COVID-19 And Deaths Of Despair

Alongside the thousands of deaths from COVID-19, the growing epidemic of “deaths of despair” is increasing due to the pandemic. As many as 75,000 more victims will die from drug or alcohol misuse and suicide, according to a study released by Well Being Trust (WBT) and the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care. The study notes that if the country fails to invest in solutions that can help heal the nation’s isolation, pain, and suffering, the collective impact of COVID-19 will be even more devastating.

The study can be obtained at https://wellbeingtrust.org/news/new-wbt-robert-graham-center-analysis-the-covid-pandemic-could-lead-to-75000-additional-deaths-from-alcohol-and-drug-misuse-and-suicide/.

 

Reopening America: Economic And Health Effects

As many states begin to implement COVID-19 recovery plans, leaders need the best possible evidence to guide their decisions. RAND researchers created an interactive tool that provides estimates of both the public health and economic effects of rolling back or maintaining social distancing and other disease-fighting measures.

The tool can be obtained at https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TLA173-1/tool.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=RAND%20Policy%20Currents+AEM:%20%20Email%20Address%20NOT%20LIKE%20DOTMIL&utm_campaign=AEM:631600804.

The President’s Budget Priorities And The Covid-19 Pandemic

The annual analysis by the Urban Institute of the Trump Administration’s federal budget for FY 2021 has focuses on the total changes in real spending, taxes, and deficits that would occur should that budget be adopted. It also needs to be analyzed for what it contains and omits and how it relates to ongoing efforts to deal with the pandemic and recession.

The analysis can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/102187/the_presidents_budget_priorities_and_the_covid-19_pandemic_1.pdf.

ASAHP Joins Letter on Retaining DACA During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ASAHP was one of seventy-seven organization that urged the Administration and Congressional leadership to take regulatory or legislative action to maintain work authorization for individuals currently in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status during the COVID-19 national emergency. Nearly 30,000 DACA recipients work as health care professionals across the United States. Rescinding DACA and the corresponding work authorizations for these providers would reduce our nation’s health care capacity at a time we can ill-afford to lose valuable personnel. The COVID-19 pandemic also illuminates longstanding social, economic, and health inequities in the United States that DACA can help address.

The letter may be accessed here.

Universities Face Severe State Budget Cuts

Inside Higher Ed provides an overview of the next financial blow facing public universities, severe state budget cuts due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on state revenues. The article examines the reason why higher education in particular is susceptible to seeing their state funding cut in times of crisis, and reviews preparedness levels across states.  

The article may be accessed here.

Contact Tracing Capability Of The States

When states decide to reopen businesses and attempt to resume normalcy, locating individuals who have been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient is paramount to slowing the spread of this disease. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, however, many states are not fully prepared to conduct a contact tracing program.

More information can be obtained at https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/04/29/reopening-means-contact-tracing-many-states-arent-ready?utm_campaign=2020-05-06+Rundown+(regular+edition)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Pew.

New Informed Consent Resources For Telehealth

As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced healthcare providers to limit in-person visits, telehealth has expanded rapidly. In response to the need to obtain informed consent from patients for virtual visits, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created guidance for clinicians on how to obtain informed consent for telehealth.

Additional information can be obtained at https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/obtain-consent-telehealth.html.

Addressing Loneliness And Social Isolation During COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated social isolation and loneliness around the world, and the consequences for health are serious. A report from the Commonwealth Fund discusses efforts in other nations to alleviate social isolation and loneliness. 

The report can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2020/solutions-around-world-tackling-loneliness-and-social-isolation-during-covid-19?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=International%20Health.

Mental Health Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic On Health Care Workers

Health care workers are invited to participate in a study to learn about how stressors related to the COVID-19 virus affect mental health over time. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires about COVID-19, mental health symptoms, and stress using the study website.

Generating a User Name and Password can be done at https://covidhcwstudy.ctss.nih.gov/join.html.

ASAHP Joins Letter to Congress on Health Professions Funding

The Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC), of which ASAHP is a member, sent a letter to Congressional leadership this week thanking them for their continued efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, restating HPNEC’s request of $790 million for HRSA Title VII and Title VIII workforce programs, and urging Congress to provide at least $367 million in supplemental emergency funding for those programs to support our current and future health workforce.

The letter may be accessed here.

Think Tanks Host Webinar on Telehealth Before and After COVID-19

On Wednesday, May 6, the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution and the John Locke Foundation will hold a webinar to discuss the findings of a forthcoming paper on telehealth before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists will explore obstacles in telehealth and discuss the state of regulations and how telehealth services can be supported in the future.

More information and a registration link may be accessed here.

COVID-19: U.S. Public Health Data And Reporting

An Insight report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides an overview of current public health data systems and policy considerations for Congress.

The report can be obtained at https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IN11361.pdf.

COVID-19 Survey Of College And University Presidents

The first monthly COVID-19 survey by the American Council on Education of college and university presidents finds their most pressing concerns are focused on financial impact, remote learning, and student mental health.

Survey results can be obtained at https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Presidents-Respond-COVID19-April2020.pdf.

Higher Ed Institutions Weigh Their Fall 2020 Options

With COVID-19 closing down campuses in the Spring, higher education institutions face the difficult decision of how or when to re-open in the Fall. Colleges are weighing options of having Fall 2020 online only; face-to-face instruction with limitations based on age and vulnerability to COVID-19; and waiting until Spring 2021 to re-open. Many colleges are facing pressure from current and prospective students to make a decision.

Click here to read the full article on Inside Higher Education.

COVID-19’s Disproportionate Impact On Counties With Higher Black Populations

A new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund highlights the impact of COVID-19 at the county level, indicating that communities of color have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

The analysis can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2020/covid-19-more-prevalent-deadlier-us-counties-higher-black-populations?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Delivery%20System%20Reform.

COVID-19 Relief Bill Sent To White House For Signing Into Law

The House of Representatives approved and sent to the president today the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, a COVID-19 relief package. The $484 billion bill, which the Senate approved unanimously two days ago, replenishes two depleted small business-relief programs, offers additional assistance to hospitals, and funds an expansion of testing capacity nationwide. The bill had strong bipartisan support, passing 388 to 5.

Toolkit To Help States Navigate COVID-19 Health Workforce Challenges

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) released a new toolkit to help state and local health care decision makers maximize workforce flexibilities when confronting 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in their communities.

The toolkit can be viewed at https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/Workforce-Virtual-Toolkit.

Congress Reaches Agreement on Additional Coronavirus Relief Funding

Today, negotiators have reached a deal on roughly $484 billion in new Coronavirus pandemic related relief funding. The agreement will provide more than $320 billion in addition funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, $60 billion for disaster loans and grants, $75 billion for reimbursement to hospitals and healthcare providers, and $25 billion related to COVID-19 testing. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation later today, and the House is expected to take up the bill on Thursday.

HHS Summary
Bill language
Paycheck Protection Program Increase Act of 2020 Section-by-Section

Dept of Ed Briefing on Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

The Department of Education held a briefing on their implementation of CARES Act provisions. Secretary Betsy DeVos opened the call with praise for higher education officials and reviewed the steps the Department has already taken, such as federal student loan relief, opening of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund-Student Portion (HEERF), and collaboration with accreditors. Acting undersecretary for postsecondary education Diane Jones followed Secretary DeVos with HEERF clarifications found in the Department’s FAQs documents: Student Portion FAQs and Institutional Portion FAQs. Assistant Secretary Bob King shared that institutions may now apply for the Institutional Portion of HEERF at this link.

Additional information and documents about HEERF can be found on the Department’s website.

The COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Clinical Education for Community College Students

Two articles examine how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting clinical education for nursing and allied health community college students.

The articles may be accessed here and here.