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

IN THIS ISSUE:
1) Secretary Thompson's public schedule for the week of April 21-27
2) Secretary Thompson and ABC Radio to "Close the Health Gap"
3) Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day
4) Secretary Thompson travels to Guyana
5) Immunization is a key to healthy living
6) Passing Of Dr James Ray Shaw
7) Secretary testifies on bioterror before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee
8) Secretary testifies on Medicare before the House Ways and Means Committee

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Secretary's Schedule for the week of April 21-27

Monday, April 22

2:00 pm - Organ Donation Event with US Olympic medalist Chris Klug. HHS Great Hall.

Tuesday, April 23

Global AIDS Fund conference in New York City.

Wednesday, April 24

2:00 pm - Nursing Home Quality Initiative announcement. HHH Building.

Friday, April 26

8:30 am - MOTTEP organ donation breakfast. Cleveland, Ohio.

5:30 pm Official portrait unveiling. Madison, Wisconsin.

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Secretary Thompson and ABC Radio to "Close the Health Gap"

Secretary Thompson recently announced a partnership between HHS and the ABC Radio Networks to promote good health, especially targeted to African American audiences.

Research shows the disparity among African-Americans:

• The average life expectancy for African-Americans is six years less than Caucasians;
• Infant mortality rates for African-American children are twice as high as those for Caucasian infants; and
• African Americans are twice as likely to die from diabetes than are Caucasians.

A desire to close this "health gap" is behind the national public health campaign launched last fall by Secretary Thompson and ABC Radio Networks. "Closing the Health Gap" will inform and educate African-Americans with a wide range of proven health messages, including lifestyle tips and information regarding clinics and public health programs. It combines the radio networks' broadcast resources with HHS's health information expertise, and will involve civic organizations and community groups across the country.

"As a nation, we need to work aggressively to close this health gap," Secretary Thompson said. "'Closing the Health Gap' will spread the word about good health and prevention directly to millions of African-American listeners."

ABC Radio has turned HHS's scientific knowledge into effective radio programming. Detailed health messages are airing in 10-, 30- and 60-second public service announcements on 240 radio stations across the U.S.

Log on to here to learn more about the "Closing the Health Gap" campaign.

Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day

A major component of the HHS/ABC Radio "Closing the Health Gap" campaign will be Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day scheduled for Fall 2002.

Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day is designed to encourage all Americans, especially minorities, to become more involved in their health care. Volunteers will help people set up appointments with health care professionals and even accompanying them to their appointments.

The campaign also links the government's extensive health information resources directly to Americans to help put scientific expertise to practical use. HHS will encourage hundreds of fraternal, social, religious and community based organizations, local health departments, and radio stations to take part in Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day by organizing screenings, health fairs, and other events promoting health and wellness.

"People should take charge of their health, and participating in Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day can be a positive first step," said Secretary Thompson. "Prevention and early detection of potential health problems are essential, and the good news is that there are measures we all can take to protect ourselves and our families." he added.

ABC Radio's Tom Joyner, nationally syndicated radio personality and host of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and businessman and former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson serve as honorary co-chairs of Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day.

Secretary Thompson travels to Guyana

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and other U.S. health officials traveled to Georgetown, Guyana, last week to lead discussions on the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, and strategies to prevent and treat the disease.

Secretary Thompson, senior officials from various HHS agencies, and officals from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) joined Caribbean ministers of health and representatives from the private sector to outline future U.S.-Caribbean relationships regarding disease prevention, access to care, and the development of partnership agreements.

The Caribbean trip came less than a month after Secretary Thompson's trip to Africa, where he led a White House mission to Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, and Côte d'Ivoire. While in Africa he explored strategies to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, which combined lead to nearly 6 million deaths each year.

According to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, the Caribbean has the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the world, with an estimated 1.8 million individuals living with the disease, including 210,000 adults and children who became infected in 2000. Africa has the highest rate of infection, with an estimated 25 million people living with HIV/AIDS.

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Immunization is a key to healthy living

HHS promotes the nation's health by providing access to immunizations for children, to flu vaccines for senior citizens, and in many ways in-between. For example, due to the threat of bioterrorism, Secretary Thompson worked with vaccine companies to produce enough smallpox vaccine for every person in America by the end of this year.

The President's FY 2003 budget provides more than $1.4 billion for immunization activities, with most of it targeted to HHS's Vaccine for Children Program.

In addition, HHS's National Institutes for Health (NIH) will spend over $700 million this year on vaccine development and research and is slated to receive a half billion-dollar increase in the President's budget to nearly $1.2 billion in 2003. These increases will fund vaccine development research on many diseases including lung and colorectal cancers, HIV/AIDS, and bioterrorism threats.

This week, HHS's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will launch a Spanish-language media campaign to inform Hispanic parents of the importance of immunization. For more information, call HHS's National Immunization Information Hot Line at (800) 232-2522 or (800) 232-0233 en Español or visit www.cdc.gov/nip.

Since disease knows no borders Secretary Thompson continues to promote an aggressive worldwide health agenda. Among the current projects, HHS through CDC has spent $1 million to purchase polio vaccines for five million children of the newly liberated Afghanistan; while committing millions of dollars to fighting the pandemic of diseases associated with poverty around the globe.

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Passing Of Dr James Ray Shaw

Following is the statement of the Secretary on the passing of the first Director of the Indian Health Service, Dr James Ray Shaw:

I was saddened to learn of the death of James Ray Shaw, M.D., a leader who took action to improve the health status for generations of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Dr. Shaw was the first Director of the Indian Health Service, serving from 1955 when it was transferred to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, until his retirement from the Commissioned Corps in 1962. The dramatic improvements in the health status of Indian people following 1955 resulted from public and individual health programs developed and implemented under his leadership. He established the basic model of community-oriented primary care by combining public health and clinical primary care
services. He recruited an extraordinary number of professionals with public health expertise that allowed a very wide scope of health issues to be addressed within a short period of time. He established maternal and child health as a major initiative and also began data collection efforts as a way to help others begin to understand the level of Indian health status.

His personal commitment to Indian health care was seen in his hands-on approach to leadership, which encompassed far more than just policy making. While he was busy building an administrative and medical infrastructure for the Indian Health Service, he also lent a hand in its physical construction-there are pictures of Dr. Shaw climbing a ladder with a bundle of shingles over his shoulder, helping to put a roof on a new clinic that was badly needed by the surrounding community. He did what needed to be done, on any level.

Dr. Shaw's tremendous achievements in bringing quality health services, medicine, and sanitation facilities to Indian Country, vital necessities that most Americans took for granted, left a legacy of improved health for Indian people and an exemplary record of commitment and service to the people of our nation.

Secretary testifies on bioterror before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee

On Thursday, 18 April 2002, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson testified before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on the efforts made since 11 September 2001 to prepare the nation for a bioterrorist attack. The Secretary said,

"Building America's preparedness for a bioterrorism attack is of paramount importance to the security of our country. Should an attack occur, the President is committed to making sure we are ready to handle it quickly and successfully. Over the past six months, the President has put forth bold plans to build America's Homeland Security….As you know, the Department of Health and Human Services and my office have been working at break-neck speed to build our bioterrorism preparedness, particularly since the attacks of Sept. 11. This has included everything from enhancing our pharmaceutical stockpiles to building a stronger public health infrastructure to speeding up research into new medicines and diagnostic tools. We continue to get stronger every day, and I'm extremely proud of the progress we have made with your support."

The Secretary also outlined a series of spending measures designed to increase national preparedness, including:

• $1.7 billion for the National Institutes of Health for research into new vaccines and diagnostics.
• $940 million for state and local organizations to improve laboratory capacity, increase epidemiological expertise, provide for better electronic communication and distance learning, and support an expanded focus on cooperative training between public health agencies and local hospitals.
• $518 million under the Hospital Preparedness Program to support outbreak response and control.
• $1.75 billion for research. The NIH is researching better anthrax, plague and hemorrhagic fever vaccines, as well as new diagnostic tools that might help detect an attack.
• $98 million to keep our food supply safe.
• $184 million to upgrade our federal laboratory facilities and capabilities. This funding will enable the CDC to handle the most highly infectious and lethal pathogens in the world.

Secretary Thompson closed his testimony by saying, "In April 1861, as danger loomed before the Union, Abraham Lincoln issued a two-sentence directive to the then-Governor of Pennsylvania, who had asked his opinion on what to do. He said: 'I think the necessity of being ready increases. Look to it.' It is in that spirit of swift, effective preparation for the unknown that we pursue our efforts. We will not rest - and we will not falter - till America is as prepared as it possibly can be."

Secretary testifies on Medicare before the House Ways and Means Committee

On Wednesday, 17 April 2002, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the future of Medicare, and the shape of a prescription drug benefit. The Secretary began by outlining the challenges facing the Medicare system: "Medicare has provided security to millions of American seniors since 1965. But at the dawn of the 21st century, its promise is threatened by outdated and inadequate benefits, limited protection against rising medical costs, and a traditional government plan that often fails to deliver responsive services to recipients or ensure high-quality care."

The Secretary then outlined some principles upon which the President wanted to base Medicare reform and revitalization:

• All seniors should have the option of a subsidized prescription drug benefit as part of modernized Medicare.
• Modernized Medicare should provide better coverage for preventive care and serious illnesses.
• Today's beneficiaries and those approaching retirement should have the option of keeping the traditional plan with no changes.
• Medicare should provide greater insurance options, like those available to all federal employees.
• We strengthen Medicare's long-term financial security, improving the management of the government Medicare plan, updating and streamlining Medicare's regulations and administrative procedures, and encouraging high-quality health care for all seniors.

He closed with an appeal to the Committee members: "Our budget also provides $8 billion through the year 2006 to expand drug coverage to low-income Medicare recipients. This proposal is fully integrated with the President's Medicare modernization proposal and will enable states to take advantage of existing structures so that seniors will get help quickly. We have debated this issue long enough. Mr. Chairman, I want to work with you, and all members of this committee, in designing this vital drug assistance program. It is so important, and I look forward to your ideas and thoughts on better serving America's neediest seniors."

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Last updated 22 April 2002
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