The 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey results were released in December 2019. Tracking annual drug use and attitudes among 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students, the survey noted encouraging trends such as prescription opioid misuse among teens continuing to decline and cigarette use down by approx. 20-30 percent compared to the mid- 1990’s. However, survey results show a continued dramatic increase in vaping.  Learn more and view the infographics here.

The State Health Assessment (SHA), originally published in 2013, reports on the health status of the population in Pennsylvania including factors that contribute to health issues, specific populations most impacted, and resources that can be mobilized to address population health improvement. During the past year, three sections were updated to show current health indicators and identifying trends that affect public health. The new sections, along with an updated introduction, can be found at the SHA web page.

The 2019 updates are:

• Major Risks and Protective Factors
• Maternal and Child Health
• Health Care Services

Updates from the Health Care Services section of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s State Health Assessment (SHA) include information on health insurance coverage in the state. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Expanded Medicaid took effect in Pennsylvania on January 1, 2015.

According to the Pennsylvania Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey results, the percentage of Pennsylvania residents reporting no health care coverage has decreased significantly since the act’s passage. Currently, nine percent of Pennsylvanians between 18 and 64 years old are uninsured. The highest rates of uninsured are among residents age 18 to 29, those with a high school education or less, those with family incomes below $25,000 annually, and black and Hispanic residents. Regionally, the highest rates of uninsured are in the northeast in Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe counites; southcentral in Fulton, Franklin and Adams counties; and Philadelphia.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has developed a set of questions and answers to address key health and health care disparities.   Click here to access the Executive Summary.

This resource assesses the economic, institutional, and social aspects of prosperity across the United States over the past decade. It features state-by-state breakdown of prosperity increases and decreases, and it examines 11 pillars of prosperity, made up of 48 different elements, measured by over 200 state-level indicators. It includes rural broadband access information for some states. Learn more here.

This resource establishes safety goals and practices for suicide prevention in Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. This 2019 update highlights specific requirements for accredited Critical Access Hospitals. Read more here.

This report highlights the results of a survey of National Council on Aging (NCOA) grantees and partners on the effect of the opioid epidemic on older adults. It details the percentage of respondents from rural areas and offers recommendations and resources to address the epidemic among the aging population. Read more here.

This report examines the relationship of rural and urban middle-aged and older adults with one or more chronic conditions who travel long distances to receive medical care, and their utilization of programs focused on prevention and chronic disease management. Participants from 9 counties in central Texas responded to health assessment surveys regarding their number of doctor’s visits within the previous year, distance to receive medical care, residential status, and other personal characteristics. Read more here.