The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has announced a new program, building on the impact of the Naloxone for First Responders Program (NFRP). The new program—the PA Overdose Prevention Program—will serve as a “one-stop-shop” for individuals and organizations seeking multiple formulations of naloxone and related harm reduction supplies, including fentanyl and xylazine test strips. It will also serve as a clearinghouse for information, training, and technical assistance to help groups involved in harm reduction work and others on the front lines of Pennsylvania’s evolving overdose crisis. Like the NFRP, the PA Overdose Prevention Program will focus on getting naloxone and harm reduction supplies into the hands of people who use drugs and those who serve and support them. Read more about the initiative.

 As pandemic-era protections for Medicaid coverage end, the Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services created materials and resources to help people with Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) take steps to renew their health coverage or find other coverage options. Education and early education professionals can use this toolkit to reach parents and families about what is happening right now with Medicaid and CHIP, and community groups are encouraged to use this slide deck and talking points for outreach.

HRSA curated a packet of training and TA materials for health centers that want to develop processes for improving service delivery and outcomes for children and adolescents. The materials relate to telehealth, food insecurity, mental and behavioral health, oral health, and staffing shortages and retention.

Kindergarten vaccination coverage in the United States is the lowest it has been in decades, placing children and their communities at risk for preventable disease outbreaks. The Public Health Foundation, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed an actionable toolkit containing evidence-based strategies, tools, and resources to support and address routine vaccination catch-up. Share and review the toolkit with your education partners.

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis, and Muffy Mendoza from Brown Mamas talk about efforts in Pennsylvania to improve Black maternal health. Watch the video here.

With premiums and deductibles outpacing income growth over the past decade, employer health plans are failing to protect many older adults from health costs or ensure access to affordable care, a new Commonwealth Fund study shows. Large shares of adults ages 50 to 64 in these plans, especially people with low or moderate income, can’t afford needed care and struggle to pay their medical bills. Learn what policymakers can do to expand coverage options for people in this age group. Read more.

The latest feature article in the Rural Health Information Hub’s Rural Monitor features Project Swaddle, a community paramedic program that provides education, support, and medical care to pregnant and postpartum patients in rural Indiana.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) expects a $7.5 million investment in regional centers of excellence for training and technical assistance specific to rural communities. Estimated Post Date February 2024.

In this proposed rule, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury propose several updates to strengthen the Mental Health Parity and Addition Equity Act of 2008 and better ensure that people seeking coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care can access treatment as easily as people seeking coverage for medical treatments. In addition, this rule seeks public input on ways to improve the coverage of mental health and SUD benefits through other provisions of Federal law.  Sixty percent of rural Americans live in mental health professional shortage areas. Non-metro adults were more likely than metro adults (43.7% vs. 34.5%) to see a general practitioner or family doctor, as opposed to a mental health specialist for depressive symptoms, and among non-metro adults with depression, fewer than 20% received treatment from a mental health professional. Comments are due by October 2, 2023.

 These case studies from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center profile two national organizations doing unique work in the area of rural postpartum health: MomMoodBooster and Pack Health. Both organizations aim to improve postpartum mental health through online content delivery combined with peer coaching support. These may serve as examples to others considering this work.