May 8, 2026

DEADLINE TO REGISTER APPROACHING!

Pa. is Getting $193M for Rural Health. What Comes Next?

Whitney Downard, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

May 7, 2026

With hundreds of millions of federal dollars flowing into the commonwealth’s coffers for rural health, a coalition of stakeholders considered the potential funding opportunities on Wednesday for nearly three hours in Harrisburg. “Being from the rural, rural part of Pennsylvania, (healthcare is) something I hear about virtually every day,” said Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), who chairs the Center for Rural Pennsylvania that hosted the meeting. The state’s $193 million Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) award, the first of five funding rounds, is designed to help offset the $20 billion in Medicaid dollars Pennsylvania is expected to lose between 2028 and 2038. With tight deadlines — dollars must be committed by Oct. 30, 2026 — and a short time to prove itself before the next round of applications begins, the commonwealth is focusing on stabilization funding, establishing committees to direct regional priorities, and a smattering of narrowly defined projects. 

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Penn Highlands Healthcare Annual Giving Campaign Raises More Than $150,000 to Support Patient Care and Community Programs

(May 7, 2026, DuBois, Pennsylvania) Penn Highlands Healthcare is proud to announce the successful completion of its 2026 Annual Giving Campaign, raising more than $150,000 to support critical patient care initiatives and community programs across its health system.

This year’s campaign brought together three impactful initiatives — Building Brighter Futures Together, Hope Starts Here, With You in the Valley and Together for Her — each focused on addressing vital healthcare needs throughout the region.

Funds raised will support enhancements to the Penn Highlands Connellsville Regional Center for Autism, expand access to comprehensive Cancer Care services and strengthen Women’s Cancer Care programs. These investments help ensure patients have access to early detection screenings, advanced treatment options and compassionate, high-quality care close to home.

“As a non-profit healthcare system, the success of our Annual Giving Campaign is made possible through the generosity of our employees, donors and community partners,” said Lindsey Herzing, Donor Relations Manager, Penn Highlands Healthcare. “This level of support demonstrates a shared commitment to improving lives and advancing care throughout the communities we serve.”

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Pennsylvania House Democrats Ask Republicans for Their Best Budget Offer

Alton Northup, Harrisburg ABC 27

May 7, 2026

House Democrats issued a direct challenge to Senate Republicans this week: send them a budget. The House already passed its budget proposal, a record $53.3 billion plan that received support from just three Republicans. It’s a $2.7 billion increase from last year’s budget, and roughly $5 billion more than what the state expects to take in. State law requires lawmakers to pass a budget by June 30. They don’t always do that, and they missed the mark by more than 100 days last year. While Democrats are on time, Republicans argue they are not on target. “We can also pass a fantasy budget and say that we passed a budget,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland). “You know, when we’re actually sitting at the table to get stuff done, or things that we all agree on, we don’t play politics and say, ‘Well, we passed a budget.'” Ward said lawmakers have to decide how much they want to spend and how much debt the state can handle. “This is definitely not a want year,” she said. “This is a need year.”

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Join us in celebrating an exciting new chapter for Lake & Country Real Estate at the Grand Opening of their new location at 9002 William Penn Highway! Come tour the new space, connect with the community, and help welcome them to their new home. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Click here for the May 2026 PA Municipal & Nonprofit Leaders Funding and Resource Newsletter containing information on current funding opportunities that you may find useful. Here are a few noteworthy programs currently open for applications:

• National Volunteer Fire Council Inc. Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program- Opens May 4, Closes May 7
• Shooting Range Improvement Grant- Closes May 8
• Neighborhood Assistance Program- Closes May 29
• Greenways Trails & Recreation- Closes May 31
• Growing Green Plus- Closes June 22
• DCED Multimodal- Closes July 31

For additional information on a particular funding program, links are provided in the newsletter. If you have any additional questions on these or other funding opportunities for your projects, please feel free to contact Michele Ivory in my Hollidaysburg Office (814-695-8386 or mivory@pasen.gov) or John Breneman in my Lewistown Office (717-210-5700 or jbreneman@pasen.gov). 

Penn Highlands Healthcare Addresses Emergency Medical Services and Transportation

(May 6, 2026, DuBois, Pennsylvania) Penn Highlands Healthcare is committed to assisting with its patients’ transportation needs. Since the health system serves large rural populations throughout Pennsylvania, transportation is often a concern for patients who may experience travel burdens due to longer distances to care, the cost of travel, and fewer public transportation options. Transportation barriers, including limited Emergency Medical Services (EMS), sometimes cause people to forgo the medical care they need.

“At Penn Highlands Healthcare, we have 780 physicians and 500 advanced practice providers who provide our patients high-quality primary and specialty services, but in many cases, they need transportation to be able to access this care,” explained Steven M. Fontaine, CEO of the nine-hospital health system. “We develop and implement strategies, apply for grants, solicit donations and form partnerships with local agencies to improve transportation.”

The Penn Highlands Connect Center oversees a fleet of 24 vehicles and coordinates patient transportation throughout the health system. Penn Highlands Healthcare funds the Connect Center dispatch staff, drivers and operational expenses such as fuel, insurance, repairs and cleaning to provide this service.

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Pa. Revenue Collections Rise; State in Strong

Financial Position

Ed Gruver, Central Penn Business Journal

May 4, 2026

Pennsylvania has collected nearly $1 billion more than anticipated so far this fiscal year, putting the state in a strong financial position, the Pennsylvania Revenue Department reported. Revenue Secretary Pat Browne reported Pennsylvania collected $6.7 billion in General Fund revenue in April, which was $519 million, or 8.4 percent more than expected. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $41.7 billion, which is $992.8 million, or 2.4 percent, above estimate. “It’s very encouraging to see our revenue collections coming in so strong this month,” Browne said in a statement. “April is historically a major month for us, largely because of a key due date for personal income tax falling on the 15th ... We’re also seeing a lot of positive trends from our other major revenue sources." The month’s corporation tax revenue of $824.5 million was $153.1 million above estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $6.7 billion, which is $213.8 million, or 3.3 percent, more than anticipated.

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Pa.'s Unemployment Rate Holds at 4.2% in March, Below U.S. Average

Lehigh Valley Live

May 1, 2026

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained flat at 4.2 percent in March, holding below the national average as the state added jobs across multiple sectors, according to preliminary data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. The state’s jobless rate stayed one-tenth of a percentage point below the U.S. unemployment rate, which fell from 4.4 percent in February to 4.3 percent in March. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate matched its March 2025 level, while the national rate increased one-tenth of a point over the same period. Pennsylvania added 12,500 nonfarm jobs in March, bringing the total to 6,189,600. Six of the 11 industry supersectors reported gains during the month, led by trade, transportation and utilities, which added 5,100 positions. The other services sector posted the largest decline, shedding 2,400 jobs. The state’s civilian labor force grew by 6,000 to reach 6,593,000 in March. Employment increased by 9,000 while the number of unemployed residents declined by 3,000 from February.

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