The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are collaborating to provide $374.9 million in grants to enhance cybersecurity for state and local governments, responding to increasing threats to critical infrastructure and public safety (funding notice). Year 2 of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) offers funding for building cyber capabilities. The… (Colocho, August 8, 2023) #Grants, #Health Information Technology

Pursuant to the Easy Medication Access and Treatment for Opioid Addiction Act (P.L. 116-215), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued a final rule to allow practitioners to dispense a three-day supply of narcotic medication to start detoxification treatment or maintenance treatment for people who use opioids. This change aims to expand access to medication for individuals suffering from withdrawal symptoms,… (Marceno, August 7, 2023) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Opioids, #Prevention

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Action For Healthy Kids, in partnership with the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, is awarding nearly $30 million in subgrants to 264 school districts across 44 states for small and rural school districts. Each district will receive funding that will be used to improve the nutritional quality of their meals and modernize their operations,… (McClurg, August 7, 2023) #Nutrition, #Pediatrics

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released two new toolkits aimed at enhancing the safety culture in labor and delivery units, thereby reducing maternal and neonatal adverse events arising from communication gaps and system failures. The Toolkits to Reduce Hypertension in Pregnancy and Obstetric Hemorrhage are specifically designed to address obstetric hemorrhage and severe high blood pressure during… (Marceno, August 4, 2023) #Prevention, #Public Health, #Women’s Health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shared four new resources created in July to support parenting and pregnant people struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). SAMHSA states that there are effective interventions for opioid use disorder (OUD), such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which can lead to positive outcomes for both the mother and the infant. However, it is… (1/1/70) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Opioids, #Women’s Health

The Office of Health Policy at the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released a report showing that the national uninsured rate in the United States reached an all-time low of 7.7 percent in early 2023. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notes this is the first report on the uninsured rate since the Affordable Care Act… (Colocho, August 3, 2023) #Coverage Decisions, #COVID-19, #Health Equity, #Public Health

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report revealing that while end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients benefited from telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, medical records documented limited information related to these services. In response to the public health emergency, Medicare allowed waivers and modifications to enable telehealth services for… (Colocho, August 2, 2023) #End-Stage Renal Disease, #Telehealth

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a final recommendation statement on folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects. The Task Force issued a grade ‘A’ recommendation that all person planning to or who could become pregnant take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg of folic acid. This recommendation is a reaffirmation of the USPSTF 2017… (Colocho, August 2, 2023) #Pediatrics, #Prevention, #Women’s Health

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the establishment of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice to coordinate the response to Long COVID across the federal government. Long COVID affects millions of Americans with long-term symptoms after COVID-19 infection. The office, located within HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, aims to improve the lives… (Colocho, August 2, 2023) #COVID-19, #Public Health

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS) final rule (press release, fact sheet), which applies to acute care hospital and LTCH payments beginning Oct. 1, 2023. Under the final rule, acute care hospitals will receive a 3.1 percent… (Testa, August 1, 2023) #Graduate Medical Education (GME), #Health Equity, #Hospitals, #Long-Term Care Hospitals, #Quality, #Social Determinants of Health