Alex Michael Azar

This week, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra toured New England to highlighted how President Biden’s agenda is delivering for communities across the country. The Secretary joined First Lady Jill Biden in Boston to announce $100 million investment in women’s health research, toured Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire to highlight lowering health care costs, sat down with the Wall Street Journal for their annual Health Forum, and spoke with students at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.

Event with First Lady Jill Biden

On Wednesday, Secretary Becerra visited Boston, Massachusetts, for an event with the First Lady to announce $100 million in research and development for women’s health through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within HHS.

“The issue of healthcare for women has faced challenges longer than any of us have been alive: scientific challenges, clinical challenges, political challenges, and now this week, down in Alabama, another legal challenge,” said Secretary Becerra in remarks at the event. “The key here is that President Joe Biden made [ARPA-H's announcement] possible: $100 million. That is everything. And with the First Lady launching this White House initiative on women's health research, we have the focus we need. And so at the Department of Health and Human Services, she had us at hello: we are ready to go.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), today announced more than $1.75 billion in Provider Relief Fund payments to 3,680 providers across the country. With this disbursement, HRSA has distributed approximately $13.5 billion from the Provider Relief Fund to nearly 86,000 and nearly $7.5 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments to more than 44,000 providers since November 2021.

“Health care providers have been tireless in protecting their communities and working to maintain access to health services during the pandemic,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Provider Relief Fund resources continue to make it possible for providers to recruit and retain key personnel, implement safety measures, and keep their doors open to care for their patients.”