The dashboard created and managed by the Bureau of Health Workforce at HRSA shows the pipeline of clinicians in training through its Nurse Corps Scholarship and National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship and Student to Service Programs. Users can download data and/or view state-by-state information on an interactive map showing clinicians and trainees by NHSC program, discipline, and more.
HHS Releases Healthcare Cybersecurity Strategy
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a concept paper outlining the Department’s cybersecurity strategy for the health care sector. Cyber incidents in health care are on the rise and have led to extended care disruptions, patient diversions to other facilities, and delayed medical procedures, all putting patient safety at risk. Although FORHP-funded research from the University of Minnesota identified lower rates of ransomware attacks in rural areas, many rural hospitals are less equipped to handle these attacks due to a shortage of IT personnel in rural areas and smaller budgets for cybersecurity infrastructure. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s website offers tools and resources for healthcare facilities, including small facilities and low-resource hospitals, to protect themselves from cyber attacks.
Report Highlights Rural-Urban Disparities in Medicare
Research funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services evaluated the rural-urban comparisons in quality of health care in the Medicare program, and how quality and outcome varies by race and ethnicity. The analysis found that, overall, people with Medicare living in rural areas had results that were below the national average for the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems (CAHPS) survey scores for about 20 percent of all clinical care measures examined with rural residents. These scores were consistently below the national average on measures of behavioral health. The analysis also displayed noteworthy variation in racial and ethnic differences when looking separately within rural and urban areas. For example, CAHPS scores for Hispanic people with Medicare living in rural areas were generally below the national average for all people with Medicare living in rural areas, while scores for Hispanic people with Medicare living in urban areas were generally like the national average for all people with Medicare living in urban areas. These patterns applied to people with both Medicare Advantage and Medicare fee-for-service coverage.
CMS Announces New Residency Slots for Underserved Communities
This is the second round of new Medicare funding for residency positions to train physicians in highest need areas, prioritized by Health Professional Shortage Area scores. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the first round last winter, kicking off a five-year process legislated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to distribute 200 new residency slots each year. This week, researchers at the FORHP-supported program that helps hospitals plan and develop rural residencies released analysis of the 99 hospitals that were awarded in this round to determine rural location of physician placements – whether sites were rural as defined by CMS or by FORHP – and the time they are required to train in these locations. They found only three programs training their residents for 50 percent of the time or greater in a CMS or FORHP rurally located area. Next month, the FORHP-supported RuralGME.org will be joined by CMS representatives to co-host a webinar to help rural hospitals understand how to apply for round three, expected to open in January.
Pennsylvania Digital Equity Plan Summary Now Available in Seven Languages
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority has made available seven (7) translated versions of the Statewide Digital Equity Plan, Executive Summary. These resources can be found on the same Digital Equity Act webpage where the processes for public comment and additional resources are listed.
2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Released
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the results of their 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and a companion infographic report (PDF). Findings include that more than 23% of adults aged 18 or older had any mental illness in the past year (59.3 million), with 6% suffering from serious mental illness (15.4 million). Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, nearly 20% (4.8 million) had a major depressive episode in the past year.
Reimagining Primary Care
It’s getting tough to get a doctor’s appointment these days. That’s a frustration for patients and a policy challenge Washington is trying to solve. Both Congress and the Biden administration are reimagining primary care to better serve patients. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate panel responsible for the nation’s health care, has proposed legislation with Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall that envisions a system in which more people would receive care at community health centers. Read more.
2022 Saw Increase in Number of Uninsured Children in Pennsylvania
The number of uninsured children in the state increased from 2021 to 2022, according to a report by the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. The rate of children in Pennsylvania without health insurance increased significantly from 4.4% to 5.2%, despite Medicaid enrollees having uninterrupted access to health insurance that connects them to doctor visits, immunizations, and well-visits that screen for physical and mental health. The finding was included in the partnership’s State of Children’s Health report. Based on the data, Pennsylvania has the fifth highest number of uninsured children in the nation. Learn more.
2022 ACS 5-Year Data Now Available
The 2018-2022 ACS Five-Year Estimates are now available from the U.S. Census Bureau. These estimates provide data for all Pennsylvania counties, municipalities, and other geographic areas regardless of population size. Our latest brief explores trends in language, poverty, and the foreign-born population. For instance, did you know that 50 percent or more of the population age 5 to 17 years old speak Spanish in twenty-two Pennsylvania counties? Click here to read the brief.
To read more about trends at the national level, click here to read the Bureau’s news release.
Additional Data Releases
The Census Bureau is set to release ACS, 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files and Variance Replicate Estimate (VRE) tables on January 25, 2024. To view the complete release schedule, visit the data year 2022 release schedule. For more information on ACS topics, visit the Subjects Included in the Survey. To access the full set of statistics released today, visit data.census.gov.
Reminder: Proposed 2025 ACS and PRCS Content Changes
The Census Bureau is inviting public feedback through a Federal Register notice on proposed changes to the 2025 American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). The proposed content for the 2025 ACS and PRCS reflects changes to content and instructions that were recommended as a result of the 2022 Content Test. The Census Bureau periodically conducts tests of new and revised survey content to ensure the ACS and the PRCS meet the data needs of stakeholders.
The changes proposed for 2025 cover several topics: household roster, educational attainment, health insurance coverage, disability, and labor force questions. Additionally, three new questions are proposed to be added to the ACS and the PRCS on solar panels, electric vehicles, and sewage disposal.
The public may submit comments through 11:59pm ET on December 19, 2023.
Pennsylvania Rural Health Advocate Receives Individual Innovative Oral Health Champion Award
Kelly Braun, RDH, MSDH, rural primary care and integration coordinator at the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH), received the 2023 Individual Innovative Oral Health Champion Award from the PA C
oalition for Oral Health (PCOH). The award was presented on Nov. 17 at a ceremony held in Harrisburg, PA, during the 2023 Pennsylvania Oral Health Summit.
The Individual Innovative Oral Health Champion Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated notable efforts on behalf of oral health progress in Pennsylvania and who, through innovative and outstanding contributions, has improved oral health in Pennsylvania at the local, regional or state levels.
In her position with PORH, Braun leads technical assistance activities for Rural Health Clinics (RHC) in Pennsylvania and rural health care integration, with a special emphasis on oral health. She is a registered dental hygienist and a public health dental hygiene practitioner.
The nomination, submitted by Eve Kimball, MD, a pediatrician from Wyomissing, PA, who serves as the secretary of the PCOH Board of Directors, lauded Braun for epitomizing the qualities inherent in great leaders: integrity, honesty, humility, passion, clear focus and drive for excellence. Since joining PORH in 2016, Braun has focused her passions for oral and rural care to advance the health status in rural Pennsylvania, other states and across the nation, Kimball noted.
Braun’s significant contributions to rural health services include launching a primary care/oral health integration model that is now the “Gold Standard” for other states implementing similar programs. Braun provided extensive input into the development of the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan and the 2024-2028 Pennsylvania Rural Health Plan. She provides input into oral health legislation in the state and led a research project that compared the oral health status of rural and urban low-income Pennsylvania children.
Technical assistance on oral health issues given to the National Rural Health Association resulted in a robust national policy brief on the implications of oral health on health status.
Braun extends her knowledge of oral health through continuing education programs for health care providers, including community health workers and clinics across the state; promoting oral health screenings in K-12 settings with school nurses; and serving as a mentor to other states seeking to integrate oral health and primary care. She utilizes her clinical skills as a public health dental hygienist by volunteering at oral health “pop up clinics” across the state.
Finally, Braun has created significant credibility for PORH as a trusted source of oral health technical assistance and information and facilitated expanded collaborations with PCOH and the broader oral health community in the state and nationally.
On receiving the award and recognition, Braun said, “This work would not be possible without the support of amazing partners from across the state of Pennsylvania and beyond. Collaboration has truly been the key to success.”
The PA Coalition for Oral Health is a diverse group of leaders from across the state from schools of public health, philanthropic organizations, businesses, dental organizations, health insurance firms, advocacy organizations, state agencies and other champions. More information is available at paoralhealth.org.
PORH was formed in 1991 as a partnership between the federal government, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Penn State. The office is one of 50 state offices of rural health in the nation and is charged with being a source of coordination, technical assistance, networking and partnership development.
PORH provides expertise in the areas of rural health, population health, quality improvement, oral health and agricultural health and safety. PORH is administratively located in the Department of Health Policy and Administration in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State University Park. Visit porh.psu.edu to learn more.