s press release on the report noting Pennsylvania-specific data and policy recommendations.
Axios PA interviewed PPC Policy Director Rachael Miller about the report.
Report Addresses Oral Health Needs of Hispanics in the U.S.
The Hispanic Dental Association and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health released a white paper identifying key policies to improve oral health and reduce inequalities among Hispanics in the United States. The report also analyzes the use of dental services and evaluates Hispanic representation within the dental workforce.
PA Broadband Authority Requests Feedback on Grant Guidlines
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority will release grant program guidelines and open its application period for a $45 million Pennsylvania Multi-Purpose Community Facility Program (Program), a competitive grant program that is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act’s Capital Projects Fund. The Program will target capital assets to include, but not limited to, community anchor institutions such as schools, libraries, recreation centers, community health centers, and other non-profit organization buildings owned or operated by units of local government.
As the Authority finalizes program guidelines, it is requesting feedback on a few items where U.S. Treasury has provided flexibility: match requirements, maximum award amount, and the minimum number of applications that should be awarded. The public comment period for the Pennsylvania Multi-Purpose Community Facility Program is now open. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to provide feedback to help inform the creation of the guidelines.
Please submit feedback by Wednesday, May 24.
Telehealth Providers Cheer DEA Move to Temporarily Extend Virtual Prescribing Flexibilities
From Fierce Healthcare
Facing major backlash to its proposed rules released in February, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is looking to buy some time to reconsider whether it should enforce stricter limits around the prescribing of controlled substances via telehealth.
The Biden administration said at the time that the new rule seeks to provide safeguards to prevent online over-prescribing of controlled medications. Teleprescribing has been touted as a robust tool for bringing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) to rural areas in the ongoing treatment of the opioid epidemic.
The agency received a record 38,000 comments on its proposed telemedicine rules, according to a statement from DEA Administrator Anne Milgram issued Wednesday.
“We take those comments seriously and are considering them carefully. We recognize the importance of telemedicine in providing Americans with access to needed medications, and we have decided to extend the current flexibilities while we work to find a way forward to give Americans that access with appropriate safeguards,” Milgram said.
The DEA filed a draft temporary rule with the Office of Management and Budget titled “Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications.”
Milgram said further details about the rule will become public after its full publication in the Federal Register.
The DEA issued proposed rules three months ago that would reinstate strict limitations on the virtual prescribing of controlled substances and would roll back telehealth flexibilities extended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed rules would once again require patients to be evaluated in person by a doctor to receive prescriptions for some controlled substances (PDF) including stimulants like Adderall and opioids such as oxycodone and buprenorphine used to treat opioid use disorder.
Provider groups, telehealth advocates and patients submitted comments largely panning the proposal, arguing that it would create barriers to care.
Pennsylvania Health Law Project Releases Impact Report
The Pennsylvania Health Law Project is excited to share our latest Impact Report highlighting the achievements of our staff over the first few months of 2023. Without the support our donors, wey would not have been able to accomplish what we did last quarter.
This year marks our 30th anniversary of incorporation as a nonprofit, and we started the year off with a bang! During the first quarter of 2023, PHLP staff provided free legal services to nearly 400 clients and provided over 5,000 hours of legal assistance to Pennsylvanians from across the state.
In the Report, read about our case work and the clients we serve, client spotlights, responses from our client satisfaction surveys, honors and awards our staff received, and policy highlights showcasing our work from the last quarter.
We are so proud of the work we do here at PHLP, and we can’t wait for you to take a look at what we accomplished so far this year. We look forward to coming together to mark our 30th anniversary with our colleagues, friends, and supporters. Stay tuned for exciting updates about our anniversary celebrations later this year.
Show Your Appreciation to Pennsylvania Water Operators!
When was the last time you thanked the water operators in your community for delivering safe water to your home? Tap water is something that many take for granted and we don’t often think of who was involved in making that happen. Regardless of the fluoridation status of your water system, water operators do an essential job of providing you and your family with safe drinking water.
PCOH is encouraging groups to thank water systems for delivering safe drinking water to homes, schools, restaurants, and businesses.
The “Water Operator Thank You Campaign” would be an ideal activity for community groups such as boards, homeowner associations, rotary clubs, church and youth groups, scouts, 4-H chapters, parent-teacher associations, sports teams, health clubs, and recreational leagues. If you are interested in participating, PCOH will provide you with blank thank you notes, envelopes, and a prepaid envelope to return your notes back to us. From there, we will address your note and send it on to your water system. Thank you for taking the time to show your appreciation for our PA water operators!
Click here for more information.
Click here to request thank you campaign materials.
New Brief Released: Pediatric Oral Health in Rural America
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Research and Policy Center published a new brief, “Hidden Crisis: Pediatric Oral Health in Rural America.” The brief brings to light some of the challenges faced by children and families accessing dental care. It proposes actions that hold promise for improving the oral health of America’s rural children, recognizing that the most effective approaches will be structured around the unique assets and needs of each community and involve many
stakeholders working together.
New Affordable Connectivity Program Application Landing Page Launched at GetInternet.gov
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is announcing a new Affordable Connectivity Program landing page at GetInternet.gov. The transition of GetInternet.gov to the new landing page occurred on the evening of May 3. AffordableConnectivity.gov will continue to exist as a resource for consumers and digital navigators and contain more detailed information about the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The FCC continues its efforts to promote the Affordable Connectivity Program by providing grants to community partners, providing additional support for navigators who help eligible consumers enroll, and developing paid and earned media strategies to increase public awareness.
The FCC chose to utilize GetInternet.gov as the URL for consumer information and advertising about the Affordable Connectivity Program because it is simple and memorable, communicates what the program is about, serves as a call to action for eligible consumers, and links consumers directly to the application. The information previously available at GetInternet.gov will continue to be available by accessing whitehouse.gov/getinternet.
Questions?
Further questions regarding today’s announcement can be directed to Jamile Kadre at Jamile.Kadre@fcc.gov.
For general Affordable Connectivity Program questions, please contact ACPinfo@fcc.gov.