A coalition of states sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the termination of $11 billion in grant funding to public health departments and programs, including COVID Funding. Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania joined 20 other states and Washington, D.C. in filing a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration. The suit comes about a week after state and local agencies were notified about funding cuts to services that support mental health care, substance use treatment, infectious disease monitoring and more. Thursday night a federal judge in Rhode Island granted the request from Democratic state officials to temporarily prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from cutting state health grants.
Apply Now for the 2026 Rural Health Innovation Program
The University of California Berkeley’s Rural Health Innovation (RHI) Program is accepting is now accepting applications for its next cohort of Rural Health Innovation Scholars. This program provides full-tuition scholarships for public health professionals living and working in rural communities to earn their Master of Public Health degree online. Scholars also receive a paid membership in the National Rural Health Association (NRHA).
Since its launch, the program has funded 81 professionals across 32 states, and we are excited to support another 25 scholars beginning in Spring 2026.
Scholars come from a variety of backgrounds, including healthcare, policy, and community leadership, and continue working in their rural communities while completing their degree. Participants will study alongside a diverse cohort of public health students while also engaging in a smaller group with a specialized rural health curriculum. This structure allows scholars to gain broad public health training while focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities in rural health.
The deadline to apply for the next cohort is August 3, 2025. For more information, visit UC Berkeley’s Rural Health Innovation Program.
Study Links Lack of Oral Health Care with Pregnancy Complications
A new study links a lack of oral health care with complications during pregnancy. The study, “Use of Oral Health Services Among Pregnant Women and Associations with Gestational Diabetes and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy,” was recently featured in the Journal of the American Dental Association. The study found that fewer than 40% of women seek preventive oral health care during pregnancy. Women who did not receive preventive oral health care or visit a dentist or dental clinic for oral health problems during pregnancy had an increased risk of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders.
Pennsylvania Launches New State Health Improvement Plan Dashboard
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Office of Operational Excellence has published the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) dashboard. The dashboard features trends related to overarching SHIP objectives as well as individual objectives organized by workgroup and goal. It includes a list of current strategies and activities being implemented by SHIP goal team members and member organizations.
Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee Approves Bill to Enshrine ACA Protections
Last week, the Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee, chaired by state Rep. Perry Warren, D-Bucks, reported out of committee four significant bills that safeguard health insurance in Pennsylvania in the event the federal government repeals protections of the Affordable Care Act. HB 404, 535, 618, and 755. The legislation seeks to ensure that consumers can maintain health insurance coverage to age 26, safeguarding health care protections by blocking coverage limits, prohibiting denial of health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions, and maintaining access to preventative health care protections.
New Recruitment Resource Available for Rural Health Centers
The National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3RNET) has released a new resource that rural health centers can use in their recruitment efforts. This guide is a basic overview of the benefits of working in a healthcare profession in a rural community and can be used to help with messaging to candidates or as a supplement to other materials your health center distributes. Check out this resource on 3RNET today.
CDC Updates Urban-Rural Classification for Counties
HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again
HHS issued a press release with initial information about the restructuring and downsizing of the Department. PACHC issued a statement. Key points for PCAs and CHCs include:
· In total, HHS will reduce its staff by about 25%, from 82,000 to 62,000 FTE. About 10,000 employees have already separated from HHS since the start of the second Trump Administration, and another 10,000 will be receiving Reduction-in-Force (RIF) notices soon. No details are yet available about where these Reductions in Force (RIF) will occur.
· HRSA will be absorbed into a new larger agency called the Administration for a Healthy America, or AHA. The other organizational entities being folded into AHA are:
o The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), which includes the Title X program, the Office of the Surgeon General, the Healthy People 2030 initiative, etc.
o The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is being downsized 50%.
o Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
o The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is currently a research entity within the CDC. Note that NIOSH is different from OSHA.
There is no information on how this new agency will be structured, where it will be located, or who will lead it. However, HRSA is the largest agency being folded into AHA, and Health Centers are the largest program within HRSA, so it is expected that Health Centers will have a prominent role within the new AHA.
· Regional offices are being downsized from 10 offices to 5 offices, but there is no definitive information yet on which ones are being eliminated. Based on a previous announcement from the HHS Office of the General Counsel, we expect that the Philadelphia, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Denver will remain, but it’s unclear where the fifth office will be.
Here are some additional points of interest:
· A new office of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement is being created, “to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health programs.” It will include the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and oversee Departmental and Medicare hearings.
· The CDC is not being broken up. Instead, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), which leads HHS’ response efforts to national disaster and public health emergencies, will be transferred to the CDC.
In the press release, HHS Secretary Kennedy states that, “We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl…. This Department will do more – a lot more – at a lower cost to the taxpayer.” They estimate that the downsizing will save about $1.8 billion annually.
NGA Issues Statement on Potential Medicaid Funding Reductions
On March 6, National Governor’s Association (NGA) Chair Jared Polis (D-CO) and Vice Chair Kevin Stitt (R-OK) released a statement highlighting governors’ concerns over proposed Medicaid funding reductions in federal budget negotiations. The governors emphasized the need for state flexibility in administering Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF programs, warning that cuts without consultation could strain state budgets, impact rural hospitals, and disrupt healthcare providers. NGA urged Congress to ensure that governors have a voice in discussions on Medicaid policy changes and emphasized the importance of preserving state flexibility in delivering these programs. Read the full statement.
Telehealth Extended Six Months
Recent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities. This includes:
· Waiving geographic and originating site requirements through Sept. 30, 2025.
· Allowing eligible practitioners to furnish telehealth services through Sept. 30, 2025.
· Allowing Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to serve as distant site providers through Sept. 30, 2025.
· Delaying in-person requirements for tele-mental health services through Sept. 30, 2025.
· Allowing audio-only telehealth through Sept. 30, 2025.
Click here for Telehealth Policy Updates.