HRSA eNews November 17, 2016

Employment Opportunities

Open Positions at HRSA

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Funding Opportunities

Health Workforce

Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship (NAT) Program - Apply by Dec 5

Centers of Excellence (COE) - Apply by Jan 9

Health Workforce Research Center (HWRC) Cooperative Agreement Program - Apply by Jan 20

Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Program - Apply by Jan 25

Recognizing National Rural Health Day

National Rural Health Day (Nov 17) helps raise awareness of the health-related challenges and opportunities facing rural communities, such as: access to healthcare providers; more people suffering from chronic conditions; and more uninsured and underinsured citizens. HRSA works with 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals and provides grants that serve more than 410,000 people across the nation.  And, thanks to community health centers in rural areas, more than 8.4 million patients received treatment in 2015.  Learn more about HRSA's work to improve rural health.

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Opioid "syndemic" tests rural America

Spurred by the opioid epidemic and the mounting use of replacement drugs like heroin, hundreds of U.S. counties – many of them rural -- are increasingly vulnerable to simultaneous outbreaks of HIV and Hepatitis-C, federal health officials declared in a recent national conference call. Particularly notable to epidemiologists has been a sharp increase across at least seven states in acute hepatitis infections among young people -- a pattern now broadly recognized as a "marker" of local and regional opioid epidemics in at least 200 U.S. counties. HHS is taking additional steps to address the U.S. opioid epidemic by further expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders. Read more about the opioid "syndemic."

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HRSA announces $17 million to reach populations in U.S. territories affected by Zika

HRSA plans to award approximately $17 million to health departments in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa to combat the Zika virus (ZIKV). The funding is being made available under the Zika Response and Preparedness Act, and will help provide access to comprehensive health care and support services for children and families affected by Zika in these territories. Learn more about the funding to help families affected by Zika.

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Bureau of Health Workforce launches new website

The Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) just unveiled its new website in an effort to deliver consistent, streamlined, and targeted content to site visitors.  New features include: user-driven information architecture a more intuitive user experience improved navigation plain language writing, and cleaner page formatting   Visit BHW’s new site to learn more about how BHW serves underserved communities.

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Webinar: cultural competencies for an aging LGBTQ population

Join us for a webinar Tuesday, December 13 at 1pm EDT to discuss the health and social care needs of older adults in the LGBTQ community. We will highlight the special obstacles faced by this population, opportunities to improve cultural competency and best practices to integrate LGBTQ-friendly care into your organization. The webinar should be of interest to HRSA grantees, healthcare providers, public health officials, community-based organizations and advocates wanting to improve competency in serving the needs of aging LGBTQ patients in their practices. Free registration in advance is required and space is limited. Please feel free to share this announcement with your colleagues. Register for the webinar.

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Help prevent birth defects & disabilities: free Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) courses

Four free, CEU-accredited online courses on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) sponsored by HRSA are now available for physicians, nurses, medical and nursing students and other health professionals through December 31, 2016.  FASD is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual prenatally exposed to alcohol.  Participants will learn how they can help detect and address risky drinking in patients that are pregnant or of reproductive age. Learn more about the FASD courses.

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Healthy Start celebrates 25 years

Celebrate MCHB’s Healthy Start 25th Anniversary: Changing the lives of pregnant women and new parents, providing them information and support to ensure a healthy pregnancy, and connecting them with the health care and resources they need to nurture their children. Since the program’s creation in 1991, it has grown from a demonstration project in 15 communities to 100 Healthy Start projects in 37 states and Washington, D.C.  Learn more about Healthy Start.

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Veterans Choice Program

In 2015, nearly 90% of HRSA-funded health centers provided care to veterans. As a veteran, find out how health centers can care for you and your family.  If you are already enrolled in Veteran Affairs (VA) health care, you can choose to receive care within your neighborhood community instead of traveling to the nearest VA facility through the Veterans Choice Program. You are eligible if any of these situations apply to you: You have been (or will be) waiting more than 30 days for VA medical care. You live more than 40 miles away from a VA medical care facility or face one of several excessive travel burdens. Learn more about the Veterans Choice Program website.

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Growing older: providing integrated care for an aging population

The number of adults in the United States age 65 and older is expected to exceed 82 million by 2040. Approximately 16 million will have a mental health or substance use condition, and they’ll be turning to their primary care providers for care. Growing Older: Providing Integrated care for an Aging Population is a new publication from the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions that offers guidance to help you meet the behavioral health needs of older adults. Read more about integrated care for an aging population.