This week, the National Association of Community Health Workers introduced the CHWConnector tool where Community Health Workers and networks can share information, insights, and resources across social media platforms including Apple App Store, Google Plan and the Web. Stakeholders and partners created this tool to connect CHWs, on a state and local level to receive critical alerts related to public health emergencies and focus on policy and advocacy opportunities. The Connector is available in Spanish and has a toolkit. To join, go to www.CHWConnector.org

During the Public Health Emergency (PHE), Medicaid increased by almost 1 million enrollees in Pennsylvania. With the end of the Medicaid Continuous Coverage Requirement on April 1, 2023, enrollment in Medicaid began to steadily decline due to the disenrollment of those who were maintained due to the PHE and then deemed ineligible. In June, enrollment began to increase.  As of August 3, 2024,384 enrollees are accessing Medicaid with 22% of total enrollees from Philadelphia County, 8% from Allegheny, 4% from Delaware and Montgomery and 3% from Berks County. Of these numbers 58% are adults and 42% are children. This represents a 0.1% change over July 2024. Of note, CHIP Enrollment has increased as well to 195,320.

Devon Trolley, Executive Director of Pennie , Pennsylvania’s official health insurance marketplace – and Chairman of the Pennie Board, Michael Humphreys, issued a letter to Pennsylvania’s representatives in Congress strongly urging them to act now to extend the enhanced premium tax credits that dramatically reduce the cost of health coverage through Pennie for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. Click here to learn more.

Earlier this year, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) launched the National Center for Workforce Development & Training. To help ensure that the ACU National Center remains at the forefront of workforce transformation, they are now inviting representatives from health centers, primary care associations, external partners, and clinical and non-clinical professionals to serve on a new Advisory Council to provide critical guidance to shape ongoing initiatives. Sharing their expertise on workforce issues and fostering collaboration across healthcare sectors, the Council will ensure that ACU’s National Center drives impactful change to champion equitable solutions and support the development of a resilient, skilled, and diverse healthcare workforce to enhance care for medically underserved communities nationwide. Learn more about expectations and complete a brief form to be considered.

The Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is offering an opportunity for high school students to learn about a variety of healthcare careers through their SEARCH Academy. This is a free program comprised of three virtual sessions on Wednesday evenings starting in Oct. and students can attend one, two, or all three sessions. Visit AHEC’s website for more information and to access the application. This is a great program to promote to any high school students you know and your local community to strengthen the workforce pipeline for the future.

The University of Pittsburgh invites Community Health Centers to become clinical sites for their second cohort of dental assistant trainees starting Jan. 27, 2025. Upon completion of the clinical training period, trainees in this program will have the skills and knowledge to become successful dental assistants who you may hire to grow their careers in your office. Visit their website for more information and complete the Clinical Site Form to be connected with a trainee. Reach out to the Dental Assisting Program Office with any questions or request a copy of the clinical site informational packet from Caitlin Wilkinson, Co-Director of the Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a revised Medicare Learning Network (MLN) chronic care management services booklet. Changes include new codes describing chronic pain management and treatment and information about principal illness navigation services and community health integration services.

Lyme disease is a bacterial tickborne disease that is treated with a short course of antibiotics. Most patients with Lyme disease recover fully after treatment, but about 5 to 10 percent can have prolonged symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and difficulty thinking, as a result of their infection. Some patients are concerned that their long-term symptoms may be due to Lyme disease and may take potentially harmful treatments, such as extended courses of antibiotics. The American Medical Association (AMA), in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has developed a new toolkit to help clinicians provide better care for patients with prolonged, non-specific symptoms and concerns about Lyme disease. On Thursday, the CDC hosted a CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Call, during which presenters shared a brief overview of Lyme disease, provided a diagnostic and management framework for patients with prolonged symptoms and concerns about Lyme disease, and reviewed new clinical tools and resources to help support these patients.

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published updated recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination. They recommend the 2024-25 vaccine for anyone ages 6 months and older. See the full announcement in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). ACIP also recently updated their flu vaccine recommendations. See the full announcement in CDC’s recent MMWR.

The federal agency that oversees the 340B program formally warned Johnson & Johnson (J&J) that it must “cease implementation of its rebate proposal immediately and to inform HRSA no later than September 30, 2024, in order to provide adequate notice to covered entities.” Click here to access the letter HHS sent to J&J. In addition, a bipartisan group of six Representatives began circulating for signatures a letter to HHS urging the agency to stop J&J’s rebate model.