Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA)

November 4, 2022

HHS IEA Call with Surgeon General: Increasing bivalent vaccination of older adults and people with disabilities

The HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs and the Administration for Community Living invite you to join a webinar with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and other subject matter experts on how we can work together to accelerate vaccination of people with disabilities, older adults, and others who are at greatest risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

If you have a question you would like to submit for the panelists, we encourage you to submit it in advance through the zoom registration link.

Date: Tuesday, November 8
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST
Register for the briefing here.

National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) Rural Horizon’s Spotlight

November 4, 2022

Rural Horizon’s Spotlight New issue of NRHA’s Rural Horizons now available online

The latest issue of NRHA’s Rural Horizons, the association’s quarterly magazine, is now available online featuring three new articles on timely topics including ensuring health equity for our rural LGBTQ+ neighbors.

Without access to high quality, timely, and affirming care, LGBTQ+ residents may go without necessary routine or preventive care and may have a harder time getting appropriate care during acute and emergency situations.

“Rural LGBTQ+ individuals face the additional challenges of finding welcoming and affirming providers who understand best practices around LGBTQ+ health,” says NRHA member Carrie Henning-Smith. “If a provider or other staff in a health care facility isn’t welcoming, affirming, or up to date on best practices, rural LGBTQ+ residents are often left with fewer alternative choices for care than their urban counterparts would be.”

Rural Horizons features articles carefully selected to engage and inform everyone working to improve rural health care. You can subscribe in print by becoming an NRHA member. Email the editors to submit an abstract for potential publication, get information on editorial content, or purchase issues.

Data on aging, maternal health, mental health, travel burden

November 4, 2022

Data on aging, maternal health, mental health, travel burden

Rural Health Research Gateway recently compiled research coauthored by multiple NRHA members related to aging in place, race and rurality regarding maternal health disparities, rural mental health, and the travel burden to receive care. Additionally, a recording is available of a recent EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center webinar on optimizing clinical care processes for children and adolescents presenting to the ED with acute suicidality through quality improvement collaboratives. Teams can enroll through Jan. 13. Advocate for the mental health needs of your rural community by joining NRHA and hundreds of rural health stakeholders Feb. 7-9 at NRHA’s 34th Rural Health Policy Institute.

White House warns of potential ‘tripledemic’

November 4, 2022

White House warns of potential ‘tripledemic’

An expected winter rise in COVID cases appears poised to collide with a resurgent influenza season, causing a “twindemic” — or even a “tripledemic,” with respiratory syncytial virus in the mix. According to a recent NRHA survey, data show opinions on COVID vaccination have further solidified, especially among unvaccinated individuals, which could increase the severity of illness. Additionally, experts say the response to the monkeypox virus in rural America may be affected by the patchy resources and bitter politics that are a legacy of the pandemic. NRHA has developed the Rural Vaccine Confidence Initiative to help rural health stakeholders communicate COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety in their own words at the local level.

Upcoming Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA) Events

November 1, 2022

HHS IEA Monkeypox Briefing

The NIH Florida Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Please join the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, the White House National Monkeypox Response team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for a Monkeypox briefing Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. These briefings are held every other week.

Date: Thursday, November 3rd
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Register for the briefing here.

Upcoming Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA) Events

November 1, 2022

CMS Stakeholder Updates on Strategic Plan

Please join the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and her leadership team, who will provide an update on CMS’ recent accomplishments and how our cross-cutting initiatives are advancing CMS’ Strategic Plan. CMS serves the public as a trusted partner and steward dedicated to advancing health equity, expanding coverage, and improving health outcomes as we engage the communities we serve throughout the policymaking and implementation process.

Date: Tuesday, November 1
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Register for the briefing here.

New Policy Brief: Delivery of Cancer Screening and Treatment in Critical Access Hospitals

November 1, 2022

New Policy Brief: Delivery of Cancer Screening and Treatment in Critical Access Hospitals

The Flex Monitoring Team has released a new policy brief, Delivery of Cancer Screening and Treatment in Critical Access Hospitals. This brief presents data on cancer screening and treatment by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Data come from a survey of 135 CAHs across the U.S. and provides specific data on who is providing cancer care in CAHs and what type of care they are providing. Visiting providers, including oncologists and/or other physicians, worked with 40% of surveyed CAHs, and performed both screening and treatment to CAH patients.

View Policy Brief

HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs

October 27, 2022

HHS Briefing on the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being

Last week, the United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-being, outlining the foundational role that workplaces should play in promoting the health and well-being of workers and our communities. Please join the Office of the Secretary and the Office of the Surgeon General in a briefing on Monday, October 31st from 1:30PM – 2:00PM to discuss the Five Essentials for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being to help organizations develop, institutionalize, and update policies, processes, and practices that best support the mental health and well-being of all workers.

Date: Monday, October 31
Time: 1:30 – 2:00 PM EST
Register for the briefing here.

As reports of “quiet quitting” and the Great Resignation have shown, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of work for many and the relationship that some workers have with their jobs. With more than 160 million people participating in the United States workforce and with the average full-time worker in the United States spending about half of their waking life at work, workplaces play a significant role in shaping our mental and physical well-being. Employers have a unique opportunity not only to invest in the mental health and well-being of their workforce, but also to strengthen their organizations’ success by doing so.

Read more about the Surgeon General’s report here.

Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA) week ahead

October 24, 2022

Upcoming HHS IEA Events This Week

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services for the following events this week:

#VaxUpAmerica Family Event

Please join HHS for a special virtual event on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, from 1 –2 pm EST as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) kicks off the #VaxUpAmerica Family Vaccine Tour. This is part of the Vaccination Weeks of Action to encourage Americans to get vaccinated at the start of the season of cold weather and holiday gatherings. This cross-sector event will be jointly hosted by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA). The virtual kick-off event will feature HHS Principals and special presentations from trusted messengers on the updated vaccinations and our Department-wide efforts to provide education and awareness and reach Americans where they are.

Want to submit a question for Q&A? Please submit questions no later than COB Monday, October 24, to External.Affairs@acf.hhs.gov.

Date: Wednesday, October 26th
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
Register for the briefing here.