HRSA April in Brief

Administrator Carole Johnson testified at two congressional hearings about HRSA programs.

On April 19, 2023, Administrator Johnson testified before the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health about the need to extend expiring funding for the Health Center Program, the National Health Service Corps, and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program (PDF - 81 KB) before the end of the fiscal year, and highlighted HRSA's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget proposals.

On April 26, 2023, Administrator Johnson testified before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education to discuss HRSA's efforts to support and grow the health workforce as well as the Provider Relief Fund.

HRSA joined HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to meet with state officials and other partners to outline the resources and other supports we are providing to state governments and other partners during the unwinding of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the continuous enrollment period for Medicaid. Administrator Johnson emphasized the need for coordination between local, state, and federal officials to ensure individuals currently eligible for Medicaid remain eligible or to assist individuals in obtaining affordable marketplace coverage if they are no longer eligible for Medicaid.

HRSA celebrated Black Maternal Health Week by announcing the availability of approximately $468 million in new funding to support maternal and child health across several programs, including:

• Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
• State Maternal Health Innovation Program
• Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions

We also featured grantee stories and their work, grantee photo spotlights, and doulas stories to highlight HRSA's commitment to reducing the unacceptable racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.

On April 19, HRSA Chief of Staff Garrett Devenney, Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth DeVoss, and Acting Director of Tribal Affairs Ivy Vedamuthu presented HRSA’s key budget requests and priorities to tribal leaders during the 2023 HHS Annual Tribal Budget Consultation. The Budget Consultation is an opportunity for Tribal leaders to engage with HHS leaders in discussion on HHS budget priorities.

HRSA’s newest senior leaders attended the HHS Senior Executive Service (SES) Oath of Office Award's recognition ceremony and pledged to serve the American people. Working in tandem with Administrator Johnson and the entire staff, HRSA continues to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal for all Americans to have health security and access to affordable and quality health care.

HRSA’s Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) partnered with the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) to host the 2023 Communities Improving Maternal Health Alliance Conference in Dallas, TX. The Conference brought together doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, peer educators, community health workers, and community members to identify actions to address and reduce persistent disparities in maternal health outcomes in the region. HRSA staff, Healthy Start grantees, Nurture KC, and Crescent City Family Services presented at breakout sessions on maternal health workforce support and social determinants of health.

HRSA Regional Administrator Leah Suter delivered welcoming remarks at a Black Maternal Health Week "Moms Matter" community health event in McKees Rock, PA, which was hosted by the HRSA-funded health center Sto-Rox Neighborhood Health Council and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-supported County Housing Authority. She spoke with HRSA grantee Healthy Start Pittsburgh (pictured with Healthy Start Doula Zay Bell) about their community-based services and HRSA's Healthy Start Community-Based Doulas funding. She also spoke with the health center's leadership and toured their mobile health unit, which was offering screenings and vaccinations during the event.

On the same day, HRSA Regional Administrator Sharon Turner delivered remarks during the Black Maternal Health Week Conference hosted by the JUST Birth Network in Seattle, WA. She underscored HRSA's commitment to addressing maternal health disparities and shared information on HRSA's funding for community-based doulas and the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.

HRSA regional leadership met with state health directors in Oregon (pictured), Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands to discuss HRSA programs and funding opportunities. These meetings with state health officials demonstrate HRSA's ongoing commitment to understanding state and territorial health priorities and finding ways to work together to address the country's most pressing health needs.

HRSA Regional Administrator Leah Suter recently visited partners in Allegheny County, PA. Planned in coordination with the Three Rivers Alliance for Community Health Centers, a coalition of nine HRSA-funded health centers and look-alike programs in the area, she visited with the Allegheny County Health Department (pictured), the local Workforce Investment Board, Partner4Work, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. She shared information on local HRSA grants and resources and learned about the county's efforts to support the health care workforce, including workforce pipeline programs and collaboration with local health centers on dental and health apprenticeship programs.

HRSA Acting Regional Administrator Valerie Gallo (pictured, far right) and HRSA San Francisco staff met with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and California Department of Health Care Access and Information to develop an inventory of all HRSA and California health workforce programs to help stakeholders find available funding that best meets their needs. This is a critical step to increase opportunities to train, recruit, and retain California's health care workforce.

HRSA Deputy Regional Administrator CAPT Chandak Ghosh (pictured, left, with Krystal Ka'ai, White House Initiative for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Executive Director) spoke at the WHIAANHPI Economic Summit in New York, NY. Attendees representing federal agencies, businesses, colleges, community organizations, and local government discussed connecting communities to federal commerce, health care, and education resources. HRSA staff shared resources on our Health Center Program, National Health Service Corps, HIV/AIDS programs, and Healthy Start.