News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 10, 2004 |
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
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HHS Continues to Strengthen Umbrella of Protection From Bioterrorism
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said the third anniversary of the
worst attack on American soil marks a time to remember the lives
lost and their families, take measure of the tremendous progress
made in bolstering our nation’s preparedness for another
attack, and reaffirm our commitment to further strengthening our
nation’s public health system.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the nation’s public health
infrastructure has been strengthened, hospitals’ surge
capacities have grown, new science to limit the dangers of
bioterrorism have been created, and antidotes to deadly agents and
other medical countermeasures have been produced and stockpiled.
Yet, Secretary Thompson warns there is more work to do and the
nation must remain vigilant and dedicated to further strengthening
our public health system and preparedness for a terrorist attack.
“The evil of the terrorist mind is difficult to comprehend
but too dangerous to ignore,” Secretary Thompson said.
“Because of that, we must continue preparing for every
contingency, every possibility -- including the use of biological
and chemical agents in an attack on our citizens.”
President Bush is proud of the progress the nation has made since
Sept. 11, but continues to push America forward in its ability to
protect the homeland and respond to another attack, Secretary
Thompson said.
“It truly is remarkable how far we’ve come in three
short years,” Secretary Thompson said. “From Washington
to Main Street, we’re better able to protect our citizens
from bioterrorism. We’ve developed and stockpiled new
medicines, and we’re researching cutting-edge ways to further
secure our citizens.
“We were able to strengthen our capabilities so quickly
because of unprecedented cooperation between federal, state and
local governments as well as the medical and public health
communities. We must use these new partnerships to continue driving
forward so that our public health infrastructure is as strong as
possible. We must get stronger every day and never waver in our
commitment to this task.”
Strengthening the Public Health Infrastructure
Since Sept. 11, 2001, HHS has invested more than $4.1 billion in
strengthening the nation’s public health
infrastructure. In three installments over the past three
years, HHS has distributed funding to hospitals, health care
facilities, states, territories, and four major metropolitan areas
to strengthen the ability of government and public health agencies
to respond to bioterror attacks, infectious diseases and natural
disasters.
Hospitals will use the funds they receive from states to effect a
rapid temporary expansion of bed capacity to accommodate mass
casualties, increase isolation and decontamination capacity,
identify qualified volunteer health care workers to augment
hospital staff to deal with mass casualties, and plan for
hospital-based and community ready pharmaceutical caches.
Public health departments in the states, territories and metro
areas will use this funding to improve the readiness of the public
health sector and other major health care providers to respond to
bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
Research, Development, and Manufacturing of Vaccines and
Antidotes
Immediately following Sept. 11, HHS worked to secure enough
smallpox vaccine for every man, woman, and child in America and
funded additional research and technologies to combat bioterrorism.
When President Bush signed the law authorizing Project Bioshield,
he ushered in a new era of protection over bioterror agents for the
American people. Project Bioshield provides new tools to
improve medical countermeasures protecting Americans against a
chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) attack.
Project BioShield will allow the government to buy improved
vaccines, biologics, and drugs. The fiscal year 2004 appropriation
for the Department of Homeland Security included $5.6 billion over
10 years for the purchase of next generation countermeasures
against anthrax and smallpox as well as other CBRN agents.
As the result of the Project BioShield legislation, the
administration has already begun the process of acquiring a number
of new medical countermeasures. These include:
75 million doses of a second-generation anthrax vaccine to become
available for stockpiling beginning next year.
New medical treatments for anthrax directed at neutralizing the
effects of anthrax toxin.
Polyvalent botulinum antitoxin.
A safer second-generation smallpox vaccine.
Initial evaluation of treatments for radiation and chemical weapons
exposure.
Biodefense medical research and development and related laboratory
construction at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been
funded at more than $1.5 billion per year since fiscal year 2003,
30 times the investment in fiscal year 2001. NIH researchers are
developing and evaluating new and improved treatments and vaccines
against smallpox, anthrax, and, for the first time, Ebola, as well
as other dangerous pathogens. This funding will cultivate and
sustain a national network of researchers including the eight new
Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging
Infectious Diseases Research (RCE).
Ensured Medicare Services to all Beneficiaries
After the attacks of Sept. 11, and all natural disasters,
HHS’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guarantees
payment of services to all health care providers who give services
to Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of paperwork or other
obstacles. During times of catastrophe, HHS’ health
care payment system continues to work and ensure the health care
that Americans need.
Additional Funding to Community Health Centers in Affected
Areas
HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $10
million to 33 New York City and northern New Jersey health centers
to support services provided in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center. Community health centers
normally provide care to thousands of residents who would not
otherwise have access to health services.
Following the attacks, area centers saw substantially higher demand
for their health care services, and the increased demand is
expected to continue in the coming months, especially for grief
counseling and other mental health services. Two centers near the
World Trade Center had their operations briefly interrupted
following the attacks. Others sent staff members to assist at area
hospitals and the disaster site.
Established the Office of Public Health and Emergency
Preparedness
HHS created the office to oversee the department’s overall
monitoring and response to man-made and natural disasters. It
is the headquarters for the Secretary’s Emergency Response
Teams (SERTs) and the department’s International Early
Warning Surveillance efforts. It also provides funding for
bioterrorism preparedness, planning, and evaluation.
Built a State-of-the-Art Operations Center
The $3.5 million Secretary’s Operations Center (SOC) is
manned 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. It provides the
Secretary with instant information on public health emergencies
across the country and potentially around the globe. The SOC
is capable to engage video conferencing with a nearly infinite
number of participants, track migrating diseases, and monitor world
news.
Increased and Expanded the Strategic National
Stockpile
HHS has expanded the stockpile to include antibiotics and a wide
variety of supplies that would be needed in the event of an
attack. In addition, the number of sites for ready deployment
have increased from eight to 12, strategically located around the
country. Stockpile of supplies could reach any location in
the United States within 12 hours.
Improved Mental Health Services
Recognizing the immediate and long-term implications of mental
health in the wake of traumatic events, Secretary Thompson directed
HHS to commit resources and personnel to provide mental health
services to those in need.
As early as Sept. 13, 2001, Secretary Thompson announced that HHS
personnel were already working to coordinate crisis counseling
programs for victims, their families, and the thousands of
professional and volunteer rescue workers. That included the
immediate release of $1 million in funding for New York to support
mental health services and strategic planning for comprehensive and
long-term support.
On Sept. 21, 2001, Secretary Thompson announced the immediate
awarding of $126.2 million in support services for communities
affected by the attacks -- part of $5.1 billion released by
President Bush. The HHS funds included $28 million for mental
health services and $25 million for such social service programs as
assistance for children whose families were affected by the
attacks; emergency food and shelter; and assistance to homebound
disabled and elderly people whose aid was disrupted.
Within a month HHS released an additional $20 million in mental
health services grants to areas in and around the three ground
zeroes.
And recognizing the lasting impact of post-traumatic stress, on
Sept. 17, 2002, Secretary Thompson announced $2.4 million for
mental health services for public safety workers affected by the
attacks, including firefighters, search and rescue personnel,
emergency medical personnel, law enforcement personnel,
construction workers and others.
Immediate Child Care Assistance
In addition to the money included in the $126.2 million for child
welfare services, HHS’ Administration for Children and
Families (ACF) provided $200,000 in emergency child care funds to
the State of New York in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Immediate Care for Seniors in Need
Immediately after the Sept. 11 attack, HHS released $1.3 million to
assist older Americans affected by the attacks to ensure seniors
continued to receive critical services such as meals,
transportation, and health and mental care needs. This money was
included in the $126.2 million announced Sept. 21.
Immediate Care for Refugees and Refugee Resettlement
ACF also awarded emergency grants to New York, Virginia, and the
District of Columbia for services to refugees affected by the Sept.
11 attacks. These three grants, totaling $3.6 million, were
made to provide additional services such as job training, job
placement, English language training, and mental health services
for refugees affected by the terrorist attacks.
Immediate and Continued Health Monitoring of Ground Zero
Workers
HHS immediately committed $10.4 million to environmental hazard
control, including $5 million for safety of emergency workers, with
provision of respirators and ongoing health assessments of workers.
It also provided $5.4 million in technical assistance for response
to hazardous environmental exposures and potential needs related to
asthma, including dilators, asthma surveillance, and tracking
exposure to contaminants.
HHS’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), with the assistance of the New York City Department of
Public Health, created and maintains the World Trade Center
Registry, which will enroll and monitor the health of up to 200,000
people who may have been exposed to harmful substances from the
collapse of the World Trade Center.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health provided funding to
establish the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical
Screening Program. Through August 2004, the screening program has
provided free standardized medical assessments, clinical referrals
and occupational health education to nearly 12,000 workers and
volunteers exposed to environmental contaminants, psychological
stressors, and physical hazards.
Strengthened the United States Public Health Service
HHS reorganized the uniformed Public Health Service to make it more
responsive in times of public health need. Currently, the
6,000 officers of the Commissioned Corps continue to undergo
training exercises to effectively support state and local health
officials during emergency situations.
Established the Medical Reserve Corps
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is the medical component of
President Bush's USA Freedom Corps Initiative. After the
outpouring of support in the wake of Sept. 11, President Bush
called on citizens to volunteer in their own communities setting up
Citizen Corps volunteer programs. Including fiscal year 2005,
nearly $23 million has been committed to establishing and building
up local MRC units. To date there are more than 27,500
volunteers among 212 MRC units across the country.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: September 10, 2004
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