President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Friday issued a nationwide proclamation declaring April 11 through April 18, 2022, as Black Maternal Health Week. The President calls on all Americans to raise awareness of the state of Black maternal health in the U.S. by understanding the consequences of systemic discrimination, recognizing the scope of the problem…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced the availability of $4.5 million for hiring, training, certifying, and compensating community-based doulas in areas with high rates of adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. The funding, provided through HRSA’s Healthy Start Initiative, will increase the number of…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a warning to federal, state, and local law enforcement entities about a nationwide spike in fentanyl-related mass-overdose events. Fentanyl-related mass-overdose events, defined as involving three or more overdoses occurring close in time and location, have happened in at least seven American cities in recent months, resulting…
Read More »President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Monday issued his administration’s federal budget proposal for the 2023 federal fiscal year. The $5.7 trillion budget proposal seeks to continue the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthen the country’s fiscal and economic conditions, promote economic and job opportunities, and address nationwide challenges related to climate change, health,…
Read More »On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines for older adults and certain immunocompromised individuals. The FDA previously authorized a single booster dose for certain immunocompromised individuals following completion of a three-dose primary vaccination series. According to the FDA,…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week released new analyses exploring the mental health statuses of U.S. high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to new data, in 2021, more than one-third (37 percent) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the pandemic, and 44 percent…
Read More »This week, the Biden-Harris Administration this week launched www.COVID.gov, a new one-stop website for vaccines, tests, treatments, masks, and the latest COVID-19 guidance and information. As part of COVID.gov, a new Test-to-Treat locator is available to assist individuals access pharmacies and community health centers nationwide for COVID-19 testing and treatment. The Administration has launched over…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $256.6 million in grant funding to support 76 grantees to deliver equitable, affordable, client-centered, and high-quality family planning services. These grants are anticipated to restore access to Title X services nationwide and fill service gaps caused by more than a quarter of Title…
Read More »Two years of pandemic response activities have contributed to increased stress, burnout, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among the country’s public health workforce, according to the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS). The survey, conducted by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), also found…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced it has stopped accepting claims for COVID-19 testing and treatment for uninsured individuals due to a lack of sufficient funds. No claims submitted to HRSA for testing or treatment after March 22, 2022, will be processed for adjudication or treatment, according to the agency….
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