July 1 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced over $155 million in awards for 72 teaching health centers that operate primary care medical and dental residency programs that include high need specialties such as psychiatry, as part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda to address the nation’s mental health crisis.

These awards – supported by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and Fiscal Year 2022 funds – come at a significant moment when the nation’s health care workforce is facing challenges, as recently highlighted in the Surgeon General’s Advisory Addressing Health Worker Burnout.

Read the press release.

In June, we supported the Biden-Harris Administration’s initiatives to address the overdose epidemic, advance health equity, and reduce the number of new HIV infections in the United States.

A few highlights from this month:

• White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis
• HRSA Awards $115 Million to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States
• HRSA Invests Nearly $15 Million to Prevent and Treat Stimulant Use in Rural Communities
• HRSA Announces Availability of $10 Million for Rural Communities to Expand Treatment in Response to Surging Fentanyl and Other Opioid Overdoses
• HRSA Takes Action to Improve Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs

We also celebrated Pride month and launched a competition to encourage innovation in primary care.

Read the June Roundup.

June 17 – In support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Overdose Prevention Strategy, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the availability of $10 million in substance misuse grant funding through the HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. 

Rural communities are on the frontline of the surge in synthetic opioid overdoses, including fentanyl and fentanyl-laced drug overdoses. This funding will help rural communities establish new treatment access points to connect individuals to medication to treat opioid use. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) includes medications, ideally combined with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance misuse. Today’s funding also supports the President’s National Drug Control Strategy and delivers on his Unity Agenda priority of beating the overdose epidemic.

Read the press release.

The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal is open for Reporting Period 3.

Providers who received one or more PRF payment exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, during the third Payment Received Period must report on their use of funds no later than Friday, September 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

More information and resources can be found on the PRF Reporting web page.

Are you a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) member or alumnus? If so, we need you for the NHSC Pathway Readiness Technical Assistance Initiative, a five-year program of our Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW).

The program partners with the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) to help prepare NHSC Scholarship Program and NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program participants for their service at NHSC-approved sites by building the capacity to:

• Eliminate health disparities through community engagement and advocacy
• Build their resiliency to stressors that can arise from routine practice and during a public health crisis

As a current NHSC member or alumnus, you can support the NHSC Pathway Readiness Technical Assistance Initiative by serving on committees, assisting with trainings, and mentoring current participants. 

Learn more about this opportunity to share your experiences from the field and support NHSC clinicians working in underserved communities or contact the project coordinator with any questions.

BHW recently released the Area Health Resources Files Diversity Dashboard, adding to its growing list of Data Tools.

The new dashboard allows users to access detailed demographic information at the national and state levels for nearly 40 healthcare occupations.

Its visualizations will also give users new insights on the diversity of the U.S. health workforce.

Join the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs’ upcoming maternal health webinar on Tuesday, July 12 at 3 p.m. ET. The webinar will highlight strategies to advance maternal and infant health, including Healthy Start services, community health worker models, and the Count the Kicks public health campaign.

Register for the webinar.

HRSA is seeking public comment on its Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (EHDI) to inform future investments and strategy.

The EHDI Program helps identify newborns, infants, and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing as early as possible, and ensure they receive the care and support they need.

These children benefit from early intervention, which can help them meet age-appropriate language, social, and developmental milestones.

Please see the Federal Register Notice for more information. Responses are due to ehdi@hrsa.gov by Monday, July 18.

Exacerbated by COVID-19, the nation has faced a shortage of health care professionals for years, with nurses being one of the hardest-hit professions. 

Nursing shortages brought on by an aging population, aging workforce, nurse burnout, long wait times for licensure approval and extended work hours not only strain health care systems but also affect patient care and overall outcomes. 

In response to this national shortage, states have examined a variety of options to recruit and retain nurses. Specific policy levers include loosening licensing requirements, changing scope of practice laws, bolstering educational programs, and offering monetary incentives.

This National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) brief explores policy options states can use to address nursing shortages.

HRSA’s National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement provided support for this NCSL resource.  

A growing number of states are developing or considering a certification program for community health workers (CHWs). Such certification could serve as a powerful tool to:

• Define a clear scope of practice and competencies within the CHW workforce
• Create a more simplified path to recruitment
• Create a shared vision for integrating CHWs into healthcare teams 

The public health community has widely endorsed working directly with CHWs and associations to ensure certification policies are responsive to the needs of the workforce.

This Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) brief outlines state approaches to developing CHW certification programs.

HRSA’s National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement provided support for this ASTHO resource.

On Saturday, 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 in July, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is looking to bring on new volunteers and paid employees to answer calls, chats, and texts from people in crisis. All employees and volunteers receive training, so if you are a caring person who wants to help those in crisis, find your opportunity and apply today.