Newswire Archives
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions of higher education have reversed their previously announced reopening plans for the Fall, opting instead for online courses and closed campuses.
Inside Higher Ed’s article may be accessed here.
The Chronicle of Higher Education will be hosting a webinar with expert panelists on the challenges with contact tracing as many colleges and universities prepare to re-open for the Fall semester.
More details and registration is available here.
The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) has announced that it will hold its next Institute virtually on December 1, 3, 8 and 10, 2020. The December 2020 IPEC Institute theme is building interprofessional education for collaborative practice. Early bird registration will open on Wednesday, August 5. The institute focus is to provide health professions faculty and their interprofessional colleagues both quality time and dedicated space for guided learning, team-based planning activities, and consultation with experts and peers in order to emerge with a programmatic action plan for developing and implementing interprofessional education curricula that will prepare students for collaborative practice.
More information may be accessed here.
The Department of Homeland Security announced it would not accept new applications to the DACA program and also limit renewals by current DACA recipients to one year, as it examines DACA’s future after the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year rejecting DHS’ attempt to rescind the program.
The DHS press release and memorandum may be accessed here.
Inside Higher Ed is hosting a webcast, “Curriculum and Assessment Amid COVID-19 and Beyond”, taking place on Wednesday, August 12 at 2:00pm Eastern. The webcast will be hosted by Inside Higher Ed editors Scott Jaschik and Doug Lederman.
Registration and more information is available here.
Today the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) released The Way Forward on COVID-19: A Road Map to Reset the Nation’s Approach to the Pandemic. The report includes 11 evidence-based, immediate and long-term actions that constitute a plan to address the pandemic.
The report is available here.
This week Senate Republicans proposed their latest COVID-19 relief package, several bills totaling just over $1 trillion in spending. The package proposes $105.1 billion for the Department of Education, including $29 billion for higher education. It includes $118.4 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, with funds for vaccine research and testing. The Senate Republican proposal also includes liability protections, unemployment insurance, and a new round of direct payments. The proposal was deemed inadequate by Democrats, who passed an over $3 trillion package in May and are calling for greater education funding.
Inside Higher Ed Article
Safely Back to School and Back to Work Act Text
Safely Back to School and Back to Work Act Section-by-Section Analysis
Simplifying Student Loan Payment One Pager
Appropriations Provisions Summary
On Friday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued guidance barring new international students from coming to the U.S. for Fall coursework if their classes are fully online. Earlier this month, DHS issued and then rescinded a policy directive requiring that international students must take at least some in-person classes in order to remain in the U.S. ASAHP advocated against the earlier guidance and was pleased to see it rescinded.
More details may be found here.
ICE News Release
ICE Clarifying Q&A for Fall 2020
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has renewed the current public health emergency declaration that is needed to adequately deploy necessary recourses and authorities. ASAHP was part of a joint letter sent to Secretary Azar earlier this month urging renewal of the declaration. That letter may be accessed here.
Although short-term health plans are designed to insure patients for catastrophic medical events, they often lack protections for preexisting conditions and they are accompanied with high out-of-pocket costs. A report from the Commonwealth Fund examines whether these plans have evolved to offer more comprehensive coverage.
The report can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2020/limitations-short-term-health-plans-persist-despite-predictions-theyd-evolve?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Health%20Coverage.
On Tuesday, Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, introduced the Student Loan Repayment and FAFSA Simplification Act. The bill is intended to simplify the simplify the student loan repayment process as well as the FAFSA application process.
Press Release
Chairman Alexander’s Remarks
One Page Bill Summary
A new analysis by Kaufman, Hall & Associates LLC highlights COVID-19’s impact on hospitals’ and health systems’ financial health. According to the report, without further government support, hospitals’ margins could sink to minus 7% in the second half of 2020, with half of all hospitals operating in the red.
The analysis can be obtained at https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/07/KH-COVID-Hospital-Financial-Health_FINAL.pdf.
ASAHP joined nearly 100 organizations in urging the Administration to reverse its decision to bypass the CDC as a recipient in the collection and analysis of COVID-19 patient data.
The letter may be accessed here.
Today the House Appropriations Committee announced that an omnibus FY 21 spending package will be considered on the House floor next week. The legislative package is made up of seven FY 21 spending bills including the Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education bill.
The legislation may be found here. A division-by-division summary may be found here. The Committee press release may be found here.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has made apparent, the primary care system in the U.S. often fails to meet the full range of women’s health care needs. A two-part series from the Commonwealth Fund presents a vision for achieving the kind of primary care that women in America want and need.
The first report can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2020/jul/transforming-primary-health-care-women-part-1-framework?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Delivery%20System%20Reform and the second report at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2020/jul/transforming-primary-health-care-women-part-2-path-forward?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Delivery%20System%20Reform.
Respondents overwhelmingly support hospitals and further aid as front-line health care providers fight to defeat COVID-19, regardless of party affiliation, according to a poll released today by the Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care.
Results can be obtained at https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/07/cpah-national-survey-summary-key-findings.pdf.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the U.S., research has shown that racial and ethnic minorities bear a disproportionate burden of illness and death. An article published ahead of print in the journal Health Affairs on June 14 involves the use of pre-pandemic data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to explore potential explanations.
The article can be obtained at https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/pdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00897.
Healthcare students stay busy and come in contact with many different people through classes, clinicals and skill labs, not to mention jobs, family and social obligations. But their hard work, drive and passion in these many different areas put them at high risk for exposure to COVID-19. How can you help them return to campus and clinicals safely and responsibly?
Please join CastleBranch on Wednesday, July 29 at 2:00pm EST for a live webinar, “Keeping Students Safe in the age of COVID-19.” Experts will discuss best practices to help keep your healthcare students safe from COVID-19.
Host: Katie Giacalone, Sr. Manager of Strategic Partnerships
Katie Giacalone is the Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships at CastleBranch. She has fifteen years of experience with the company in a variety of roles that have allowed her to build and grow key relationships and partnerships both inside and outside the organization. A University of Rhode Island graduate in Business Administration, Katie has served in a variety of marketing and sales roles at CastleBranch including leading a team of sales executives as Director of Sales.
Guest: Pat Dunty, VP, Executive Team, Best Practice Liaison
Pat Dunty is the Vice President and Best Practice Liaison for CastleBranch and a vital member of the executive team at CastleBranch. He has been a part of CastleBranch for 5 years and held numerous positions which have given Pat a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by our clients. His experiences have allowed him to excel at identifying new and innovative products that help meet our client’s needs. Most recently, Pat has worked side by side with our Infectious Disease Council dedicated to helping keep healthcare students safe nationwide.
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1410590263782747151
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security today rescinded its recent policy directive requiring that international students must take at least some in-person classes in order to remain in the U.S. ASAHP is pleased with today’s decision, as the directive would have limited the flexibility for our institutions, and would have been detrimental to the students, health professions education, research, and public health efforts. As part of the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP), ASAHP joined numerous other associations in sending a letter to the Department of Homeland Security voicing opposition to the earlier guidance.
More details may be found here. The previous newswire post on this issue and the joint letter to DHS may be accessed here.
On Monday, the House Committee on Appropriations approved the FY 2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill on party line vote of 30-22, with Democrats voting in favor. The bill may be taken up on the House floor later this month.
Our previous newswire articles on this bill may be found here and here. The House Appropriations Committee press release may be found here.
