| A letter from Dr. Michael D. Warren, Pediatrician and Associate Administrator for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) at HRSA The time has finally come when we can expand COVID-19 vaccination efforts down to age 5! Please help support and promote vaccination for children ages 5 through 11 so we can protect as many children and families as possible from COVID-19. Read Dr. Warren's letter. |
| We are issuing an interim update to the FY 2019 â 2022 HRSA Strategic Plan to ensure alignment with Administration and HHS priorities, such as the emphasis on health equity, and the expansion of HRSA's program responsibilities, including activities associated with COVID-19 public health emergency response and the American Rescue Plan Act. |
| We're proud to share that our own Dr. Reem M. Ghandour, Director of the Division of Epidemiology in our Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), is a 2021 winner of the prestigious and highly selective Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal. These awards, also called âSammies,â are considered the âOscarsâ of government service. Dr. Ghandour received this award for her work leading the National Survey of Childrenâs Health (NSCH). Since 2013, she has transformed the NSCH, conducting the survey annually starting in 2016 and introducing a mail and web-based reporting system to increase response rates. For the 2021 survey, she also added new questions to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and families. NSCH data are used to support performance measures for a number MCHBâs programs and multiple Healthy People objectives, and are regularly cited by media and external organizations to influence policy and programmatic efforts. Learn more at Partnership for Public Service. |
| Read the recently released HHS Health Workforce Strategic Plan (PDF - 755 KB). The plan provides a forward-looking framework for health workforce improvements focused on four key goals: Expanding supply Ensuring equitable distribution Improving quality Enhancing the use of data and evidence to improve program outcomes |
| Providers with outstanding reporting requirements should visit the PRF Reporting Portal and submit their report on use of funds by Tuesday, November 30, 11:59 p.m. ET. Providers who do not submit a completed report by the end of the 60-day grace period for PRF Reporting Period 1 may be subject to enforcement actions such as repayment or other debt collection activities. All unused funds must be returned by Thursday, December 30. View instructions on how to return unused PRF funds. |
Join us as we celebrate National Rural Health Day on Thursday, November 18. Acting HRSA Administrator, Diana Espinosa, will kick off the day with opening remarks at 11:30 a.m. ET. Federal panelists will share strategies, activities, and resources related to achieving health equity in rural communities. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) grantees will share best practices in their projects focused on health equity during a panel discussion. We will host a variety of events throughout the week. View the agenda for information and a schedule of events. | The HHS Maternal-Child Health (MCH) Emergency Planning toolkit is designed to improve the capacity of health care, public health, and social services professionals to address maternal and child health in emergency preparedness, response, and mitigation activities. The toolkit outlines basic planning steps, highlights key resources and promising practices, and explains critical data and information to be integrated into emergency planning for MCH populations. Our Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs Region 9 and HHSâ Office on Womenâs Health will host a webinar on Wednesday, November 10, 2 p.m. ET. Presenters will discuss their mitigation efforts and experiences during recent wildfires. |
| HHSâ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) has launched an initiative to strengthen primary health care. In its recent report, Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: Rebuilding the Foundation of Health Care, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine called upon HHS to take a leadership role in increasing access to high-quality primary health care. Using the report as a roadmap, a team led by OASHâs Dr. Judith Steinberg (former Bureau of Primary Health Care Chief Medical Officer) will work with federal partners and stakeholders to develop HHSâ plan of action. |
| The health care industry has long experienced challenges in recruiting and retaining direct care workers due to low wages, high physical demands, and lack of upward mobility. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a surge in demand for direct care workers while other industries experienced significant layoffs and business closures because of physical distancing restrictions and the economic downturn. This National Governors Association issue brief provides a series of multi-sector state and employer strategies to address recruitment and health sector retention of direct care workers while balancing workforce needs, job quality, and wages. HRSAâs National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement provided support for this resource. |
| State COVID-19 response relies on intensified cross-sector collaboration that supports timely, flexible, targeted action in the midst of quickly-changing circumstances. This National Academy for State Health Policy report examines the efforts of three states on their approaches to cross-agency COVID-19 response. HRSAâs National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement provided support for this resource. |
|
|
|
