Pennsylvania Health Funders Collaborative Shares Its Legislative Agenda with Harrisburg Leaders

Members of the PHFC meet with Representative Dan Frankel.

The Pennsylvania Health Funders Collaborative (PHFC) held its spring policy meeting with state legislators and administrative officials on April 8 in Harrisburg. Twelve members from the PHFC, a statewide network of 22 health foundations across the state, focused on five areas:

• Address the workforce shortages in Pennsylvania across the continuum of care.
• Advance maternal and child health policy recommendations to sustain a perinatal behavioral health access and consultation program, build a diverse perinatal workforce, and increase and streamline enrollment in WIC.
• Develop a full behavioral health crisis continuum to support 988.
• Streamline Medical Assistance renewals through the Ex Parte redetermination process.
• Support Medical Assistance flexibility and expansion, including affordable housing, expansion of continuous eligibility for children, youth mental health services and supports, re-entry prison benefits, and restored dental benefits for adults.

The PHFC members met with several legislators, including Rep. Schlossberg, co-chair of the Mental Health Caucus; Senator Judy Ward, chair of Aging & Youth and Vice Chair of Health & Human Services; Rep. Dan Frankel, Majority Chair of the House Health Committee; Akbar Hossain, Secretary of Policy and Planning; Meghna Patel, Deputy Secretary; Rep. La'Tasha Mayes, Rep. Gina Curry, and Rep. Morgan Cephas, co-chairs of the Black Maternal Health Caucus; and staff for Senator Patrick Stefano, Majority Chair of Professional Licensure Committee.