The PA Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) recently published a press release relating to a new large-scale U.S. study published in Science Advances that offers important clarity on the safety of fluoride in drinking water. The study found that children exposed to recommended levels of fluoride in municipal water experienced no negative effects on brain development, and in some cases, it showed modest improvements in cognitive performance during adolescence.
Hershey Trauma, Readiness, Education and Training Program immerses National Guard members in real-world medical scenarios to enhance deployment readiness
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has been designated as the third National Guard Training Center in the United States, and the only program on the East Coast, offering specialized trauma and deployment skills training through the Hershey Trauma, Readiness, Education and Training Program.
Designed to prepare National Guard members for deployment by immersing them in real-world medical scenarios, the program enhances their ability to provide critical care under pressure. Participants will train alongside staff in Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma Center, gaining hands-on experience in advanced medical techniques and procedures.
“We are honored to play a role in equipping National Guard members with the skills they need to respond effectively in emergencies and combat zones,” said Don McKenna, president of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “Our expertise in trauma care, combined with a shared commitment to community service, makes this partnership a perfect fit to support the readiness and effectiveness of the National Guard.”
The first cohort begins on Jan. 27 with three participants and will conclude on Feb. 7. Classes are open to National Guard members nationwide serving as medics or nurses and can accommodate up to 10 participants. The two-week course includes rotations in clinical trauma, surgical intensive care, neurological intensive care, and emergency medical services through Penn State Health Life Lion and concludes with a capstone mass casualty simulation event.
“Trauma training is a critical part of ensuring the readiness of military medical providers for combat casualty care,” said Maj. Gen. Lisa Hou, director, Office of the Joint Surgeon General, National Guard Bureau. “We are excited to expand the opportunities for our National Guard providers to participate in premier trauma training at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, the only Level 1 trauma center for both children and adults in Pennsylvania.”
Increasing colorectal cancer screening rates among communities with the greatest need is the goal of a five-year, $4.2 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to Penn State College of Medicine. The award marks the first time an institution in the commonwealth has received funding from the CDC to support colorectal cancer screening in rural and underserved communities, underscoring the urgency of the challenge.
“Increasing access to colorectal cancer screening will save lives. This award allows us to support providers across Pennsylvania in learning from one another, scaling what works and offering patients in both rural and urban communities a full range of effective screening options,” said Fornessa T. Randal, principal investigator of the grant, director of the Center for Advancing Health Equity in Rural and Underserved Communities, associate professor of medicine and public health sciences, and associate director of Research Excellence and Health Systems Engagement at the Penn State Cancer Institute.
A statewide need
Despite being highly preventable through early screening and detection, colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. In Pennsylvania, data from the CDC show that many counties, particularly those with rural populations, fall well below national screening thresholds.
Many of these communities are “screening deserts,” where barriers such as cost, transportation and access to providers contribute to persistently low participation in recommended colorectal cancer screenings. Even if a person accesses a screening in one of these areas, it can be challenging to connect to follow-up care after a positive screening test, explained Karen Kim, dean of the Penn State College of Medicine and member of project leadership team, especially in rural communities where there may be limited access to specialty care.
“This award recognizes both the disparities in colorectal cancer screening across Pennsylvania and our commitment as a land-grant institution to serve all communities of the commonwealth,” Kim said. “It affirms that our state not only needs this support, but also that the College of Medicine is uniquely positioned to translate this program into action, improving health for generations.”
Implementation science and system-level change
The new grant will establish the Pennsylvania Colorectal Cancer Alliance to Reduce Mortality and Enhance Screening (PA-CARES), a partnership between public health and health systems. PA-CARES partners include Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State Health, Broad Top Area Medical Center, Keystone Rural Health Center and Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The framework for PA-CARES is built on a network approach, connecting and leveraging the strength and resources of collaborating organizations. The program is designed not only to increase individual screenings but to change how health systems, both urban and rural, embed evidence-based screening practices into everyday operations.
Beginning this fall, PA-CARES will work with Federally Qualified Health Centers, community-based primary care clinics and community-based organizations in 28 Pennsylvania counties with the lowest screening rates to implement evidence-based screening practices. These organizations are trusted organizations that are grounded in the community and who have established relationships with residents, which Randal said may encourage more people to get screened.
PA-CARES will also establish a referral network with each health system to facilitate timely linkage to care, including follow-up diagnostic colonosopy and cancer treatment. Community-based organizations also provide a wide range of social services that can address the main barriers to screening and follow-up care, such as insurance, transportation and childcare.
This work described in this story is supported by CDC grant 1 NU58DP007983-01-00.
Several states’ RHTP plans have been publicized, allowing rural health stakeholders to track and compare their own state’s efforts. To help with this process, KFF Health News recently published an interactive map that tracks what is known about each state’s RHTP application documents.
The Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (ACRI) hosted the 25th annual capstone research symposium, bringing together 100 students from 13 Appalachian colleges and universities to share field-based research focused on local and regional economic development.
Organized by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University, participating schools offer a for-credit seminar where students develop projects designed to address the needs of their communities and align with ARC’s investment priorities.
Since 2001, more than 3,200 college and graduate students have participated in ACRI, many of whom now work in community and economic development roles across Appalachia.
Thank you to our 2025 ACRI participants:
Learn more about ACRI and our academies and institutes.
Applications Open for 2026 ACRI Participants
Applications are now open for the 2026 program. Colleges and universities interested in participating can review the notice of solicitation for applications (NOSA). Applications are due April 10, 2026.
From Becker’s Hospital Review
Forbes launched an inaugural quality ranking of U.S. general acute care hospitals Dec. 4, which analyzes data on outcomes, best practices, value and patient experience.
The media company said its list, “Forbes Top Hospitals 2026,” differs from other hospital rankings and ratings in three key ways. First, the primary quality measures derive from CMS’ Provider Data Catalog; second, the methodology places the most weight on clinical outcomes, including mortality and readmission rates; and third, clinical outcomes are statistically adjusted for social drivers of health.
Forbes assigned a star rating, from one to five, across four categories to calculate a hospital’s overall score. The outcome category included 25 publicly reported measures, such as “surgical site infection after colon surgery” and “30-day readmission after discharge,” according to Forbes. Best practices had 10 measures, value had seven and patient experience had 14.
Outcomes carried a 55% weight in the overall calculation, followed by best practices (20%), value (15%) and patient experience (10%). Based on this criteria, Forbes recognized 253 hospitals with an overall five-star rating.
Pennsylvania’s hospitals include:
Pennsylvania’s charitable food network and our agricultural community are vital to keeping our neighbors and communities fed. Gov. Shapiro’s 2025–26 budget delivers major investments to combat hunger, strengthen the charitable food network, and support Pennsylvania farmers.
The budget includes a historic $11 million increase for food security, including:
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has released a new calculator for Pennsylvanians to gauge how much money they will get from the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit. Using the same factors as the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, the calculator provides another tool for Pennsylvanians going into tax season.
This tax credit was introduced in the 2025-26 State Budget for working class families with $193 million being spent on the program.
More information on the calculator and the tax credit can be found here.
On December 2, 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) issued Bulletin 99-25-08 to advise providers that the Medical Assistance (MA) Program is committed to protecting Pennsylvania’s MA beneficiaries through immunizations.
The bulletin also affirms that the MA Program Fee Schedule covers vaccine administration of all evidence-based vaccines recommended and endorsed by nationally recognized medical associations such as, but not limited to, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), in addition to those recommended by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
The American Hospital Association (AHA), the Maine Hospital Association, and four safety-net health systems from across the country filed a lawsuit on Dec. 1 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine to challenge the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program. The AHA and its co-plaintiffs are seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the rebate program from going into effect January 1, 2026.
