May 11 - Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of $5 million for community health centers, funded by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration, to increase equitable access to life-saving cancer screenings. This funding supports President Joe Biden’s Unity Agenda and his call to action on cancer screening and early detection as part of the Administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative to end cancer as we know it.

Read the release.

The Faculty Loan Repayment Program application is now open. The program supports the recruitment and retention of health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds. Applications are accepted through Thursday, June 30, 7:30 p.m. ET.

On April 8, we released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on ways to strengthen and improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). We extended that deadline to May 23, to allow more time for responses to this important RFI. The OPTN facilitates the nation’s organ procurement, allocation, distribution and transplantation activities and ensures availability and access to donor organs for patients with end-stage organ failure.

We value and encourage your input, which will be integral in shaping the future direction of the OPTN contract. The vast expertise and experience of our stakeholder community should provide innovative ideas and solutions to challenging questions in the RFI. For details on how to provide input, download the most recent PDF on this page under the Attachment/Links section.

Responses are due Monday, May 23, 1 p.m. ET.

On July 16, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) will transition to an easy-to-remember, 3-digit number (988). This represents an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen and expand the existing network of over 200 locally operated and funded crisis centers across the country.

In advance of the 988 transition, the Lifeline Suicide & Crisis Network is looking for new volunteers and paid employees to answer calls, chats, and texts from people in crisis. All employees and volunteers receive training. If you are a caring person who wants to help, apply today. Â

Learn more about 988.

The HHS Office of the Inspector General is offering a new training series for grantees and health care providers who serve AI/AN communities. Learn more about compliance; fraud, waste, and abuse; and health care quality topics such as the opioid epidemic, challenges to delivering quality care, and protecting patients from abuse.

The free training series includes web-based trainings, job aids, and videos.

Access the training.