February 27 – Today, HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced the appointment of former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer, to serve as Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS).

Colyer, a surgeon by training, will be the fifth chair in the 32-year history of the Committee and the second chair from Kansas after Nancy Kassebaum Baker, who served during the Bush Administration.  Colyer’s appointment coincides with a series of actions the Secretary has taken to bring more attention to rural health.

Read the release.

Learn more about the National Advisory Committee.

RADM Krista Pedley will mark her 20th anniversary with the U.S. Public Health Service this May, having risen into an elite group of officers encompassing fewer than one percent of the the 6,500-strong Commissioned Corps. The flag rank of Rear Admiral ratifies Pedley as command-ready and suited to lead PHS officers on all missions, foreign and domestic.

Nominated last August, she was notified of her promotion in December by the U.S. Surgeon General.

"She is an excellent leader," HRSA Administrator Tom Engels told a sometimes emotional audience of Pedley's family, friends and colleagues on Friday. "As her promotion here today makes clear to everyone, she is an outstanding Commissioned Corps Officer. Congratulations, Krista, you make HRSA proud."

Read more about RADM Pedley's promotion.

National Poison Prevention Week raises awareness of poison prevention nationwide during the third full week of March every year.

The week is an opportunity to highlight the dangers of poisons and promote community involvement in poisoning prevention.

Learn more and check out our resources to help you plan activities in your community.

HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) will host the first in a series of two national webcasts Thursday, March 26, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET. The webcast, “Healthcare Needs of Adults with HIV who are Aging in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP),” will focus on addressing the medical care and support needs of adults with HIV who are aging in RWHAP. 

This first webinar will feature the perspectives of subject matter experts on clinical needs (e.g., geriatric syndromes and comorbidities) as well as provider training needs and resources available, and discuss the value of prioritizing key care components. An aging adult with HIV who has experienced the nuisances of navigating healthcare systems will also share their personal story. All RWHAP providers are requested to participate, and RWHAP stakeholders and people with HIV are invited to take part in this event.

Join the webcast the day of the session.
Dial-in: 888-469-0647
Participant Code: 8812778#

The Clinician Dashboards display alumni data from the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce's (BHW) scholarship, loan repayment, and graduate medical education programs. With these dashboards, users can analyze the distribution of BHW programs and participants from 2012 to 2018.  

For example, users can find out a BHW supported clinician is practicing in a rural community nearby. Check out the new dashboards at data.HRSA.gov to see how BHW programs are connecting skilled professionals to communities in need.

This week, HRSA's Healthcare Systems Bureau released the 2019 National Survey of Organ Donation Attitudes and Practices Report, a nationally representative survey conducted to understand public opinion about organ donation and transplantation, and how those opinions have shifted over time. The report provides detailed information about the levels of support for organ donation, popular beliefs, family member discussions about organ donation, and more.

Read the report (PDF - 3 MB) and watch the recorded webinar.

Visit our website for more information about the 2019 National Survey of Organ Donation Attitudes and Practices.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) hosted a webinar highlighting the role of primary care providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) in delivering integrated behavioral health services for pregnant/postpartum women and infants experiencing substance use disorder. As part of ASTHO’s virtual learning series for public health leaders, the webinar highlighted the work of the Opioid Use Opioid Use Disorder, Maternal Outcomes, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Initiative (OMNI) Learning Community.

Dr. Sue Lin from the HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care provided the federal perspective on engaging primary care associations and leveraging FQHCs for OMNI related work. The webinar also featured two FQHCs that provide services to pregnant and postpartum women affected by opioid use disorder and infants prenatally expose to substances. This work is supported through HRSA's cooperative agreement with the National Organizations of State and Local Officials.

Watch the webinar.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Association of Community Health Workers recently published a summary of the research examining community health workers over the past fifty years. This research has focused on assessing their effectiveness in improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and bridging the gap in health disparities. This work is supported through HRSA’s cooperative agreement with the National Organizations of State and Local Officials.

Read the summary (PDF - 281 KB).

April 22 – 24, 2020
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

This three-day course from the National Hansen's Disease Program combines classroom instruction and hands-on techniques to teach participants a comprehensive approach to managing the insensitive foot. No registration fee. Space is limited.

Free CME credit available. 

Learn more and register to attend.