- VA Announces Expansion of "Close to Me" Cancer Program as Part of the Cancer Moonshot, Bringing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Closer to Thousands of Veterans
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- 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
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- 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
Child Care Costs Exceed College Tuition in 34 States
The annual expense of child care for an infant exceeds the annual cost of in-state tuition at a public four-year university in 34 states, according to the most recent data from the Economic Policy Institute. The cost of child care can be a key influencer in decisions about entering or leaving the workforce, and especially in health care where women make up the majority of the front-line workforce (66%) and managers (59%), according to research from McKinsey. In Pennsylvania, infant care costs as a share of public college tuition are 81.5%. Average annual cost of infant care is $11,842, while Pennsylvania’s in-state tuition for four-year public college is $14,534, one of the highest tuition rates in the country. Infant care costs as a share of median family income is 17.5% with a median family income: $67,828.
Looking for Vendor Resources and Savings?
As an extension of PACHC’s benefits to health centers, we partner with Commonwealth Group Purchasing (CPG), a group purchasing organization developed by and for Community Health Centers. CPG provides vetted vendors and cost savings leveraged through group purchasing. There is a no-obligation service to help you assess your current purchasing from medical and business suppliers to current needs in telehealth and recruitment solutions. To learn more, click here or contact Julie Korick, PACHC Chief Operations and Finance Officer
Guide to Support Ambulatory Care
The Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created a guide to support ambulatory care settings of all types in the design and implementation of successful Patient-Generated Health Data (PGHD) programs. The guide is organized into six folios that help ambulatory care practices navigate the many steps from design, to launch, to maintenance of a successful, sustainable PGHD program. Learn more and access the guide. AHRQ will also be offering a webinar, Transforming Health Care Through Patient-Generated Health Data Integration, on Feb. 22, at 1:00 pm. Learn more and register
Improving Primary Care Access for Underserved
The Milbank Memorial Fund recently released a report, the Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations. This report reviews the evidence base for policies to improve primary care access, including around increasing the availability of primary care clinicians, removing financial barriers to primary care, and bringing outpatient clinics to the community.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fees Regulated
On December 14, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unexpectedly issued a letter to U.S. Senator Ron Widen (D-OR) indicating that CMS plans to use its “administrative authority to issue proposed rulemaking” addressing price concessions and direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have increasingly charged to specialty and retail pharmacy providers in Medicare and other pharmacy benefit programs in recent years. The proposed regulation was issued on January 12.
New Pocket Guides from MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center
The MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) has created several new pocket guides by Dr. Linda Frank and their regional partners which are available for download on their website. The new topics are:
- Rapid Initiation of HIV Treatment
- HIV and Medication Assisted Treatment Centers (MAT)
- Differential Diagnosis of HIV and SARS-COV-2
- Best Practices & Tips for Clinicians Providing Care for Patients with HIV via Telehealth
- Integrating Geriatric Principles into an HIV Clinic
- Workplace Burnout Guide for Health Professionals
- Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Persons with HIV
You can also find all their other pocket guides and clinical tools here.
Pennsylvania Health Department Issues Update Guidance on COVID-19 Protocols
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) issued several Health Alert Updates to reflect the most recent guidance related to COVID-19, including updates for the general population and return to work guidance for healthcare personnel.
- 616 – UPDATE: Work Restriction Issued
- 615 – 12/30/2021 – UPD – UPDATE: Isolation and Quarantine Periods for COVID-19 for the General Population
- 614 – 12/28/21 – UPD – UPDATE: Return to Work Healthcare Personnel with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19
- 613 – 12/23/21 – UPD – UPDATE: COVID-19 Treatment Options
Click here for the latest DOH Health Alerts, Advisories and Updates.
New Legislative Report Calls for Changes to Help Overcome Primary Care Physician Shortage
A new report by a Pennsylvania legislative research agency offers many recommendations to help Pennsylvania’s nine medical schools take more steps to ease a shortage of primary care doctors in the state. The report by the Joint State Government Commission looks at the training needed to become a primary care doctor and efforts by the medical schools to promote primary care as a career choice. It examines a host of issues believed to contribute to the shortage in that practice, including student debt burden, doctor burnout and low public investment in primary care. Read the report, Medical School Impact on the Primary Care Physician Shortage.
Update on Telehealth in Pennsylvania
In October, the state Senate passed SB 705 authorizing the regulation of telemedicine by professional licensing boards and providing for insurance coverage of telemedicine. Sponsored by Senator Vogel, SB 705 is now with the House of Representatives for their consideration. The bill has language that was in the previous version of the bill that led to Governor Wolf vetoing the bill last session. PACHC is not aware that any progress has been made between the House of Representatives and the Governor’s office to address the issues from last session. At this time, the House is not expected to act on this legislation. This creates a conundrum when reviewing the OMAP Telehealth Bulletin, which notes that telehealth is allowed “if permitted according to their scope of practice, licensure, or certification.” Nothing in the practice acts “permits” telehealth. The current waiver allowing for telehealth expires on March 31, 2022. There have been rumors of a possible extension of some of the waivers, such as telehealth, beyond the March 31 deadline. PACHC is working with the legislature and the administration, along with other provider groups, to try and get clarification on the future of telehealth amidst these political issues.
New Best Practice Approach Report on Teledentistry
A new CareQuest Institute and Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) Best Practice Approach Report encourages state/territorial oral health programs and stakeholders to identify community barriers to care and consider teledentistry as part of the solution. The practical Report includes guidelines and recommendations, best practice criteria, myriad resources, and several examples of teledentistry in use across the country.