A new journal article, co-authored by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, concludes that Medicaid enrollees experience higher oral cancer and throat cancer incidence, prevalence, and mortality compared with commercially insured adults. The article is based on a study that compared all cases and new cases of oral and throat cancers among approximately 38,000 Medicaid enrollees and approximately 27,000 individuals with commercial medical insurance. Researchers found that total cancer treatment costs were higher for those with commercial insurance and that cases of oral and throat cancers were lower among adults who had seen a dentist within the prior year.
Advancing Anti-Racism in Dentistry
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health recently published “Actions You Can Take to Advance Anti-Racism in Dentistry.” Racism is a public health epidemic. Across the US, there are barriers to care that have blocked people of color from receiving adequate health care for years. A recent webinar brought oral health leaders together to focus on the topic and make plans to break down barriers moving forward, including seven actions to help advance anti-racism.
Click here to read the blog.
Click here to watch the webinar recording.
Pennsylvania State Data Center News: Diversity in Pennsylvania and Census Updates
See below for updates and new reports from the Pennsylvania State Data Center.
Updates from the PA State Data Center: New Report Highlights Diversity in PA
Our new brief is the first in a series that will explore racial and ethnic diversity in Pennsylvania using data from the 2020 Census. The reports use the Diversity Index to show trends across time and geographic levels. This first brief introduces the Diversity Index, or the likelihood that two individuals chosen at random would be of differing race or Hispanic origin. Data for the nation, state, and counties are explored. Read the full report.
Updates from the Census Bureau: Poverty in the United States: 2021
The Census Bureau will announce the nation’s official poverty and Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) estimates to help understand the economic well-being of households, families, and individuals based on national poverty rates and SPM rates for the nation and states. This is the first year that official poverty and SPM estimates will be released in the same report. These estimates are based on the 2022 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Scheduled for release September 13.
2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
The 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates are scheduled to be released Thursday, September 15, 2022. These data will be available for the nation, all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, every congressional district, every metropolitan area, and all counties and places with populations of 65,000 or more. These estimates include language spoken at home, educational attainment, commute to work, employment, mortgage status and rent, as well as income, poverty, and health insurance coverage. Scheduled for release at 12:01 a.m., Thursday, September 15 (embargo subscribers can access these statistics beginning at 10 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, September 13).
New Data Tool, Data Tables and Research Paper on Young Adult Migration
The Census Bureau, in collaboration with Harvard University, today released a new interactive data tool, data tables, and research paper on young adult migration. This research uses deidentified decennial census, survey, and tax data for people born between 1984 and 1992 to measure migration between locations in childhood and young adulthood.
The data tool and data tables show commuting-zone-to-commuting-zone migration rates across the nation, broken down by race and parental income. (Commuting zones are collections of counties that serve as a measure of local labor markets). The release also includes a research paper that sheds light on these new statistics and examines how migration patterns change in response to labor market opportunities. The research paper draws upon these patterns to explore how the benefits of local labor market growth are geographically distributed across locations of childhood residence.
To access or learn more about young adult migration:
Impact of School Sealant Programs Report Released
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report, “Impact of School Sealant Programs on Oral Health Among Youth and Identification of Potential Barriers to Implementation.” This is the first study to examine children’s cavity risk and school dental sealant program impact in CDC-funded states. This study found that for every four sealants placed, one cavity is prevented. Increasing access to school sealant programs could reduce cavities, especially for children at higher risk for poor oral health.
The Public Health Workforce Needs Report Has Been Released
The 2021 Public Health Workforce Interest and Needs Survey (PH WINS), conducted by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) between September 2021 and January 2022, shows trends similar to other studies regarding the future workforce. Nearly one-third of state and local public health employees said they are considering leaving their organization in the next year and 44% said they plan to leave within five years. Initial survey findings released in March 2022 revealed high levels of stress, burnout, and intent to leave among the governmental public health workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding training needs, across seniority levels, budgeting and financial management are top areas of high day-to-day importance but low proficiency among public health professionals Read the findings of the study.
Oral Health Workforce Report Released by Pennsylvania Oral Health Coalition
PCOH has released a workforce report that finds a major decrease in dental workforce, including a staggering decrease in dental assistants. The “Access to Oral Health Workforce Report” uncovers that many Pennsylvania counties are struggling to maintain recommended worker levels. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural areas and Medicaid provider networks have seen the sharpest reductions in care providers. This will result in limited access and delayed care for Pennsylvanians, especially those in rural communities. The report also evaluates education and training programs, state tax and local income losses, the impact of COVID-19 relief programs, and dental – Health Professional Shortage Areas (d-HPSAs).
Updated Resources from Rural Health Value Announced!
The Rural Health Value team recently released two updated resources:
- Engaging Your Board and Community in Value-Based Care Conversations
Board and community engagement is critical to value-based care and payment success. Healthcare organization leaders can use Rural Health Value’s discussion questions to inspire lively board and community conversations that both enlighten participants and advance value-based care. - State Innovation Model Testing Awards: Highlighting Rural Focus
Learn about activities and early accomplishments from eleven states that used their State Innovation Model (SIM) awards from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to impact healthcare delivery in rural areas.
Related resources on the Rural Health Value website:
Catalog of Value Based Initiatives for Rural Providers
One-page summaries describe rural-relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), primarily by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).
This tool helps a rural healthcare organization assess readiness for the shift of payments from volume to value. The resulting report may be used to guide the development of action plans.
Contact information:
Clint MacKinney, MD, MS, Co-Principal Investigator; clint-mackinney@uiowa.edu
New from the RUPRI Center for Rural Policy Analysis: Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook
A new chartbook is available from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook by Hari Sharma; Lili Xu; Fred Ullrich; Clint MacKinney; Keith J. Mueller
Closure of nursing homes and hospitals with swing beds in recent years has changed the availability of post-acute and long-term care services in rural areas. This study examines the availability of post-acute and long-term care services as well as characteristics of residents and nursing homes in noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Please click here to read the brief.
Pennsylvania State Data Center Releases Updated Data, Reports
Detailed Population Estimates Released
The U.S. Census Bureau has released the 2021 Detailed Nation, State, and County Population Estimates, the final set of detailed population estimates for this vintage. The July 1, 2021 data provide estimates at the nation, state, and county level for population by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin.
To read more, visit: https://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/Data/Research-Briefs.
Post-Census Group Quarters Review Operation Launched
The U.S. Census Bureau began mailing approximately 40,000 eligible governmental units at the tribal, state, and local levels about participating in the 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review (PCGQR) operation. The 2020 PCGQR is a new, one-time operation that was created in response to public feedback received on the Count Question Resolution operation about counting group quarters’ populations during the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Group quarters are defined as places where people live or stay in a group living arrangement that is owned or managed by an organization providing housing and other services for the residents. Group quarters include such places as college residence halls, residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, military barracks, prisons, and worker dormitories. Heads of eligible governments received notice about this program which opened June 6 2022 and ends June 30, 2023.
This program is different from the Census Count Question Resolution program (CQR). For more information on this program and data for you community visit our CQR StoryMap. Contact us with any questions.
Post Enumeration Survey Results
A new Report shows Pennsylvania is 1 of 37 states that did not have estimated statistically significant undercounts or overcounts. Results of the Post Enumeration Survey were released this month identifying 14 states (or state equivalents) estimated to have had an undercount or overcount – a net coverage error statistically different from zero.
Pennsylvania had a 0.48 percent overcount (not statistically different from zero) in 2020. This is consistent with results from previous decades which showed a 0.14 percent overcount in 2010 and a 0.95 percent undercount in 2000.
Pennsylvania Municipal Population Estimates
With the release of the 2021 municipal total population estimates in May we learned a total of 702 municipalities in Pennsylvania experienced an increase in population between 2020 and 2021. A total of 111 municipalities were population neutral between 2020 and 2021 while 1,759 municipalities decline in total population.
For more details visit: https://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/Data/Research-Briefs.
New Policy Brief Released: Supporting Critical Access Hospital Staff During COVID-19
The Flex Monitoring Team has released a new policy brief, Supporting Critical Access Hospital Staff during COVID-19.
This brief highlights initiatives in three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Illinois and North Dakota to help support their staff in the areas of child care, stress and well-being, and work flexibility as described in interviews with the Flex Monitoring Team. These examples may be useful for CAHs and State Flex Programs interested in starting similar initiatives. The brief also includes appendices of other initiatives supporting hospital staff and resiliency resources for CAHs.