HRSA October in Brief

On October 3, Bureau of Health Workforce Acting Associate Administrator, Dr. Candice Chen, took part in a dedication ceremony to honor the health care community with a new Forever® postal stamp. The ceremony was held at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) headquarters in Washington, DC.

The unveiling of the new stamp was an opportunity for HHS and the U.S. Postal Service to pay tribute to the nation’s nearly 16 million health care workers. These essential workers dedicate their lives to protect people’s health, safety, and well-being.

Principal Deputy Administrator Diana Espinosa delivered remarks at the National Residency Matching Program’s Transition to Residency conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 4.

This year’s conference focused on ways to strengthen the transition to residency, fellowship, and medical practice. The Principal Deputy Administrator spoke about HRSA’s mission and the agency’s efforts to grow, support, and strengthen the health workforce. She also highlighted the importance of building a resilient, capable physician workforce through support for graduate medical education and other training programs.

On October 7—Child Health Day—HRSA released the results of the 2023 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). The yearly survey is the largest national- and state-level survey on the health and health care needs of children under the age of 18, their families, and their communities. New datasets are released each year on Child Health Day. HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau funds and directs the survey, and the U.S. Census Bureau conducts it. This video provides more details about the survey.

In 2023, parents or guardians completed questionnaires for more than 55,000 children. The survey data add to our understanding of the health status and health service needs of children across the nation by providing information on topics such as:

• Health conditions and functional difficulties
• Social and emotional well-being
• Health-related behaviors
• Access to and use of health care services
• School environment and engagement

Key findings (PDF - 84 KB) of the 2023 survey include:

• About one in five adolescents have a current, diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition.
• About 8 in 10 adolescents 12 – 17 years who needed mental health treatment received it.

On October 9, HRSA announced nearly $19 million in grant awards to 15 states to identify and implement innovative strategies to address the maternal health crisis. HRSA Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman, joined by Representative Robin Kelly (IL-02), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and Co-chair of the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus, announced these awards in Chicago, Illinois, as part of HRSA’s latest Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative state convening.

HRSA announced the availability of this funding in December 2023 at a White House roundtable on innovation in maternal health convened by the Office of the Vice President Kamala Harris and the Domestic Policy Council in support of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis (PDF - 912 KB).

During the convening, Deputy Administrator Grossman emphasized the importance of listening to women and mothers with lived experience in developing community-based solutions. He noted that HRSA’s state maternal health task forces across the country are working to innovate and deploy community-driven strategies to support pregnant women and new moms.

As part of the Illinois convening, Deputy Administrator Grossman and Bureau of Primary Health Care Deputy Associate Administrator Onyekachukwu Anaedozie visited TCA Health, Inc., a HRSA-funded health center, and heard from health care providers and patients about their experiences and ideas to address maternal health issues.

On October 17, Dr. Laura Cheever, Associate Administrator of HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB), announced that she will be retiring at the end of 2024 after 25 years of federal service. As HAB Associate Administrator, she led the successful launch of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and oversaw a $2.6 billion investment to expand HIV care and treatment to more than half of all people with HIV in the United States.

Under Dr. Cheever’s leadership, HIV viral suppression rates for people treated for HIV under the program jumped from 70% in 2010 to 90% in 2022. Viral suppression means people with HIV taking their medication cannot sexually transmit HIV and can live longer and healthier lives.

Dr. Cheever championed community engagement to identify gaps and address needs to improve the program. Her leadership contributed to the 2020 rollout of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Initiative.

Dr. Cheever leaves a strong organization that is taking on the challenges of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. Heather Hauck, the current Deputy Associate Administrator of HAB, is stepping in as HAB’s Acting Associate Administrator.

Staff from across HRSA presented and exhibited at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Presenters shared information about HRSA programs, including:

• The positive impact of health centers on health outcomes
• The role of community engagement to reduce HIV disparities
• Support for the maternal health workforce
• Prevention and response to intimate partner violence

It was inspiring to see our grantees and talk with them about the impact HRSA investments make in their communities.