HHS Weekly Report - Text Version

HHS WEEKLY REPORT
September 5 - September 11, 2004

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

IN THIS ISSUE:
1) HHS Deploys Medical Workers to Assist Florida Families
2) Prevention: New Report Maps Women's Health in the United States Shows Patterns by State for Key Indicators
3) Science in the News: FDA Approves Drug for Neuropathic Pain Associated With Diabetes
4) Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule

HHS Deploys Medical Workers to Assist Florida Families

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced on Monday that the department is coordinating the deployment of dozens of emergency medical personnel to provide assistance to communities damaged by Hurricane Frances, while also urging Florida residents to take necessary precautions to protect their health and safety as they begin cleaning up from the hurricane.

"HHS is working day and night to support the people of Florida in their time of need," Secretary Thompson said. "We are in constant contact with local, state and federal officials to provide medical care and expertise to Florida families and communities."

Under Secretary Thompson's direction, HHS is deploying approximately 70 nurses and five pharmacists to four locations along the eastern seaboard of Florida to provide services to special needs shelters. These shelters are set up to provide basic nursing and medical care to individuals already suffering from sickness or injuries or at high risk of illness often due to age. These shelters are located in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County.

HHS also is assembling six additional teams to deploy to Florida, as the need arises. The Secretary's Emergency Response Team is expected to deploy to Florida in the next few days to help survey and establish the overall short-term and long-term medical and health needs of the areas damaged by Hurricane Frances.

In addition, four Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units are being used to increase medical staffing at shelters for people who evacuated their homes in the storm's path. Members of the Lake County MRC, from Travares, Fla., are supporting special needs shelters around Orlando, and the West Palm and Lake County MRCs are working with their local Red Cross Chapters to assist residents staying in local shelters. In Augusta, Ga., the MRC volunteers of the East Central Health District are providing medical staff to treat people injured or displaced by the hurricane who arrive at the local shelters. And the Clark County (Nev.) MRC is traveling with their local Red Cross Chapter to Florida to assist those affected by the storm.

HHS officials also are taking the following steps to respond to Hurricane Frances:

Maintaining contact with state health officials, hospitals, health centers and nursing homes to provide assistance with storm damage or emergency health needs.
Monitoring blood centers' supply and taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of the blood supply.
Working with state and local governments and the private sector to protect the food and water supplies. HHS is working to make sure contaminated food or crops do not make it into the food supply, as well as help ensure the quality of water supplies. HHS also is working where required to ensure public health in the wake of any flood or sewage backups.
Providing mental health services to communities, schools and individuals, as necessary.

After Hurricane Charley last month, Secretary Thompson visited storm-damaged areas and announced that HHS was making more than $11 million available to support Florida families. That money included $1 million to assist DeSoto County Hospital and Osceola Regional Hospital; a $200,000 emergency grant to help provide meals, shelter and services to elderly residents; and up to $10 million in emergency one-time grants to Head Start and Early Head Start centers. Secretary Thompson said that HHS is working to assess damage from Hurricane Frances before announcing new grants and said that any unused money from Hurricane Charley also will be available to victims of Hurricane Frances.

More information on personal safety in the wake of a hurricane is available at http://www.hhs.gov/disasters/hurricane.html.

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PREVENTION

New Report Maps Women's Health in the United States Shows Patterns by State for Key Indicators

Hawaii has the lowest overall death rate for women, Colorado the lowest rate of obesity, and Minnesota ranks best in terms of health insurance coverage. These findings and more are in a new report, The Women’s Health and Mortality Chartbook, a collection of current state data on critical issues of relevance to women’s health. Prepared by the HHS Office on Women’s Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the report ranks each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in 27 indicators, including major causes of death, health risk factors, preventive care, and health insurance coverage.

The chartbook maps each indicator so that state and regional patterns can be discerned. It also ranks the 27 health measures for each state to help policymakers, program officials, researchers and others identify key issues of importance in each state. The state tables show data by race and ethnicity to focus on disparities and differences in each indicator. Each state profile in the chartbook begins with a summary statement highlighting some of the most important issues for that state and pointing to rankings which are among the best or worst. While no one state scored the best in all indicators, a number of patterns emerged. Eight of the 10 states with the highest stroke death rates were in the South. Colorado, Hawaii and Utah had among the lowest death rates for heart diseases and cancers. The states with a high proportion of women with recent mammograms and recent cholesterol screenings clustered in the Northeast.

State differences also reflect the racial and ethnic makeup of the state’s population. Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado--all with large Hispanic populations--had relatively lower rates of insurance coverage, reflecting the pattern for Hispanics in general.

The indicators chosen for the report are those that are measured regularly at the state level, cover a wide range of health concerns, represent a wide spectrum of disease types and cover the full lifespan of women, from young adults to older women.

Among the indicators in the report are:

Death rates for heart disease, cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, unintentional injuries and suicide;
Health risk factors, including diagnosed high blood pressure, obesity, no leisure-time physical activity, binge drinking, smoking currently, no smoking during pregnancy, and eating five or more fruits and vegetables a day;
Preventive care utilization such as cholesterol screening, mammogram, pap smear, blood stool test, routine check-up in past two years, and early and adequate prenatal care;
Health insurance coverage for those aged 18-64.

The chartbook reflects current public health priorities. Each state profile includes the Healthy People 2010 target for the indicator and shows whether the target has been met. Healthy People 2010 is a comprehensive, nationwide health promotion and disease prevention agenda for improving the health of all people in the United States during the first decade of the 21st century.

Information in the chartbook is drawn from Healthy Women: State Trends in Health and Mortality, the electronic data warehouse on minority and women's health at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthywomen.htm.

To view or download a copy of the report, go to the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/nchs.

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Science in the News

FDA Approves Drug for Neuropathic Pain Associated With Diabetes

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday the approval of Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) capsules for the management of the pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This is the first drug specifically approved for this indication. Cymbalta received a priority review.

"Diabetes affect millions of Americans," said Dr. Lester M. Crawford, Acting FDA Commissioner. "With this new treatment we will hopefully be able to help relieve the pain associated with this terrible disease."

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a problem associated with long standing diabetes or poor glucose control. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus, affecting up to 62% of Americans with diabetes. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy can manifest in a variety of ways but is usually characterized by burning, tingling, and numbing sensations beginning in the feet, and later affecting the legs and/or hands.

The safety and effectiveness of Cymbalta were established in two randomized, controlled studies of approximately 1074 patients. Although the mechanism of action is unknown, patients treated with Cymbalta reported a greater decrease in pain compared to placebo. In these trials, 58 percent of patients treated with Cymbalta reported at least a 30 percent sustained reduction in pain. In comparison, 34 percent of patients treated with placebo reported this magnitude of sustained pain reduction.

The most commonly reported side effects were nausea, dry mouth, constipation, and diarrhea. In some cases, patients experienced dizziness and hot flashes.

Cymbalta is manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company.

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SECRETARY THOMPSON'S PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 9 Secretary Thompson will be speaking at the Pioneering Healthier Communities Conference. Wardman Park Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C.

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Last updated: September 8, 2004
United States Department of Health and Human Services
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