HHS WEEKLY REPORT
July 21, 2003 - July 27, 2003

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

IN THIS ISSUE:
1) AHRQ Building Dedicated to the Late Dr. Eisenberg
2) Surgeon General Carmona and Mia Hamm Motivate Kids to Get Moving
3) SAMHSA Grants American Indian/Alaska Natives $1 Million for Substance Abuse and Treatment Services
4) Are you ready to get active?
5) Secretary Thompson's public schedule

AHRQ Building Dedicated to the Late Dr. Eisenberg

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson will dedicate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, new building to the late John M. Eisenberg, the agency's former Director this week. Dr. Eisenberg was a dedicated public official who worked to make the AHRQ a streamlined research agency whose offices were previously scattered in various buildings in Rockville, MD. He also spearheaded efforts of the federal government to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety in American health care.

Dr. Eisenberg was widely recognized for his effective non-partisan approach to health care issues and was retained by the Bush administration after serving for three years in the Clinton administration.

"John was an exceptional leader who built a motivated and dedicated team since joining AHRQ in 1997," Secretary Thompson said. "The research supported and conducted by AHRQ makes a difference in the lives of patients every day. This is John's legacy: Ensuring that health care is built on a strong foundation of scientific evidence that is translated into the improved health of the American people."

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Surgeon General Carmona and Mia Hamm Motivate Kids to Get Moving

U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, and U.S. soccer star Mia Hamm are participating in an event on the National Mall on July 21 to highlight the importance of children staying healthy and active in order to prevent child obesity and overweight.

This event is launching "Get Kids in Action," a campaign designed to reduce the rate of childhood obesity and is a result of a partnership between School of Public Health at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Gatorade Company.

"Increasing physical activity among children is a key component to preventing them from becoming overweight or obese," Surgeon General Carmona said. "Childhood obesity is a complex issue, and innovative public/private partnerships, like 'Get Kids in Action,' are what we need to tackle this growing epidemic."

Nearly 9 million youth - approximately 15 percent of all children and adolescents are overweight. The number of overweight adolescents has doubled since 1980 according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Almost half of children age 8-16 in America spend four hours or more watching television daily and only about half of young people (ages 12 - 21 years) exercise regularly.

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SAMHSA Grants American Indian/Alaska Natives $1 Million for Substance Abuse and Treatment Services

This week Charlie Curie, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced a $1 million grant to the American Indian/Alaska Native National Resource Center this week. The resource center is the result of collaboration between SAMHSA and the Indian Health Service (IHS), both agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Working with stakeholders from across the country, this center will provide a blueprint for comprehensive services that honor the traditional ways of living and healing among Native Americans," SAMHSA Administrator, Curie said.

The grant will be used to target American Indian/Alaska Natives for substance abuse treatment and prevention programs that are evidence-based and culturally effective. In addition to this, the funds will provide training, technical assistance, and products to expand the capacity and quality of substance abuse prevention and treatment practitioners serving this population.

For more information please contact SAMHSA press office at (301) 443-3740.

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Are you ready to get active?

Vigorous Activities

Create a healthier you!

Choose one activity from the list of moderate or vigorous activities above and get started for a healthier you! Get a pencil and write your answer below.

My goal is to     (write one favorite activity here)     for at least     (minutes per day)     minutes     (number of times)     times each week.

This information is from the National Institutes of Heatlh.

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Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's public schedule:

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Last updated July 21, 2003
United States Department of Health and Human Services
Contact the HHS Newsletter Team.