HRSA Administrator Highlights Agency Priorities at Key National Events| Throughout August, Administrator Tom Engels spoke to national and local stakeholders to spotlight HRSA’s priorities and create new opportunities to work together to advance HHS Secretary Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. On Aug. 4-5, the Administrator and other HRSA senior leaders spoke at the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved Annual Conference, where he highlighted HRSA’s efforts to expand access to quality health care through the Health Center Program and underscored HRSA’s efforts to grow and support the health workforce. |
| Next, on Aug. 12, Administrator Engels visited Family Healthcare of Hagerstown in Hagerstown, Md. There, he discussed clinical successes and challenges, nutrition services, chronic disease management, and cancer screening with health center leadership. |
| At the National Association of Community Health Centers’ CHI Community Health Conference and Expo in Chicago, Aug. 18-19, Administrator Engels celebrated major milestones in the Health Center Program, marking 60 years of community health centers delivering high-quality primary care across the country. He also announced that nearly 1,000 HRSA-funded health centers earned Community Health Quality Recognition badges for their clinical excellence in 2024. |
| While in Chicago, Administrator Engels also visited Family Christian Health Center to connect with leadership, staff, and patients and tour their innovative, community-based programs that align with HRSA and MAHA priorities to build an ecosystem of care that transforms lives. Upon returning to Washington, D.C., Administrator Engels delivered opening remarks at the National Governors Association Roundtable on Outdoor Recreation and Health, Aug. 20, highlighting HRSA’s commitment to advancing physical health and nutrition. The month concluded in Denver on Aug. 25 at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Health and Human Services Chairs Meeting, where the Administrator discussed HRSA’s efforts to expand the health workforce, improve behavioral health, and strengthen maternal and child health with leadership from state health and human services committees. |
| Later that day, Administrator Engels also participated in a roundtable discussion on HRSA’s Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, hosted by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. There, he engaged with home visitors, families, and program leaders, hearing powerful stories of how home visiting services are empowering parents, strengthening family well-being, and giving children a strong start in life. |
HHS Expands Oversight of Organ Transplant System with New Surveillance ToolHRSA launched a public dashboard that surveils when organ offers and transplants occur outside the standard list of matched patients. The tool tracks trends to help HHS crack down on noncompliance and give patients, families, and clinicians clear information about whether the system is operating fairly. HRSA’s surveillance tool delivers on HHS Secretary Kennedy's major reform initiative to strengthen the integrity of the transplant system and restore public confidence following HRSA investigations that revealed disturbing practices related to patients being skipped for transplant and patient safety concerns in organ procurement. Read the release. Celebrating 60 Years of Community Impact During National Health Center Week From Aug. 3-9, HRSA celebrated National Health Center Week (NHCW), which marked 60 years of the Health Center Program. Health centers provide comprehensive primary care to over 32 million people, standing at the forefront of efforts to Make America Healthy Again. Throughout the week, HRSA regional offices visited health centers across the country to connect with health center leaders and staff, learn how health centers are responding to local health needs, and participate in events to serve their communities. Highlights included:
- Joining Clarity Healthcare for their back-to-school bash in Hannibal, Mo
- Celebrating the grand opening of Carevide’s newest facility in Farmersville, Tx
- Attending MedCura Health’s Legislative Breakfast in Stone Mountain, Ga
In addition to local events, HRSA marked NHCW with several major announcements:
Read the release. |
Commemorating 35 Years of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program| On Aug. 18, HRSA commemorated the 35th anniversary of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). It was a time to reflect on Ryan White’s enduring legacy and recognize the collective efforts of RWHAP recipients, people with HIV, and community partners to provide medical care, medication, and essential support services to people with HIV in the U.S. When Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act in 1990, the HIV epidemic looked vastly different than it does today. Over the past 35 years, the RWHAP has grown to serve more than 570,000 people each year – which is over half of all people diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. – helping them live longer lives and manage their HIV as a chronic condition. Today, a record-breaking 90.6% of patients receiving RWHAP medical care are virally suppressed. This represents a dramatic increase from 69.5% in 2010 and significantly exceeds the national average of 67.2%. Viral suppression means people with HIV taking their medication cannot sexually transmit HIV and can live longer and healthier lives. Learn more. |
Request for Comments: Newborn Screening| HRSA is requesting comments on potentially adding Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP). HRSA is particularly interested in comments that address the potential benefit of early screening for these conditions within the newborn period and the ability of states to perform these newborn screening tests. For more information, including how to submit comments, please review the Federal Register Notices. Comments must be received by Sept. 15, 2025. MLD Federal Register Notice and DMD Federal Register Notice. |
New Funding Opportunities Reinforce Support for Organ Transplantation and Living DonorsHRSA announced two new investments to expand outreach, education, and financial support for living organ donors, reinforcing its commitment to improving access to organ transplantation and supporting those who choose to give the gift of life through living donation. The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) received funding to continue providing financial assistance to living organ donors through HRSA’s Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program (LODRP). Eligible donors may receive help covering expenses as travel, lodging, meals, childcare, and lost wages. Additionally, for the first time, HRSA is funding targeted outreach and public education efforts under the Public Education for Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program. These efforts will raise awareness about the financial support available to living organ donors through HRSA’s LODRP. Are you thinking of becoming a living organ donor? Learn more and apply for help at the National Living Donor Assistance Center. GrantSolutions Grants Management Module TrainingHRSA is transitioning some functionality within the Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) to GrantSolutions, a shared service provider that supports the full lifecycle of grants management. The purpose of this transition is to streamline grants management activities and enhance operational efficiencies across HHS. Join HRSA for the Introduction to GrantSolutions - Grants Management Module training. This training is for active HRSA award recipients who will have a role managing grants for their organization. Training topics will include obtaining and managing a user account, navigating the system, searching for grant awards, and system notifications and messaging. Additional topics, including training on award amendments, will be available at a later date. Available training dates are listed below. Participants only need to register for one session. The training will be recorded.
E-mail GSQuestions@hrsa.gov any questions about the training, accessibility, or the transition. |
|
