Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are remaking modern health care with an integrated oral health care approach. Health centers and their dental programs are using telehealth and implementing value-based tools for prevention, creating better disease management and positive patient oral health and overall health outcomes. A recently released white paper, Oral Health Value-Based Care: The FQHC Story, from the DentaQuest Partnership and NACHC explores how.
CDC Updates Dental Settings Guidance During COVID-19, Again
On Aug. 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) again updated its Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response. This updated guidance helps give clarifies the previous interim guidance and offers the following:
- Provides a section for routine delivery of care during the pandemic and a second section for delivery of care recommendations for patients with suspected or known COVID-19
- Offers a reminder for dental health care professionals of transmission risks outside of patient care areas
- Offers clarification on engineering controls for open bay operatories, reprocessing treatment areas between patients and alternative disinfection methods
The last dental update for Pennsylvania was the August 13, 2020 PA Health Alert Network (PAHAN) regarding Exposure to COVID-19 in the Dental Care Settings.
Promising Practices Identified to Address COVID-19 among Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) will host a virtual symposium, Advancing the Response to COVID-19: Sharing Promising Programs and Practices for Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities, to highlight state, tribal, territorial and community-based efforts addressing COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minority populations. The event is on Thurs., Sept. 17, 2020, 12:00 – 6:00 pm. Register here. Learn more here.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials Seek Volunteers
The National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has formed the COVID-19 Prevention Network to respond to the global pandemic. The COVID-19 Prevention Network is now enlisting volunteers to participate in clinical trials. Health centers can encourage participation by talking with patients and pointing them to reliable information about clinical trials. The COVID-19 Prevention Network’s website includes:
- Definitions of terms like “clinical study” and descriptions of available clinical studies
- A map of clinical trial locations across the nation
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- A volunteer sign-up portal
FQHCs are encouraged to share these resources with their patients and encourage them to consider joining a nearby trial.
170+ Countries (but not U.S.) Considering Global COVID-19 Effort
The Trump administration said it will not join a global effort to develop, manufacture and equitably distribute a coronavirus vaccine, in part because the World Health Organization is involved, a decision that could shape the course of the pandemic and the country’s role in health diplomacy. More than 170 countries are in talks to participate in the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) Facility, which aims to speed vaccine development, secure doses for all countries and distribute them to the most high-risk segment of each population.
FEMA Special Enrollment Period
There has been a change on the Healthcare.gov application, which allows consumers who lost coverage but missed their 60-day window to enroll in Marketplace coverage. This Special Enrollment Period (SEP) lasts until 60 days after the end of the disaster declaration. The default coverage effective date for the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) SEP is the first day of the month following plan selection but a consumer can contact the Marketplace call center to request a retroactive effective date; the earliest effective date is the first day of the month following the qualifying event for the original SEP and the FEMA disaster declaration. Click here to access the Emergency and Major Disaster Declaration SEP guidance.
Administration Seeks More Biometric Data on Immigrants
The Trump administration is considering drastically expanding the government’s collection of biometric information from immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed this week. The proposal would allow the government to demand more personal data, from more people, more often as part of the immigration application process. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services currently requires biometrics, or biological measurements, from anyone over the age of 14 who applies for certain immigration benefits. That information is limited to fingerprints, photographs and signatures, but would be expanded under the proposed policy change to include DNA, eye scans, voice prints and photographs for facial recognition.
Trump Administration Announced Nationwide Eviction Moratorium
Relying on a public health law intended to prevent the spread of an illness, the Trump administration said it is extending a national moratorium on residential evictions. The moratorium, announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was the latest measure by the administration to get a handle on the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic absent an agreement with Congress on a more far reaching package that would have the force of law. The moratorium, which will extend through Dec. 31, applies to individuals making $99,000 or less a year and who are unable to make rent or housing payments.
Pennsylvania Governor Calls for Paid Sick and Family Leave for Workers
As Pennsylvanians continue to fight the health risks of COVID-19, Gov. Tom Wolf called on the General Assembly to pass legislation for paid sick and family leave for workers who need to miss work for an illness or to take care of a loved one. According to the governor’s office, enacting a paid sick leave law would help an estimated 400,000 Pennsylvanians, particularly low-wage workers who are forced to work when ill, risking their health and that of the employees and customers around them. Providing paid sick leave would improve public health and help to prevent more people from getting sick.
COVID-19 Back-to-School Resources for Mental Health
The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center has a series of webinars and other resources useful for helping students and staff cope with changes in schooling. Find more information here.