HHS awards $17 million to support innovations to strengthen the Federal Home Visiting Program

image of a mom kissing her young son on the cheek

November 29 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $17 million in funding for the Federal Home Visiting Programs in 13 states. This funding will support HRSA Federal Home Visiting Program awardees in the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovations to strengthen and improve delivery of coordinated and comprehensive high-quality voluntary services to eligible families.

“These funds aim to develop and implement innovations targeted to home visiting program delivery needs and to generate and disseminate new knowledge in the field,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Jim Macrae. “The nine awardees will work with other grantees so in the end these funds will have impact in thirteen states.”

World AIDS Day December 1

Today HRSA and its HIV/AIDS Bureau observes World AIDS Day to show our support and commitment to those living with HIV/AIDS and remember and honor those who have died from the disease in the United States and around the world. This year’s theme is Leadership, Commitment, and Impact through Collaboration.

We recognize the sustained leadership, unwavering commitment, and continuous collaborative efforts of our recipients, which have resulted in significant progress in providing care and treatment services to people living with HIV. While there is still more work to be done, especially among vulnerable populations who still struggle to get linked to care, remain in care and achieve viral suppression, HRSA remains committed to increasing access to HIV care and treatment and to collaborating with our partners to end the AIDS epidemic.

Learn more about World AIDS Day.

A home is health

Whether you're serving homeless people, HIV patients or those experiencing substance abuse - and tens of thousands of Americans fall into all three populations - the likelihood of success often boils down to a single factor: Housing.

Estimates are that about half of the nation's 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, for example, will experience “housing need” at some point in their lives, says Amy Palilonis, of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

And those who are in need of housing are far more likely to fall out of treatment and become viral again, says Amy Griffin of HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau.

Learn more about Housing Awareness Month.

Rural America, front and center

Continuing a decades-long trend, rural Americans have shorter life expectancies than urban dwellers – even as life spans have increased markedly in the nation as a whole, federal authorities said at a recent conference hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ahead of National Rural Health Day.

"There is clear evidence that we're making progress," said Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt, pointing to a sharp decline in the number of uninsured rural Americans. "But the big black mark on our health care system are the vast disparities in the care people receive.”

Learn more about Rural Health.

Webinar on 2015 Ryan White program data

The Ryan White program reaches more than 50% of people living with diagnosed HIV in the U.S.

The HIV/AIDS Bureau will host the 2015 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Services Report Overview webcast on Wednesday, December 7, from 2:00-3:30 pm EST.

This webcast will highlight important changes to and data from the 2015 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Annual Client-Level Data Report, which will be released December 2016.

Join the webcast.

National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) projects workforce demands

health worker talking with an elderly man

HRSA’s National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) just released two primary care reports, the National and Regional Projections of Supply and Demand for Primary Care Practitioners: 2013-2025, and State-Level Projections of Supply and Demand for Primary Care Practitioners: 2013-2025, which include updated projections for the supply and demand of primary care practitioners through 2025.

Additionally, NCHWA, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, released a new report titled National Projections of Supply and Demand for Selected Behavioral Health Practitioners: 2013-2025. The report presents national projections on the supply of and demand for nine behavioral health disciplines in the United States in 2025.

Visit NCHWA's website to read the reports.

Facing addiction in America

The Surgeon General’s report on alcohol, drugs, and health

Last month, the first ever U.S. Surgeon General report on substance misuse and related disorders was released.

Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health takes a comprehensive look at the problems and solutions, including misuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, and other substances; and brings together the best available science on the adverse health consequences of substance misuse. It also summarizes what is known about what works in prevention, treatment, and recovery.

The landmark report finds alcohol and drug misuse and severe substance use disorders to be one of the nation’s most pressing public health concerns, with more than 27 million people in the United States last year reporting current use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs.

Read the full report and executive summary.