 Photo Caption: Carole Johnson takes the oath of office in her return to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
From left to right: HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, and HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson.
Carole Johnson is our new administrator at HRSA. She joined HRSA from the White House COVID-19 Response Team. Carole previously served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, leading the state’s largest agency and providing health care and social services to one-in-five New Jerseyans.
Listen to Carole's podcast interview on iHeartRadio where she discusses the agency’s work on COVID-19 vaccinations through HRSA-supported health centers and community-based organizations, and our efforts in improving equitable access to high-quality care.
Learn more about Carole.
 Awards will enhance telehealth, digital patient tools, and health information technology to support underserved communities.
February 14 - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $55 million to 29 HRSA-funded health centers to increase health care access and quality for underserved populations through virtual care such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms. This funding builds on over $7.3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding invested in community health centers over the past year to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
“Virtual care has been a game-changer for patients, especially during the pandemic,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This funding will help health centers leverage the latest technology and innovations to expand access to quality primary care for underserved communities. Today’s announcement reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing health equity and putting essential health care within reach for all Americans.”
Read the press release.
 Responding to COVID-19-related Declines in Routine Childhood Vaccinations and Care, Challenge Generated 52,000 Pediatric Well-Child Visits and 23,000 Immunizations
February 10 - The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced 20 winners of the Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention (P4) Challenge, a nationwide competition to increase pediatric vaccination rates and well-child visits.
Final winners represent the diversity of the country and include mobile vaccination projects, Head Start partnerships, primary care texting strategies, and targeted support for children supported by resource families. Challenge projects generated more than 52,000 pediatric well-child visits and nearly 23,000 immunizations.
See the list of P4 Challenge winners.
Read the press release.
Secretary Becerra: ‘Building Vaccine Confidence Is Critical to Increasing Vaccinations, Which Remains So Important’
February 8 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), today is providing $66.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to eight grantees to expand outreach efforts in 38 states and the District of Columbia to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and vaccinations.
“Building vaccine confidence is critical to increasing vaccinations, which remains so important as we encourage boosters and kids’ vaccinations,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. This investment by the Biden-Harris Administration further expands our progress in partnering with trusted local messengers to deliver needed information on COVID-19 vaccines. This funding will help even more community-based organizations build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine among people in their community who may not have been vaccinated yet.”
Read the press release.
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Our Bureau of Primary Health Care has released a new webpage showcasing the significant strides HRSA-supported health centers have made to promote public health and provide primary care services, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlighted stories illustrate the exemplary work of health centers in underserved areas across the country. Learn about the noteworthy actions taken to respond to COVID-19, advance telehealth, reach residents in their communities, and more.
Visit the new webpage.
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Our Center for Innovation (CFI) is hosting a series of public webinars and roundtable breakout sessions with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The “Innovation in the Community Health Workforce” on Thursday, February 17, 1 p.m. ET will focus on engaging the community health workforce and address the social determinants of health through technology, financing, and defining community health workforces.
“International Models of Innovation in Community Health” on Thursday, March 3, 1 p.m. ET will feature a discussion on how to advance health through learning from global successes in community-centered models.
Events will be live streamed on HHS Live.
Register.
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Lifeline is a federal government program that offers a monthly discount on phone, internet, or bundled package bills to qualified low-income people, which can give them the tools to access services like telehealth. Customers living on Tribal lands can receive an additional benefit.
Learn more about Lifeline benefits and how to qualify.
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Join our upcoming webinar on innovative rural health programs on Monday, February 28, 3 p.m. ET. We will feature two recipients from HRSA’s Telehealth Network Grant Program.
The purpose of the program is to promote rural tele-emergency services by enhancing telehealth networks to deliver Emergency Department consultation services via telehealth to rural providers without emergency care specialists. Telehealth networks are also used to:
- Expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of health care services
- Improve and expand training for health care providers
- Expand and improve the quality of health information available to health care providers, and patients and their families, for decision-making
This webinar is part of HRSA’s Telehealth Learning Webinar Series. The series’ goal is to highlight successful projects/best practices as well as resources to promote and further the use of telehealth technologies for health care delivery, education, and health information services.
Register.
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To improve the health of individuals experiencing homelessness and reduce associated health care costs, many states are leveraging COVID-19 relief and other funds to provide permanent supportive housing. This type of low-barrier, affordable housing provides health care and support services, such as case management, child care, and employment assistance.
To learn more, join the National Conference of State Legislatures’ webinar on Wednesday, March 2 at 2 p.m. ET. Featuring national and state perspectives, this webinar will explore the landscape of permanent supportive housing and highlight several state legislative actions.
Register.
HRSA’s National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement provided support for this NCSL webinar.
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