Acting HRSA Administrator and Miami native Diana Espinosa has been recognized by the White House for her extraordinary leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic - Â and consistently high performance during a 30-year government career.

December 16 - For her exceptional leadership of the agency during the nation's worst public health crisis in a century, HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa last week received the Presidential Distinguished Executive Award.

The rank is received by no more than one percent of all senior federal leaders for “exceptional performance over an extended period of time," according to the Office of Personnel Management.

Read about Diana Espinosa's recognition.

December 14 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the distribution of approximately $9 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 payments to health care providers who have experienced revenue losses and expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The average payment being announced today for small providers is $58,000, for medium providers is $289,000, and for large providers is $1.7 million. More than 69,000 providers in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and eight territories will receive Phase 4 payments. Payments will start to be made later this week.

Read the press release.

December 8 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), today awarded approximately $82 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) emergency home visiting funds to 56 states, jurisdictions, and nonprofit organizations to support children and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding builds upon an initial investment of $40 million in ARP funds in May. The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program supports the delivery of high quality, voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to children and families living in communities at risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes.

Read the press release.

December 15 - Our HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) announced the release of its inaugural 2020Â Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Initiative (EHE) Data Report.

HAB plays a critical role in the EHE initiative through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP), which provides a comprehensive system of HIV care, support services, and medication delivery.

The publication features national-level aggregate data submitted to the EHE Triannual Module data system by HAB EHE recipients and subrecipients during the 2020 calendar year.

Access the report.

In a new Surgeon General’s Advisory (PDF), U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is calling for immediate action to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis.Â

Our country has long struggled to address the profound mental health challenges and illnesses that children, adolescents, and young adults face. As we work as a nation to rebuild from the pandemic, focusing on youth mental health now is critical.

No child should feel like they have to go through a battle alone. Students and families should feel supported, confident, and empowered. Everyone has a role to play in protecting and promoting the mental health of our nation’s youth

The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health lays out a series of recommendation that individuals, families, community organizations, social media companies, governments, and others can take to improve mental health for children and young adults.Â

Read the press release.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, governors have been on the front lines, creating and executing policies to strengthen the nation’s COVID-19 response. The report by the National Governors Association includes considerations for Governors and state officials as they continue their COVID-19 pediatric vaccine rollout.

The considerations are broken out into common themes, including centering all aspects of COVID-19 vaccine response around equity; building COVID-19 vaccine confidence through partnerships and a focus on facts; leveraging existing vaccination infrastructure to meet children where they are; and establishing systems to increase capacity for storage and administration. Additionally, the report highlights state and local examples and links to a myriad of resources state officials can use to bolster their immunization programs.

HRSA’s National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement provided support for this resource.