Administrator Meets with Tribal Leaders

HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan and HRSA Administrator Dr. George Sigounas, MS, Ph.D. with Community Health Center CEO Cheryl Kilgore

HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan and HRSA Administrator Dr. George Sigounas toured the Interior Community Health Center in Fairbanks, Alaska with CEO Cheryl Kilgore on September 25 on their way to the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee meeting. The gathering was hosted by the Tanana Chiefs Conference, a HRSA grantee. It was the second consecutive year that the committee met in Indian Country, and the first such gathering in Alaska.

Learn more about his visit to Alaska.

HHS Awards $293 Million to Expand Primary Health Care Workforce

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $293 million in awards to primary health care clinicians and students through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corpsprograms.

"These programs connect primary care providers with the rural, urban, and tribal communities across the country that need them most,” said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, MS, Ph.D. “In addition to providing essential medical and dental care, these clinicians are on the front lines helping to fight pressing public health issues, like the growing opioid epidemic."

Read the HHS press release.

Read a blog post by Dr. Sigounas on Corps Community Month.

HHS Awards $2.34 Billion in Grants to Help Americans Access HIV/AIDS Care and Medication

October 11 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that approximately $2.34 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants were awarded to cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations in fiscal year (FY) 2018. This funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) supports a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, medication, and essential support services to more than half a million people living with HIV in the United States.

“New medical advances and broader access to treatment have helped transform HIV/AIDS from a likely death sentence into a manageable chronic disease,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is an important way to ensure that these life-saving treatments reach the Americans who need them, and the Trump Administration is committed to continuing to improve the care by Americans living with HIV/AIDS receive.”

"The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program plays a vital role in the United States' public health response to ending the HIV epidemic,” said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, MS, Ph.D. "These grants will help ensure that the most vulnerable Americans living with HIV/AIDS have access to life-saving care and treatment needed to improve their health quality and medical outcomes."

Read the HHS press release.

New Associate Administrator for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau

Photo of Dr. Michael Warren, Associate Administrator, HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau

HRSA welcomed Michael D. Warren, M.D. M.P.H. F.A.A.P., as the new Associate Administrator of HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau on October 15. Dr. Warren is a board-certified pediatrician with an extensive background in public health and a proven record of implementing evidence-based strategies that advance the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families.

Dr. Warren previously served as Deputy Commissioner for Population Health at the Tennessee Department of Health. During his tenure, Tennessee made demonstrable improvements in maternal and child health including implementing safe sleep policies, enacting strategies to support breastfeeding, and establishing a public health surveillance system for neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Read Dr. Warren's full biography.

HRSA's Austin Demby Honored

Austin Demby, Deputy Director of HRSA's Office of Global Health, received the 2018 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Africa-America Institute

Austin Demby, Deputy Director of HRSA's Office of Global Health - whose work helped stem the spread of HIV/AIDS and slow the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in his native Sierra Leone - has been recognized by a leading international development organization.

Demby received the 2018 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Africa-America Institute at the organization's 65th annual awards dinner last month in New York City. The AAI presents the honor annually to a graduate of one of its education and training programs who has made significant contributions to their country or field of work.

Learn more about Demby's work.

Demographics Dashboard on data.hrsa.gov

The data.hrsa.gov team recently launched a new demographics dashboard. This interactive tool combines population, income, age, and other Census data with HRSA grant funding, shortage areas, loan repayment, and scholarship awards.

Choose one state, territory, or county, or compare two areas side-by-side. Data.hrsa.gov has many other maps, dashboards, reports, and downloadable data files to help you discover more about HRSA’s programs.

HRSA Study Estimates Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety & Behavioral Problems in U.S. Children, Finds Treatment Gaps

A HRSA-led study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that about 3 percent of U.S. children had depression, 7 percent had anxiety, and 7 percent had behavioral or conduct problems. About 80 percent of children with depression had received treatment in the past year, compared to 59 percent of those with anxiety and 54 percent of those with behavioral/conduct problems. The researchers also found significant disparities in the receipt of treatment by age and household income.

The analysis used parent-reported 2016 data on U.S. children aged 3-17 years from HRSA’s National Survey of Children’s Health.

Previous research has shown that mental disorders in children can interfere with developmental milestones and daily functioning. Treatment may help to address these challenges.

Read the abstract.

30th Anniversary of the First Cord Blood Transplant

line art depiction of a baby in the womb

On September 14, 2018 the umbilical cord blood transplant community celebrated the success of the first cord blood transplant. Eliane Gluckman, MD, who performed the world's first successful umbilical cord blood transplant in 1988, received the first Cord Blood Association Lifetime Achievement award. Presenting the award was Matthew Farrow who, at age 5, was her patient for this cord blood transplant.

Each year, over 12,000 new patients are diagnosed with a disease for which an unrelated blood stem cell transplant may offer a potential cure. Umbilical cord blood units available through the HRSA National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI) program give more patients a better chance of receiving a potentially life-saving transplant. In FY 2017, 494 NCBI cord blood units were shipped for transplantation.

Learn about cord blood information.

Webinar: State Options for Promoting Recovery among Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid or Substance Use Disorder

Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2018Time: 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm ET

The current opioid epidemic is driving a heightened focus on substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment for pregnant and parenting women, who have unique needs and face unique challenges. However, gaps in care often remain, particularly during the postpartum period.

This NASHP webinar, supported by HRSA, will highlight a state that is coordinating across agencies and systems to meet the needs of pregnant and parenting women affected by SUD. Speakers from Colorado will describe the coverage, financing, and care delivery strategies that their state agencies and safety net providers leverage to facilitate recovery among pregnant and parenting women with SUD, including opportunities for cross-system collaboration.

2018 Bureau of Primary Health Care Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey

image of a stethoscope laying on top of a page showing charts and graphs

Health Center Program grantees, look-alikes, and cooperative agreement partners, you should have received your email invitation for the 2018 HRSA BPHC Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey. Please take just 15 minutes before the Nov. 13 deadline to inform us about how we can better serve your organization.

Survey links were sent to the Project Directors based on data from HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs). If the email address in EHBs is no longer valid (or if you should have, but did not receive a link), please email BPHCreviews@hrsa.gov. Be sure to check your spam folder.

Special Edition of Primary Health Care Digest: Intimate Partner Violence and Human Trafficking

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, HRSA issued a special edition of the Primary Health Care Digest last week focused on intimate partner violence and human trafficking. In one convenient place, you can read about promising practices from health centers and find resources to support patients. Subscribe to the Primary Health Care Digest to receive the weekly newsletter, as well as future special editions