THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AND PHOTOS AT:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) HHS Awards $849 Million to Improve Public Health Preparedness
2) NIH Launches Expanded Health Information Web Site
3) Prevention: Secretaries, Surgeon General, Congressman and Harlem Globetrotters Gather on National Mall to Promote Fitness
4) Science in the News: Cigarette Use Among High School Students Declining
5) Medicare Minute: Medicare Proposes Expanded Coverage and New Studies of Fdg-Pet For The Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease
6) Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule
HHS Awards $849 Million to Improve Public Health Preparedness
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced Thursday an additional $849 million in awards to 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.
"This funding is a critical component to our national security," Secretary Thompson said. "Our state and local public health system is the first line of defense when it comes to detection, reporting and containing a terrorist attack, an infectious disease outbreak or any other public health emergency."
This funding is in addition to $498 million released earlier this month by HHS' Health Resources Services Agency to strengthen hospitals and improve overall response capability. All totaled since Sept. 11, 2001, HHS has invested more than $3.7 billion in strengthening the nation's public health infrastructure.
"We're better prepared to respond to public health emergencies than ever before," Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. "We have more work to do, but these funds will go a long way to further ensure states and local governments are prepared to respond to public health emergencies."
The CDC will distribute the federal funds to enhance the capabilities of public health departments in the states, territories and metro areas (New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles County and Washington, D.C.). The money will be used to improve the readiness of the public health sector and other major health care providers to respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
Recipients will be able to use the funds in a number of ways to improve public health and emergency response. These include improving communication and coordination between hospitals and local and state health departments, and their laboratories, while bolstering epidemiology and disease surveillance in state and local areas by increasing the number of people trained in emergency response.
For a complete listing of the FY 2004 awards from the Public Health Preparedness and Response Cooperative Agreement, please go to: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040617.html
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NIH Launches Expanded Health Information Web Site
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a newly expanded health information Web site to provide users of all backgrounds and interests, with more information, more featured sections and more useful tools. Visitors can still access the popular A to Z listing of health topics, browse topics by body location/systems, or use the main Search box. Favorite health databases, such as Clinical Trials, MEDLINEplus, and PubMed, remain one click away.
"NIH is the nation's medical research agency, and has long been considered a highly trusted source of health information," Dennis Rodrigues, NIH Web site manager said. "As more than half of American adults use the Web to access health information, we are pleased to be able to expand our services and provide 'one-stop shopping' for valuable information from across the more than two dozen institutes and centers that comprise NIH."
The Web site includes three colorful new feature sections. Healthy Lifestyles highlights links to popular topics such as seasonal health concerns, nutrition and weight loss. Research In Action links users to cutting-edge scientific information on topics such as stem cells and genetics, and provides readers with an opportunity to meet scientists ranging from high school students to Nobel Laureates. Now Online emphasizes interactive features and Web exhibits, such as the Portion Distortion quiz, the Household Products Database, and the Milk Matters campaign. The new "Take a Quiz" box challenges viewers to test their knowledge with a series of continually rotating true/false questions on hot topics such as diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer prevention, and heart disease.
The newly expanded NIH health information Web site has information geared for the whole family, including kids, teens, parents, and seniors. Educators, clinicians, and researchers will continue to find the site a valuable resource of tools and guidelines.
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PREVENTION
Secretaries, Surgeon General, Congressman and Harlem Globetrotters Gather on National Mall to Promote Fitness
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson was on the National Mall at the HealthierUS Fitness Festival Wednesday, June 16 to highlight the health benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, regardless of age, background or abilities.
Secretary Thompson spoke about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and getting daily physical activity. He encouraged the crowd to take small steps in their daily life, like walking up the stairs, to improve their health. Secretary Thompson was joined by Secretary of Education Rod Paige; U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona; Congressman Zach Wamp and Mark Udall; Director of the National Park Service, Fran Mainella; Mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams, and the Harlem Globetrotters.
More than 45 various organizations - including the Administration on Aging, AARP, Bally's, Coca-Cola, and the Special Olympics - were on the Mall with exhibits, giveaways, demonstrations, interactive sports and free health screenings.
The Fitness Festival, sponsored by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, was part of the message HHS is sending to Americans that we need to start reversing the ill-effects of being overweight or obese.
There are hundreds of small steps that can really make a difference in helping lead longer, healthier and more productive lives. For additional small steps, check out the website www.smallstep.gov.
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SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
Cigarette Use Among High School Students Declining
Cigarette use among high school students is on a decline, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, "Trends in Cigarette Use Among High School Students—United States, 1991-2003," is featured in the June 18 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The study found that although the prevalence of lifetime cigarette use was stable among high school students during the 1990s and the prevalence of both current and current frequent cigarette use increased into the late 1990s, all three behaviors declined significantly by 2003. Prevention efforts must be maintained to continue the decline of smoking and to achieve the 2010 national health objective of reducing current smoking rates among high school students to 16 percent or less.
Some of the reports highlights include:
Smoking causes nearly a half a million premature deaths in the United States each year. Smoking also leads to a potential of 13.2 years of lost life for men and 14.5 years of lost life for women.
For a copy of the report, please go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5323a1.htm
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Medicare Minute
Medicare Proposes Expanded Coverage and New Studies of Fdg-Pet For The Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Tuesday, June 15 that it intends to expand Medicare coverage of positron emission tomography (PET) to include some Medicare beneficiaries with suspected Alzheimer's disease. CMS will accept public comments on the draft decision memorandum for 30 days, and will make the decision final within 90 days.
"This new Medicare coverage will improve care for Americans living with suspected Alzheimer's disease," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "It is one of the many ways we're working to help our Medicare beneficiaries with cognitive impairment get the best possible care based on the best scientific evidence."
With input from independent experts, including the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association, CMS completed an exhaustive review of the evidence regarding the use of PET for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease after receiving a request to reconsider its previous non-coverage decision. Based on this scientific review, CMS determined that use of PET for the diagnosis of suspected AD would be covered for patients when a specific diagnosis remains uncertain despite a thorough clinical evaluation. In addition, in view of indications of the potential benefit of PET, Medicare will also cover PET in other patients with early dementia or unexpected memory loss who are enrolled in clinical trials with certain safeguards for patients, including informed individualized analysis and evaluation of test results and health status.
"To increase access of Medicare beneficiaries to innovative technology that will improve health outcomes, we will use the best and latest clinical evidence in our coverage decisions - and we will work to improve the evidence when important questions remain," CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. said. "In addition to expanding PET coverage, Medicare will collaborate with the National Institutes of Health to develop needed evidence on the role of PET scans in guiding treatment and predicting the course of Alzheimer' s disease.
Alzheimer's disease is an age-related and irreversible brain disorder that occurs gradually and results in memory loss, behavior and personality changes, and a decline in thinking abilities. It is the most common cause of dementia, representing approximately two-thirds of cases.
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Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule:
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Last updated: June 21, 2004
United States Department of Health and Human Services
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