HRSA December in Brief

On December 15, HRSA Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman and Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) Associate Administrator Dr. Michael Warren joined a White House roundtable led by Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President Kristine Lucius to discuss the Agency's efforts to improve maternal and infant health. In addition to announcing the release of a funding opportunity for the State Maternal Health Innovation program, which supports state maternal health task forces, HRSA highlighted several of its foundational maternal health programs, including the Health Center Program; Healthy Start; the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant; the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; and the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program.

The discussion is one of the many actions taken to advance the Biden-Harris Administration's White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis (PDF - 912 KB).

On December 1, HRSA commemorated World AIDS Day. This day of solidarity honors all people who have been affected by HIV both domestically and internationally.

In observance of the event, HRSA Chief of Staff Garrett Devenney and HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau Associate Administrator Dr. Laura Cheever joined members of the DC community with HIV along with federal and local leaders, health care providers, and community health workers at Family Medical and Counseling Services, Inc., in Washington, DC, for a tour and roundtable discussion about HIV care, prevention, and treatment services funded by HRSA in Southeast DC.

In addition, HRSA released the latest Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Annual Data Report (PDF - 3 MB). As spotlighted in HHS's press release, the report showed approximately 9 out of 10 people who receive HIV medical care through the program are virally suppressed, which means they cannot transmit HIV and can live longer and healthier lives.

Findings from the report also showed that the percentage of Black/African American clients, Hispanic/Latino clients, and youth and young adult clients receiving care through the program achieved viral suppression that exceeded overall national viral suppression rates.

On December 12, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson participated in NASHP's State-Federal Roundtable on the Health Care Workforce with 30 state health and human services secretaries, commissioners, and executive directors to discuss opportunities for innovative strategies to address health care workforce needs in their states.

Administrator Johnson provided an update on state HRSA's investments to grow the health care workforce and discussed opportunities for strengthening federal-state collaboration on health care workforce initiatives.

HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau Associate Administrator Dr. Laura Cheever served as co-chair for the 2023 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Clinical Conference from December 3 – 5, in Portland, Oregon.

The conference provided key updates about the latest developments on research, care, and treatment to 475 experienced clinical decision makers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, who provide medical care and treatment for people with HIV and those integral to providing medical care in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded sites across the country.

HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson and HRSA leadership celebrated the graduation of the first class of HRSA Health Equity Fellows and the latest class of HRSA Scholars following their initial one-year intensive training.

Last year, HRSA launched the Health Equity Fellows program to foster the next generation of HRSA leaders by providing recent graduates and others early in their careers with hands-on experience in implementing HRSA's mission of addressing health disparities, improving health outcomes, and achieving health equity.

For more than two decades, the HRSA Scholars Program has also served as a recruitment pipeline for high-quality job candidates and future leaders by providing participants with exposure to offices and programs across the Agency.

On December 26, HRSA's Associate Administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau Dr. Laura Cheever was selected as the 2023 winner of the Beyond AIDS Foundation's "Nettie" award for her outstanding work contributing to HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

The Nettie Award is named after New York Assembly Member Nettie Mayersohn, author of state legislation for HIV reporting, notification, and testing.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) M.O.M.S Tour is a series of community baby showers across the United States hosted by the HHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships to promote maternal health work. The events focus on reducing high maternal mortality and morbidity rates and disparities in the United States.

On December 2, HRSA Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico) joined a Spanish-language HHS M.O.M.S Tour stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico. HRSA provided opening remarks for the event. More than 75 attendees, pregnant women, and their families participated. Several HRSA grantees served as exhibitors in the event, including:

• Healthpro Med, an HRSA-supported Health Center, which provided free vaccinations.
• Centro de Estudios Materno-Infantiles, a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part D recipient, which promoted prenatal care services for pregnant women with HIV.
• Marianela Rodriguez of the Puerto Rico Department of Health Maternal Child Health Program, a HRSA Maternal Child Health Program grantee, who encouraged attendees to receive early prenatal care services and use the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA).

On December 9, Associate Administrator Dr. Michael Warren joined HRSA Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia) and their exhibit at the Prince George's County M.O.M.S Tour stop.

On December 7, HRSA Region 10 (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska) staff partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for a virtual event to promote behavioral health programs and resources, and to facilitate a panel discussion with behavioral health officials from the Alaska Department of Health, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB), and Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The panel discussed behavioral health equity challenges and innovative strategies in their respective states and tribes. Alaska Department of Health officials discussed successful partnerships with public health organizations and professional learning communities. NPAIHB officials emphasized the importance of cultural safety practices and a holistic care approach, which involves integrative care and the inclusion of peer navigators.

On December 7, HRSA Chicago and Kansas City staff hosted a Grants 101 workshop in Quincy, Illinois, for over 45 participants from Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. The workshop educated potential grant applicants about HRSA programs and resources.

The workshop also included a federal funding panel featuring members from HRSA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Agriculture. Attendees also learned about technical assistance and resources provided by the Illinois State Office of Rural Health.