HRSA Makes $25 Million Available to Reduce Health Disparities in Maternal Health Care, CDC Updated Guidance on COVID-19 Boosters for Pediatric Patients, and more

HRSA sent this bulletin at 10/20/2022 01:02 PM EDT

October 20, 2022

HIV Clinicians Come Together for 2022 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Clinical Conference

From Sunday, October 16 - Tuesday, October 18, approximately 400 HIV clinicians from Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program- (RWHAP) funded clinics and programs across the country convened for the 2022 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Clinical Conference in San Diego, CA. The annual event provided state-of-the-art updates on research, care, and treatment in the medical management of HIV for experienced HIV clinical decision makers, including medical directors, HIV physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

Our HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) Associate Administrator Dr. Laura Cheever co-chaired the three-day 2022 RWHAP Clinical Conference, which was sponsored by the International Antiviral Society-USA and supported by HRSA HAB. This year’s conference was coordinated by the RWHAP AIDS Education and Training Center Program clinician training network. Sessions from the conference were recorded and will be made available in the coming weeks.

View more information about the 2022 RWHAP Clinical Conference.

HRSA Makes $25 Million Available to Reduce Health Disparities in Maternal Health Care

We recently made available up to $25 million for HRSA-funded health centers to increase equitable access to maternal health care in underserved communities.

Award recipients will develop and pilot innovative models of care delivery to improve health outcomes and address clinical and health-related social needs for patients at the highest risk of maternal morbidity and mortality.

This funding will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis by ensuring better access to comprehensive, coordinated health care, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

Read more in the bulletin published by our Bureau of Primary Health Care.

CDC Updates Guidance on COVID-19 Boosters for Pediatric Patients

On Wednesday, October 12, CDC recommended the following bivalent booster shots for COVID-19 vaccination:

Pfizer-BioNTech booster for patients ages 5-11.
Moderna booster for patients ages 6-17.

This recommendation follows FDA's authorization of these products on Wednesday, October 12.

HRSA-Funded Research Examines Postpartum Care Disparities

New HRSA-funded research from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examined how postpartum care differed across health insurance type, rural versus urban residence, and race and ethnicity.

The results, based on a survey of 138,073 patients and published in JAMA Health Forum, suggest that inequities in postpartum care are extensive and provide insight for health care organizations and policymakers addressing inequities in care.

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Observes National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day

On Saturday, October 15, our Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program observed National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD).

NLAAD recognizes the disproportionate impact of HIV on Hispanic/Latino persons in the U.S., and it is an important opportunity to promote HIV testing, education, care, and treatment among Hispanic/Latino communities.

Nearly 24% of RWHAP clients are Hispanic/Latino people, and among Hispanic/Latino RWHAP clients receiving HIV medical care, more than 91% are virally suppressed, meaning they cannot sexually transmit HIV to their partner.

Learn more about resources available to support the Hispanic/Latino community.