This week, the White House announced it will co-host the second Global COVID-19 Summit which will be held virtually on May 12, 2022. The Summit is intended to “redouble our collective efforts to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic” and prepare for future public health emergencies. The Summit follows the first Global COVID-19…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week announced the launch of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA), which seeks to enhance the nation’s ability to use data, models, and analytics to enable timely, effective decision-making in response to public health threats for CDC and its public health partners. CFA’s…
Read More »On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data in its latest edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) indicating vaccination coverage for kindergarteners dropped by one percentage point across the country in the 2020-21 school year for three state-required vaccines (MMR, DTaP, and chicken pox) for public and…
Read More »On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a nationwide health alert notifying clinicians and public health authorities about a cluster of children identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection. The CDC is asking all health care providers to be on the lookout for symptoms and report any suspected cases of hepatitis…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this week announced the awarding of nearly $105 million in grant funding, provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to 54 states and territories in advance of the transition of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from the…
Read More »The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) this week announced the availability of nearly $90 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support new data-driven efforts for HRSA Health Center Program-supported health centers and look-alikes to identify and reduce health disparities. HRSA’s modernized data collection and reporting initiative, Uniform Data System Patient-Level…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week issued a proposed rule for inpatient and long-term hospitals, seeking to include three health-equity focused measures in hospital quality programs, solicit stakeholder input related to documenting social determinants of health in inpatient claims data, and establish a “Birthing-Friendly” hospital designation. CMS’ proposed health-equity measures…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update Medicare enrollment and eligibility rules by providing Medicare coverage the month immediately after enrollment. The move is anticipated to reduce the uninsured period and expand access through Medicare special enrollment periods (SEPs). It would also allow eligible beneficiaries to…
Read More »President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. this week sent his Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy to Congress, delineating his Administration’s approach to address the country’s overdose epidemic. According to the Biden Administration, the Strategy focuses on primary two drivers of the epidemic – untreated addiction and drug trafficking – and instructs federal agencies to prioritize…
Read More »The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently announced a funding opportunity for the implementation of an academic detailing program in pediatric settings to facilitate conversations about the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs). Approximately…
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