Webinar on Bringing Together the Remote University

The Chronicle of Higher Education will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, November 5 at 2:00pm Eastern to examine the effects of the remote shift in higher education and to discuss how universities can keep their operations running smoothly. The Chronicle will bring together an expert panel of senior administrators in an hour-long virtual forum.

Goldie Blumenstyk will lead a discussion with a panel of campus leaders:
- Melody Dee Childs, CIO, Texas A&M University
- Elizabeth Bejar, Senior Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs, Florida International U.
- Jean Morrison, Provost, Boston University

More details and a registration form may be accessed here.

U.S. Men Outpace Women In COVID-19 Mortality

Based on a Sex-Disaggregated Data Tracker, for every 10 deaths among confirmed COVID-19 cases in women, there are 13 in men even though females comprise a majority (51.7%) of confirmed cases in the U.S.

More data can be obtained at https://globalhealth5050.org/the-sex-gender-and-covid-19-project/the-data-tracker/?explore=country&country=USA#search.

CDC Updates COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its webpage on COVID-19 vaccine to inform health care providers about U.S. vaccination plans, how the CDC makes vaccination recommendations, and how future vaccines will be monitored for safety.

The webpage can be obtained at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html.

Willingness To Be Vaccinated For COVID-19 Declines

A recent Gallup poll indicates that a willingness to be vaccinated against the coronavirus has dropped 11 percentage points, falling to 50% in late September. This sharp decline comes after the percentage dwindled from 66% in July to 61% in August.

Additional information can be obtained at https://news.gallup.com/poll/321839/readiness-covid-vaccine-falls-past-month.aspx.

COVID-19s Impact On Older Workers

A report from the Commonwealth Fund explores the impact the loss of income and employer health benefits is having on older adults, and how the movement of hundreds of thousands of Americans into Medicare will affect federal spending on the program.

The report can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/Jacobson_COVID_impact_older_workers_ib_v3.pdf.

CDC Updated Guidance On Spread Of COVID-19 Virus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on the spread of COVID-19, while acknowledging that we still are learning about how the virus spreads and the severity of illness it causes. 

Updated information about the spread of COVID-19 can be obtained at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html.

Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccine Access, Safety, and Utilization: Building Vaccination Confidence in Communities of Color

The Trust for America’s Health is hosting a webinar titled, “Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccine Access, Safety, and Utilization: Building Vaccination Confidence in Communities of Color”. Presenters include the President of Howard University, Wayne A. I. Frederick, MD, MBA, FACS, the EVP of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Julie Morita, MD, and Michelle Cantu, MPH, of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. The webinar will be held at 1:00pm Eastern on October 21, 2020.

Registration and more details may be accessed here.

House Democrats Pass COVID Relief Bill

On Thursday, House Democrats passed a revised version of their COVID-19 relief legislation, an updated version of The Heroes Act. The $2.2 trillion package was approved by a vote of 214-207, with no Republicans voting in favor. The bill will not become law, but serves as the latest marker of Democratic priorities and messaging as the two parties continue to negotiate over key areas of disagreement.

The legislative text may be accessed here. A one-page overview may be accessed here. A section-by-section summary may be accessed here.

Expanding COVID-19 Testing For Underserved Communities

The National Institutes of Health has awarded nearly $234 million to improve COVID-19 testing for underserved and vulnerable populations. A part of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative, the RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program will support 32 institutions across the U.S. and will focus on populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

More information can be obtained at https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-assess-expand-covid-19-testing-underserved-communities.

Recent Increase In COVID-19 Cases Among Young Adults

According to a report made available today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, weekly COVID-19 cases among college-aged youth increased 55% nationally between August  2 and September 5. Young adults, including those enrolled in colleges and universities, should take precautions, including mask wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene, and follow local, state, and federal guidance for minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Institutions of higher education should take action to promote healthy environments.

The report can be obtained at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6939e4.htm?s_cid=mm6939e4_w.

Examining College Playbooks for Pandemic Success

POLITICO examines the experiences of several colleges that have been operating with generally low rates of COVID-19. The article covers testing, contract tracing, customized plans, and other campus policies.

The article may be accessed here.

Undergraduate Enrollment Decreases this Fall

Compared to last Fall, preliminary data shows that undergraduate enrollments are down 2.5 percent on average. Undergraduate enrollment is down 3.8 percent at private nonprofit four-year universities, down 1.9 percent at private for-profit four-year universities, down 0.4 percent at public four-year universities, and 7.5 percent at community colleges. Undergraduate international enrollments are down 11.2 percent.  

An article from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here. Preliminary Fall enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center may be accessed here.

CDC Financial Support For Jurisdictions For COVID-19 Vaccine Preparedness

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing upcoming action by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide $200 million to jurisdictions for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness. These funds, along with the previous support CDC has provided, will help states prepare for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The announcement can be obtained at https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/09/23/administration-announces-200-million-from-cdc-jurisdictions-covid-19-vaccine-preparedness.html.

Register Now for the ASAHP 2020 Live Virtual Series

ASAHP is proud to announce the launch of our 2020 Live Virtual Series featuring over thirty-six presentations from allied health professionals across the country. Presentations will take place every other week, with holiday exceptions, beginning September 30 at 1-2PM ET. Each session will typically feature three abstract presentations. These presentations will also be recorded and archived on our website at asahp.org/virtualseries.

The featured topics for this year’s presentations are the following:

• Curriculum Innovations Related to COVID-19

• Models of Excellence for Enhancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Leadership During Crisis

• Advocacy

• Select Topics in Allied Health

During complimentary registration, you will be able to register for multiple or all sessions. You may modify your registration by returning to the registration page. The full list of presentation times and abstracts is available on our website here.

Be sure not to miss our kickoff session on September 30, featuring ASAHP’s Clinical Education Task Force address its COVID-19 webinar series, along with a presentation from Pacific University on the implementation of a virtual interprofessional objective structured clinical encounter, and a presentation from Jacksonville State University on classroom connectivity in a COVID climate. 

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2020 Live Virtual Series. View more information here.

COVID-19 Recession Impact On Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Coverage

A report from the Urban Institute discusses changes in insurance coverage between April 23–May 12 and July 9–21, 2020 resulting from the recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/102852/as-the-covid-19-recession-extended-into-the-summer-of-2020-more-than-3-million-adults-lost-employer-sponsored-health-insurance-coverage-and-2-million-became-uninsured.pdf.

Responding To COVID-19 In Rural Communities

Rural Health Information Hub is a portal that provides key and essential resources, tools, and training to prepare for and respond to COVID-19 in rural communities. It was developed by the Federal Healthcare Resilience Working Group and the Rural Surge Readiness Team.

The portal can be obtained at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/healthcare-surge-readiness?utm_campaign=enews20200917&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

COVID-19 Mitigation Measures Could Reduce Impact Of Influenza

Findings from a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that certain community mitigation measures, such as school closures, social distancing, and mask wearing might be useful adjuncts to influenza vaccination during influenza seasons, particularly for populations at highest risk for developing severe disease or complications.

The report can be obtained at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6937a6-H.pdf.

 

NASEM Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine

On Monday, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has issued a Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine, commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. Public comments are being accepted until until 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, September 4.

The discussion draft and link for public comment may be accessed here.

Opportunity to Share Title VII COVID-19 Grantee Stories

The Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC), of which ASAHP is a member, has begun an initiative to collect examples of how HRSA Title VII and Title VIII workforce program grantees are on the frontlines of fighting COVID-19 and how they have been impacted by the pandemic. Examples gathered may be used by HPNEC in its advocacy work, and may be provided as a follow up to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), following Friday’s call. ASAHP encourages its members that are grantees of these health workforce programs to respond to this brief form.

ASAHP Advocacy with the Office of Management and Budget

On Friday, ASAHP joined the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC), of which ASAHP is a member, in a call with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to advocate for HRSA Title VII and Title VIII workforce program funding and to share how important these programs are to our current and future health workforce. ASAHP joins HPNEC in requesting $790 million for Title VII and VIII for FY 2021 and at least $367 million in supplemental emergency funding, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for those programs to support our current and future health workforce.

More information on HPNECs funding positions may be found here.