Welcome to the weekly installment of HHS IEA's Week Ahead and Key Moments. This newsletter will highlight Departmental updates and upcoming events across our partner agencies and offices.
- Upcoming Secretarial events and travel -
Monday 3/25 - Secretary Becerra traveled to Pennsylvania for events focused on the inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Affordable Care Act.
Tuesday 3/26 - Secretary Becerra will travel to South Carolina for events focused on the IRA and maternal health.
Thursday 3/28 - Secretary Becerra will travel to Michigan for events focused on the IRA and reproductive health.
- Upcoming HHS IEA Events -
A Conversation on the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose
Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Dr. Rahul Gupta invite you to a conversation on the Biden-Harris Administration’s new White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose.
The Administration launched the Challenge earlier this month as a nationwide call-to-action for organizations and businesses to help save lives by committing to increase training on and access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone.
The conversation will highlight the importance of businesses and organizations meeting the Challenge by making their commitments official and sharing their inspiring stories about how their efforts saved a life and focus on how we can all help spread the word about this important undertaking.
Agenda:
Welcome
DPC Director Tanden
HHS Secretary Becerra
ONDCP Director Gupta
Hear from organizations who are meeting the Challenge!
Please email questions in advance to [log in to unmask]" conversion="false" data-linkto="mailto:" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]" style="color:#0000EE;text-decoration:underline;" title="[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]. Deadline for question submission is Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 6:00 pm ET.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the call.
Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Webinar on Recently Released Guidance and Resources
Join the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the March 20th Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Renewals webinar. Topics discussed during this month’s webinar will include:
Overview of CMS recently released guidance
Review of key messages and outreach resources for partners
When: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Time: 12:30-1:00 PM ET
Where: Zoom link will be provided following registration.
Who should attend: If your organization serves or interfaces with people
that have health insurance through Medicaid or CHIP then this call is for YOU!
Please send all questions to [log in to unmask]" conversion="false" data-linkto="mailto:" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]" style="color:#0000EE;text-decoration:underline;" title="[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask].
2nd Annual Black Maternal Health Outcomes Matter: Keeping Hope Alive! Summit
To commemorate Black Maternal Health Week, we invite you to join us in person for this 2nd annual event at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday, April 12, 2024, from 9:00am – 1:00pm ET.
Joining us will be federal, state, and local representatives, those with lived experience, experts from around our nation representing various fields to discuss best practices and best innovative models used to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Discussion will also include challenges and proposed solutions around the intersection of maternal health outcomes and IPV, SUDs, and the growing concern around syphilis, maternal mental health and more.
When: Friday, April 12, 2024
Time: 9:00-1:00 PM ET
Where: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
On Saturday, March 23, HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm met with Director-General Jean Kaseya of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to recognize our historic relationship and ongoing partnership.
On Friday, March 22, HHS issued four new reports showing that President Biden’s efforts to strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are linked to historic gains in Americans’ health insurance coverage.
On Tuesday, March 19, the Biden-Harris Administration, through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and HHS, launched the pilot of the Clean Energy Connector, a tool that connects families to solar energy through HHS’ Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
On Tuesday, March 19, HHS, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced a new voluntary model that empowers primary care providers in eligible Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to treat people with Medicare using innovative, team-based, person-centered proactive care.
On Monday, March 18th, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (DHS CRCL), and the FEMA Office of Equal Rights (OER) announced the successful completion of a language access compliance review of COVID-19 public health messaging in 19 states.
- Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) -
HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program:
Eligible nursing students can apply to the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. If accepted, HRSA will pay your tuition, fees, and other educational costs, along with a monthly stipend. In return, after you graduate, you work at an eligible health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses (critical shortage facility). You are eligible if you are a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized), a national, or a lawful permanent resident; are an accepted or enrolled student in a nursing degree program at a United States accredited school of nursing; begin classes no later than September 30; don’t have any federal judgment liens; don’t have an existing service commitment; and aren’t overdue on a federal debt.
The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program application is open now through May 2, 7:30 p.m. ET. For more information, visit HRSA’s website.
Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program (OIFSP):
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program (OIFSP) supports training programs that increase the skills and knowledge of peer support specialists and other behavioral health-related paraprofessionals who provide services to families affected by opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders. Additionally, the program focuses on supporting children and adolescents in high-need and high-demand areas who have experienced trauma and are at risk for mental health disorders. HRSA will award approximately $16.8 million to up to 28 grantees over a period of four years through this funding opportunity. Eligible applicants include state-licensed mental health nonprofit and for-profit organizations, such as universities,
community colleges, and technical schools; domestic community-based organizations; and tribes and tribal organizations. Applications are due by May 6, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. You can find more information here.
Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP): The CCP is a short-term disaster relief grant for states, U.S. territories, and federally recognized tribes. CCP grants are awarded after a presidential disaster declaration. CCP funding supports community-based outreach, counseling, and other mental health services to survivors of natural and human-caused disasters. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. For more information, visit here.
Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants: This program helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. For more information, visit here.
- Additional Resources -
Updated 988 Partner Toolkit: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has created new social media shareables designed for use as social media posts, stories, and threads. The partner toolkit can be found here.
COVID-19 Tests: The Biden-Harris Administration and Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) are committed to ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 tests. ASPR will continue to provide COVID-19 tests directly to long-term care facilities, schools, community health centers, and food banks. More information on these efforts is available at covid.gov.
PSA for Faith Leaders to Help Families Keep Their Medicaid Coverage. Many states have resumed their regular processes for renewing individuals’ Medicaid and CHIP coverage following the end of the continuous enrollment requirement. Now through April 2024, everyone is going to need to renew their Medicaid and CHIP coverage. Families can renew their coverage by finding their state Medicaid agency here.Find the PSA here.
Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201