HRSA May in Brief

On May 13, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson moderated a maternal health panel at a White House Mother's Day celebration with advocates from Room to Grow, a nonprofit program that supports low-income families with young children. Panelists included founding board member, Uma Thurman, and people who have benefited from maternal support services in the community.

Mother's Day also marked the second anniversary of HRSA's National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, which was highlighted in news outlets across the country. Since its launch, the Hotline has received more than 33,000 calls and texts, serving pregnant women, new moms, and their loved ones.

On May 14, Administrator Johnson joined leaders from across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to announce the release of a national strategy developed by the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health.

This is part of broader federal efforts to address maternal mental health across the nation, such as HRSA's Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Program.

During the week of May 20, Administrator Johnson joined the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's (NASEM) Standing Committee on Primary Care in Washington, DC, and addressed the American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) 2024 Family Medicine Advocacy Summit to highlight HRSA's support for the primary care health workforce.

Administrator Johnson noted that HRSA has boosted the health workforce through support for HRSA-funded health centers and by expanding medical residency slots through the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, improving access to behavioral health in primary care, and reducing administrative burdens faced by family physicians. The National Health Service Corps and HRSA's grant programs have helped to build a robust workforce while recruiting and retaining clinicians in high-need areas to improve health outcomes.

Administrator Johnson also noted that HRSA invested over $100 million in FY 2023 in nursing education programs specifically to help address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and nurse faculty.

On May 10, Administrator Johnson and HRSA senior leaders hosted a listening session with stakeholders to gather input on how to strengthen HRSA programs and improve access to quality, affordable health care in communities across the country through the Fiscal Year 2026 budget process.

During the listening session, Administrator Johnson emphasized HRSA's priorities, which include expanding access to quality health care—including addressing the maternal health crisis, integrating behavioral health into primary care, and enhancing the health care workforce through training, scholarships, and support for health centers in rural and medically underserved areas.

On May 8, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm hosted an HHS Awards Ceremony to recognize exemplary public service contributions at the Department. Since 1985, the first week of May has been set aside as Public Service Recognition Week, a time to thank dedicated public servants from federal, state, local, and tribal governments across the country.

The 2024 HRSA honorees included:

• Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service
  • Israil Ali (BHW)
  • Jennifer Joseph (BPHC)
• Secretary's Award for Meritorious Service
  • Maternal and Child Health Bureau Sickle Cell Team (MCHB)
• Hubert H. Humphrey Award for Service to America
  • National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (MCHB)
• Career Achievement Award
  • Tonya Bowers (BPHC)

On May 17, Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Deputy Associate Administrator Onyeka Anaedozie presented at the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference and Policy Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona. Administrator Anaedozie spoke about the care provided to people experiencing homelessness through HRSA's Health Center Program.

The annual symposium is presented by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Through HRSA grants, the Council supports more than 200 health centers and Health Care for the Homeless programs in all 50 states. The symposium is the country's largest gathering of practitioners of homeless health care, medical respite care, advocates, people with lived experience of homelessness, and researchers about homelessness.

Throughout National Nurses Week (May 6 – 12), HRSA spotlighted and recognized the nation's nurses, who work tirelessly to provide lifesaving care in communities across the country. Nursing is the largest health care profession in the United States, and the nation's 4.3 million registered nurses are the backbone of the health care system.

HRSA programs provide financial assistance to individuals to help pay for nursing school or repay nursing student debt, and grants and investments in institutions that are training the next generation of nurses.

On May 19, HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program observed National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

The percentage of clients receiving HIV medical care through the Ryan White Program who reached viral suppression has increased steadily, from 69.5% in 2010 to 89.6% in 2022. Similar improvements were seen among RWHAP Asian clients (78.8% to 94.8%) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander clients (70.5% to 89.9%).

In May, HRSA convened the 2024 Annual Tribal Consultation at the National Indian Health Board's National Tribal Health Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota. More than 200 tribal officials engaged with HRSA staff from the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) and the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW). IEA and BHW leaders also met with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and visited the tribe's health center in Eagle Butte, South Dakota.

HRSA staff also met with tribal officials during the HHS Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) Tribal Consultation in Ferndale, Washington, and the HHS Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Islands) Tribal Consultation in Las Vegas, Nevada. At both events, HRSA provided on-the-ground technical assistance to address workforce challenges in Indian Country.

On May 16, HRSA staff exhibited at the inaugural bipartisan Congressional Maternal Health Fair at the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC, where they shared HRSA's maternal health programs and resources with congressional members and staff.

On May 22, HRSA Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) hosted a behavioral health meeting at HRSA-funded Med Centro, Inc., in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The meeting helped connect rural community leaders with HRSA-supported health centers, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees, and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grantees to support access to mental health and substance use services in rural areas of Puerto Rico.