HRSA November in Brief

On November 12, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson joined leaders from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Administration for Community Living, and the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families in a panel session during the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) 2024 Fall Conference in Washington, DC. The three-day event brought together 1,400 Medicaid directors and agency officials, representatives of federal agencies, health care researchers, health policy partners, and other health care stakeholders from across the country.

In her remarks, Administrator Johnson highlighted HRSA initiatives to address the maternal mortality crisis and expand the number of obstetricians and gynecologists, nurses, midwives, doulas, and community health workers.

On November 14, HRSA announced a new nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA). The hotline is a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader efforts to improve maternal health and supports HRSA’s ongoing initiative to reduce maternal mortality and health disparities.

The campaign is enlisting the help of Maternal Mental Health Champions—stores, pharmacies, and health and community organizations—to promote the hotline and other mental health resources for mothers and pregnant people. The first six Maternal Mental Health Champions together have thousands of locations in all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The announcement came during a convening of HRSA’s Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative in Portland, Oregon. HRSA Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman led the convening, joined by Bureau of Health Workforce Acting Associate Administrator Dr. Candice Chen and HRSA Office of Women’s Health Acting Director Shirley Payne. Attendees included mothers, health care professionals, and HRSA maternal health grantees from across Oregon.

On November 19, Bureau of Primary Health Care Associate Administrator Jim Macrae delivered remarks at the 2024 National Association of Community Health Centers Partner Conference in Seattle, Washington.

The conference brought together leaders from primary care associations, Health Center Controlled Networks, and National Training and Technical Assistance Partners to discuss shared strategies on policy, data, operations, payment, and workforce. Associate Administrator Macrae spoke about HRSA’s Health Center Program key initiatives and reflected on recent successes as well as future training and technical assistance needs.

HRSA celebrated National Rural Health Day on November 21. The event was an opportunity to recognize the dedication of rural health providers, community organizations, and state offices of rural health in meeting the health care needs of rural America. 

This year, HRSA highlighted the importance of maternal health in rural communities (PDF - 264 KB) by holding a convening for the Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative in Centreville, Alabama. Led by Tom Morris, Associate Administrator of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Dr. Michael Warren, Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), and Onyekachukwu Anaedozie, MCHB Deputy Associate Administrator, the event brought together women and families from rural communities who are served by HRSA programs, as well as grant recipients, state and local health officials, community organizations, and health care professionals from across the state. The participants will continue working together to address maternal mortality and provide critical supports to help ensure the health and well-being of families in Alabama.

HRSA also celebrated National Rural Health Day across the country, with staff from each HRSA regional office visiting health centers and rural grantees, presenting at rural health conferences, and meeting with state health officials.

On November 22, HRSA announced nearly $52 million in awards for 54 HRSA-funded health centers to increase access to high-quality primary care for people soon to be released from incarceration and reentering the community. The funding enables health centers to use innovative approaches to support these individuals before their release to address health risks during reentry.

As part of the announcement, HRSA Administrator Johnson held a roundtable with community leaders in Boston, Massachusetts, to discuss how HRSA-funded health centers provide care for justice-involved individuals as they return to their communities. Administrator Johnson joined staff from the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program on a tour of their facilities, highlighting their efforts to meet community health needs, including primary care, chronic disease management, treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and overdose prevention.

HRSA Administrator Johnson joined the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and leaders from the Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Administration for Children and Families, National Institutes of Health, and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the November Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee meeting in Washington, DC, to discuss public health priorities and initiatives. She highlighted HRSA’s work in Indian Country and reiterated the agency’s commitment to eliminating health disparities.