HHS Weekly Report

THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AT:
www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly

Wednesday, March 20
8:00 AM National Association of Community Health Centers Conference, Washington Hilton and Towers, Washington, DC

Thursday, March 21
1:30 PM House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing on welfare reform, Room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson will testify before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Thursday, March 21. He will continue to promote President Bush's plan to reauthorize TANF and further the process of reforming the nation's welfare programs.

"The President's priorities include strengthening work requirements, promoting strong families, giving states more flexibility and showing compassion to those in need," said the Secretary. "These goals have been central to the Administration's proposals for TANF, child care and child support.

"We're also going to work with state governments to establish new state program integration waivers, which will allow you to integrate welfare and workforce assistance programs to improve their effectiveness. And we're offering states broad new flexibility to design new strategies and approaches to welfare reform, so that waivers can be applied to all aspects of some federal programs, such as housing, TANF, food stamps and education programs."

The current HHS proposal seeks $16.5 billion for block grants to States and Tribes and an additional $319 million each year for Supplemental Grants in order to achieve parity for states that have experienced high population growth and had historically low funding. Moreover, the legislation will increase the direct work requirement by requiring welfare recipients to engage in a 40-hour workweek, at least 24 hours of which must be in direct work, including employment, on-the-job training, and/or supervised work experience.

The hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

On Wednesday, March 20, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson will address the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) during their 27th annual conference. The organization will honor the Secretary with their 2002 Distinguished Community Health Champion Award in recognition of his commitment to the work of America's health centers, his respect for the critical role they play in providing access to care, and his advocacy for increasing the capacity of these centers.

"We made great strides in extending access to health care to Americans during the first year of the Bush administration," says Thompson. "We increased funding for community health centers by $165 million, in order to build on the expertise and compassion that provide care to so many Americans nationwide. However, there is much more to be done."

The proposed HHS budget for Fiscal Year 2003 requests an increase of $114.4 million to create 1,200 new community health centers by 2006. The President's proposal would support 170 new and expanded health centers and provide services to a million additional patients.

The Secretary will also speak about the importance of emergency preparedness in light of the increasing threat of bioterrorist attacks on the U.S. "In 2003 we're calling for $4.3 billion," says Thompson, "an increase of 45 percent over the current fiscal year - to support a variety of critical activities to prevent, identify and respond to incidents of bioterrorism. Community health centers will be critical in helping us to prepare and potentially deal with such incidents."

NACHC is a national trade association serving and representing the interests of America's community health centers. Their programs in primary and preventive care serve 11 million people at 3000 health center delivery sites. The NACHC's is convening their annual meeting at the Washington Hilton and Towers, and the Secretary is scheduled to speak during the closing session of the conference at 8 a.m.

Dr. John M. Eisenberg, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) since 1997, passed away on March 10, 2002, at his home in Potomac, Maryland, after a yearlong illness caused by a brain tumor. He was 55.

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson had this to say about Dr Eisenberg's life and career: "Throughout his career, John dedicated himself to ensuring that patients have the highest quality, safest health care possible. John's enthusiasm and commitment to this goal has inspired colleagues within the Department of Health and Human Services and across the federal government. Largely through his efforts, improving patient safety and health care quality are top national priorities.

"I was privileged to know John as an esteemed colleague. I was even more proud to call John a friend. I join his family and all of HHS in honoring his memory - his caring, his good humor, his high calling, and all his efforts in the Nation's service."

An excerpt from his official biography makes clear his pivotal role in determining health policy for all Americans:

The memorial service for Dr Eisenberg was held on Sunday, March 17, at 2:30 p.m. at the Washington Hebrew Congregation at 3935 Macomb Street, Washington, DC.

If you want to send your condolences to the family, feel free to do so via e-mail. Messages will be collected and given to his wife DD, sons Billy and Michael, and the rest of his family.

The Eisenberg family requests any contributions be made to the Dr. John M.Eisenberg Healthcare Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, 1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 340, Washington, DC 20036. The fund will support healthcare initiatives for research, education, service, and policy - the very sort of public-service initiatives that Dr Eisenberg stood for so strongly in life.

On Wednesday, March 13, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson led a press conference to recognize March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The disease is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for both men and women, and in the next year, an estimated 56,000 Americans are expected to die from colorectal cancer.

Joining Secretary Thompson were Dr. Robert Young, President of the American Cancer Society's National Board of Directors, Tom Scully, Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Cheryl Jurgensmeyer, a 57-year old colorectal cancer survivor from Tampa, Florida. Also in attendance were representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Secretary highlighted the critical role that screening and early detection can play in saving the lives of those affected by colorectal cancer. "By raising awareness of the dangers of colorectal cancer and letting people know of steps they can take to help prevent it or treat it early, we can prevent thousands of families from going through the pain and trauma of a battle with a deadly cancer," said Thompson.

The Secretary announced the release of a series of new public service announcements that will aim to better educate Americans, aged 50 and older, about the importance of regular screening. These announcements are part of a campaign known as "Screen for Life," developed as a partnership between CDC, CMS, and the National Cancer Institute.

In addition, the Secretary announced that HHS, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, will establish a task force to improve coordination and increase public awareness on the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of colorectal cancer.

The HHS budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2003 includes more than $309 million specifically for research on the causes and potential cures for colorectal cancer, bringing the four-year total to $1 billion. Each year, the healthcare industry spends $6.5 billion treating colorectal cancer. Among cancers colorectal cancer is second in cost only to breast cancer, which costs $6.6 billion annually.

On March 1st, 2002, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson swore in 25 new members of the President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Among them were former HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., and former U.S. Rep.Thomas Coburn, M.D. They will serve as co-chairs of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA).

In swearing the new members in, Thompson said: "AIDS is one of the most critical health issues of our time, and your willingness to commit your time, energy and expertise is an act of compassion and patriotism the President and all of us in the Administration appreciate deeply."

PACHA provides the President and the Secretary with recommendations regarding programs and policies intended to promote the highest quality of research, prevention, care and treatment. The new members will join nine members currently serving terms on the council.

The President's budget for fiscal year 2003 includes a total of $12.9 billion for HIV/AIDS. This is a net increase of more than $900 million from the previous fiscal year - an eight percent increase overall.

The National Institutes of Health are to receive a ten percent, $255 million increase for AIDS treatment and vaccine research. The Centers for Disease Control will get nearly $940 billion for domestic and global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

The budget also allocates $410 million for efforts targeted specifically at reducing the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on racial and ethnic minorities. And, as part of the Ryan White funding, Secretary Thompson this month awarded $597 million to 51 communities to help people with HIV and AIDS in low-income areas hit hardest by the epidemic.

The President's budget is committing $100 million to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, which brings HHS's two-year contribution to the fund to $200 million. USAID is also committing $100 million in 2003.

"Under the leadership of Dr. Sullivan and Dr. Coburn, these new council members will be an invaluable resource for the administration as we continue the nation's battle against HIV and AIDS," said Secretary Thompson. "HHS has long supported a vigorous response to this terrible disease through extensive research, prevention initiatives and expanding access to quality care and treatment. The expertise that the new members bring will help our efforts grow even stronger."

The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS was first established in 1995, and President George W. Bush renewed the council's charter in July 2001. Council members serve terms of up to four-years and are selected for their expertise in HIV/AIDS and their diverse personal and professional backgrounds.

On March 16th, 2002, Secretary Tommy G. Thompson was given the James Ewing Layman's Award for exceptional contributions to the fight against cancer by the Society of Surgical Oncology in Denver, Colorado. The award was bestowed for Secretary Thompson's career record of supporting efforts to improve the lives and treatment of cancer patients. Some highlights of this record include:

Building and expanding the University of Wisconsin's Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Securing funding for the expansion of Biological Sciences at the University.
Coordinating the State of Wisconsin's cancer efforts with the Wisconsin Cancer Care Networks.
Making sure the National Cancer Institute is well-funded.
Extending preventive cancer care and treatment to growing numbers of Americans.

Last updated 15 March 2002
United States Department of Health and Human Services
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