Month: October 2020

Webinar: Provider Recruitment and Retention Training for Health Centers

Date: October 27, 2020

Time: 2:00 PM Central

Join the webinar the day of the session
Call-in: 888-323-9689
Passcode: 7945934

Staffing-related shortages are a common barrier identified by health centers—especially in light of the pandemic. Join a session featuring HRSA, HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (Community Health Center, Inc., and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved), and a health center. Speakers will discuss recruitment and retention promising practices and provide resources.

Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program

The National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center) has been awarded a five-year Cooperative Agreement through the Health Resources Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in partnership with the Delta Region Authority.  The purpose of the DRCHSD Program is to assist hospital, clinic and community leaders with developing and implementing a community care coordination plan that strengthens the local health care system.  To learn more about the DRCHSD Program and application process, please attend the upcoming webinar on October 22, 2020. 

$5000 Grants Available for Rural Pediatric Clinics to Begin Telehealth

Application Deadline October 22

The “Supporting Providers and Families to Access Telehealth and Distant Care Services for Pediatric Care” project is a grant between the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The goal of this grant is to support telehealth access and infrastructure for the provision of comprehensive care to children and adolescents, including children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and other vulnerable pediatric populations, utilizing a medical home approach during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

Data Collection Site Launched for the RHC COVID-19 Testing Program

On October 6, the online portal www.RHCcovidreporting.com was launched to collect data on COVID-19 testing at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).

The website is the official data collection portal for the RHC COVID-19 Testing Program which means that all RHCs that received money ($49,461.42 per RHC) from the RHC COVID-19 Testing Program are required to report through this portal per the terms and conditions of the program. If RHCs do not provide data on this website, they are opening themselves to auditing risks and could end up having to return the money back to the government.

However, the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) does not want RHCs to panic. The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) contracted with NARHC to create this portal and it was designed it to be as simple and as straightforward as possible. Only basic data, that should be relatively easy to obtain, is requested.  Such as:

  • The Tax Identification Number of the organization that received the funding
  • The number of tests and positive results by month
  • The address(es) of COVID-19 testing locations  Read More

2019 National Survey of Children’s Health Data

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau released the latest data from the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) on October 5. The NSCH provides annual, national and state-level data on the health and health care needs of children, as well as information about their families and communities. The NSCH covers a broad array of health-related topics impacting children and families such as mental and behavioral health.

The survey data reveals that 13.2 percent of children aged 3-17 years in the U.S. (about 8 million children) had a current diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition. The most common condition was anxiety, which affected 8.5 percent of children, followed by behavior disorder at 6.8 percent and depression at 3.8 percent.

The data also shows that 66.5 percent of children aged 6-17 years met all criteria for flourishing, a term describing children who have positive health and are thriving.

Learn more about the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health data and how it can provide information for program and policy decision-making, implementation, and evaluation.

New Newborn Screening Resource

HRSA recently unveiled the Newborn Screening Information Center, an online guide to newborn screening services. Newborn screening involves checking babies for a number of serious health conditions and identifying those needing early intervention and treatment. It is the only way to detect these conditions before obvious symptoms appear or cause problems. The new resource provides background on conditions screened, the screening process and options for treatment. HRSA supports newborn screening in all states nationwide.

Explore the Newborn Screening Information Center.

HRSA Releases 2019-2020 Report on Health Equity: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities

October 14, 2020

The Health Resources and Services Administration, through the agency’s Office of Health Equity, released the HRSA 2019-2020 Health Equity Report: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities. The report indicates substantial progress has been made nationally for all Americans in vital indicators including life expectancy, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and influenza and pneumonia; while health inequities between population groups and geographic areas persist.

The report will help HRSA and others build upon the agency’s mission to improve health outcomes and address health disparities through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce and innovative, high-value programs.

“This remarkably comprehensive report captures a vast range of data on a wide array of health indicators which will help scholars and policy makers track and gauge our nation’s progress to improve the health and well-being of all Americans,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “HRSA is committed to continuing this research in order to build upon its efforts to build a healthier and more equitable future for all.”

Read the release.