The “Tracking Invasive Species with Pennsylvania iMapInvasives” newsletter is a triannual newsletter featuring stories written by natural resource professionals and citizen scientists from Pennsylvania who are doing work related to surveying, reporting, and managing invasive plants, animals, and insects in the state. Each story includes a connection to the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives Program, which operates iMapInvasives, an online reporting and data management tool used to track occurrences of invasive species. The goal of the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives Program is to assist natural resource professionals and citizen scientists by advancing their knowledge of species distributions in the state Pennsylvania and to provide a tool which stores both location and management details. Learn more by going to www.paimapinvasives.org. The Pennsylvania iMapInvasives Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program.
Pennsylvania Governor Announces Additional $96 Million for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that an additional $96 million in state grants have been approved for 5,373 Pennsylvania small businesses that were impacted by the business closure order due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Businesses in every county were approved for grants in this round of funding, and 52 percent are historically disadvantaged businesses.
To date, more than 10,000 businesses were approved for $192 million in grants through the COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance Program.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been caused a lot of hardship for our business community, and it has been particularly difficult for Pennsylvania’s small businesses to weather the economic effects of this crisis. Pennsylvania’s small business owners are community-focused employers, and they drive our economy, so they deserve our support as we continue to navigate this public health crisis,” Gov. Wolf said. “As we seek to recover, and rebuild our economy following the downturn caused by this pandemic, it’s critical that we provide opportunities for these businesses to recover and rebound, and this funding will provide much-needed support for businesses in communities across the state.”
The governor announced this funding at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg and was joined by public officials and the owners of two local businesses: D.McGee Design Studio, located in the market, which was approved for a $10,000 grant, and Gifted Hands Barber Studio, located on 3rd Street near the market, which was approved for a $5,000 grant.
The COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance funding was developed in partnership with state lawmakers and allocated through the state budget, which included $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which $225 million was earmarked for relief for small businesses.
The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) distributed the funds to the Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which are administering the grants.
“We’ve seen the impact of this pandemic-fueled economic crisis on the small businesses in our communities. We targeted these funds to reach the smallest and most vulnerable businesses across the state and as CDFIs, we were able to mobilize our networks to reach those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic,” said James Burnett, vice chair of the PA CDFI Network and executive director of the West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution. “The PA CDFI Network is grateful for the partnership of Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Legislature as we move quickly to get these resources into the hands of those most impacted by the crisis.”
“I am extremely proud we were able to work together and to get much needed grants to the small businesses across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that serve as the backbone to our economy,” said state Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery). “With that said, this should not be the end of the push to help our small business community. There are still CARES dollars available and thousands of businesses that have applied for this program seeking relief and the General Assembly must prioritize focusing on those needs and getting our people through this pandemic.”
US Department of Health and Human Services Accepting Applications for Phase 3 Provider Relief Funding
HHS announced an additional $20 billion in funding for providers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Under this Phase 3 General Distribution allocation, providers that have already received Provider Relief Fund payments will be invited to apply for additional funding that considers financial losses and changes in operating expenses caused by the coronavirus. Application deadline is November 6, 2020.
For the full announcement and information about eligibility and how to apply, click here.
NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety Strategic Plan, 2020–2029
The NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety’s (CMVS) strategic plan for 2020–2029 is now available. The plan identifies research needs for four priority industry sectors and describes how we envision those stakeholders will put research results into practice. The purpose of the strategic plan is to guide NIOSH-funded research to prevent work-related motor vehicle crashes—the leading cause of workplace deaths in the U.S.—and encourage collaboration between the CMVS and external partners.
NIOSH COVID-19 Update
As part of NIOSH’s efforts to keep stakeholders up to date on the CDC and NIOSH COVID-19 response, below is a summary of new information posted:
- A recent NIOSH Science Blog Post, The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Opioid Overdose Epidemic: A Perfect Storm for Workers?, discusses the interlinked nature of the COVID-19 and opioid misuse, opioid use disorder, and overdose. The new challenges and stressors workers face during the pandemic may lead to an increase in substance use.
- CDC has published a new webpage on Optimizing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies. This resource provides links for strategies to optimize the supply of various types of PPE, as well as general PPE information.
- A new infographic on COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Nonhealthcare Workplaces is available. When a COVID-19 case is identified that impacts a workplace, the health department may ask the employer for help. This infographic provides tips for employers if they are asked to assist a health department with case investigations and contact tracing.
Supporting Maternal and Child Health During COVID-19
The National Governors Association (NGA) surveyed executive branch officials from 38 states and territories regarding state policies to safeguard against COVID-19 for pregnant women, postpartum women and infants.
The survey was supported through HRSA’s cooperative agreement with the National Organizations of State and Local Officials (NOSLO),
HRSA Plans October 5 Release of 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health Data
HRSA will release 2019 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) on October 5, which is also National Child Health Day. The NSCH provides the latest national and state-level data on the health and health care needs of children as well as information about their families and communities.
Survey topics include:
- Children’s physical and mental health;
- Health insurance status;
- Access to and use of health care services, including:
- Receipt of preventive and specialty care;
- Patient-centered medical home; and
- Services to support transition to adult health care for adolescents;
- Lifetime exposure to adverse childhood experiences, and more.
The NSCH is funded and directed by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which oversees sampling, survey administration and the production of a final data set for public use.
Look for the release on our social media channels (@HRSAgov), and like and share to show your support of Child Health Day.
Rates of Alcohol-induced Deaths Among Adults Aged 25 and Over in Urban and Rural Areas: United States, 2000–2018
October 2, 2020| Data Brief No. 383
Select key findings
Data from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality
- Age-adjusted rates of alcohol-induced deaths among adults aged 25 and over were stable from 2000 to 2006, then increased 43% from 10.7 per 100,000 in 2006 to 15.3 in 2018.
- For both males and females, alcohol-induced death rates increased at a greater rate between 2000 and 2018 in rural compared with urban areas.
Keywords
urban–rural, trends, health disparities, National Vital Statistics System-Mortality (NVSS-M)
For more information, visit the full report
Draft Viral Hepatitis Strategic Plan 2021-25 Open for Comments
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a draft Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan: 2021-2025, which will serve as a roadmap to hepatitis elimination. The plan is available for public comment until Oct. 8, 2020 at 5:00 pm. The plan provides a framework to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat to the U.S. and features five primary goals:
- Prevent New Hepatitis Infections
- Improve Viral Hepatitis-Related Health Outcome of People with Viral Hepatitis
- Reduce Viral Hepatitis-Related Disparities and Health Inequities
- Improve Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Data Usage
- Achieve Integrated, Coordinated Efforts that Address the Viral Hepatitis Epidemics Among All Partners and Stakeholders
HHS is looking for input on whether the plan’s goals, objectives and strategies appropriately address the viral hepatitis epidemic and whether there are any critical gaps. Comments can be submitted to Hepatitis Plan Comments. Click here to read the whole plan.
NIDA Step by Step Guides to Finding Treatment for Drug Use Disorders
This series of publications is filled with resources and information to help you or someone you care about who might have a drug use disorder, including a guide specifically written for young people.