HHS

Use of EHRs Can Improve the Quality of Health Care and Reduce Errors

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 -- HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today called on community leaders across the country to apply for a new demonstration project that provides Medicare incentive payments to physicians for the use of certified electronic health records (EHRs) to improve patient care.

The project, which will be open to small- and medium-sized primary care physician practices, is expected to reduce medical errors and improve the quality of care for an estimated 3.6 million Americans.    » read more »

February 14, 2008 -- Health information technology (IT) offers promise for improving patient safety and reducing inefficiencies. Given its role in providing health care in the United States, the federal government has been urged to take a leadership role to improve the quality and effectiveness of health care, including the adoption of IT.    » read more »

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 -- A proposed regulation to improve the quality and safety of health care for all Americans by fostering the establishment of Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) was announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

PSOs are private entities recognized by the Secretary to collect and analyze patient safety events reported by health care providers. They are new and separate from all currently existing entities that are addressing health care quality.    » read more »

Secretary Mike Leavitt calls for an end to inaction on reforming Medicare

Monday, February 4, 2008 -- HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt released today details of the President’s FY 2009 budget request to Congress for the department. The budget proposes total outlays of nearly $737 billion for HHS, an increase of more than $29 billion from 2008. This figure also includes a decrease of $2.2 billion in discretionary spending and proposes $186 billion in savings over the next five years achieved by slowing the rate of increase in mandatory spending.    » read more »

February 4, 2008 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is requesting nearly $2.4 billion to protect and promote public health as part of the President's fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget—a 5.7 percent increase over the budget that the FDA received for the current fiscal year.

The FY 2009 request, which covers the period of Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2009, includes $1.77 billion in budget authority and $628 million in industry user fees.    » read more »

Identify Failing Nursing Homes; 128 Nursing Homes are Currently Under Review for Poor Performance

December 12, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent the following letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt, calling on him to immediately release a list of 128 nursing homes that are being scrutinized for providing poor care.    » read more »

NEA urges lawmakers to stand their ground and defend adequate funding for public schools

November 13, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush's veto of an education spending bill would wipe out 45 federal education programs and cripple others, leaving some of the neediest students without essential programs they need to succeed in school. The National Education Association called the threat a politically-motivated attack against children who have repeatedly been shortchanged by this administration and urged lawmakers to stand their ground.    » read more »

Statement from Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), Executive Director, American Public Health Association

Washington, D.C., Nov. 13, 2007 — “The American Public Health Association (APHA) is dismayed by today’s presidential veto of the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill.

“Along with funding to expand educational opportunities and invest in job training, the bipartisan bill passed by Congress would provide support for core public health programs such as preventing obesity and combating infectious disease, as well as training public health and medical professionals.    » read more »

Veto Puts U.S. and Global Health Infrastructure at Risk

November 13, 2007 -- Today, the President vetoed a funding bill that would have provided $30 billion to our nation’s leading medical research agency, the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The bill would have also provided about $6.3 billion to our nation’s leading public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These funds would have been used to develop life-saving medical interventions and prevent the spread of disease in the U.S. and throughout the world.    » read more »

11/13/2007 -- BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today issued the following statement on President Bush’s Veto of the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill.

"Today President Bush’s veto jeopardized access to home heating oil assistance, health care, job training and education assistance for tens of thousands of people across Massachusetts.

As the cost of oil is skyrockets, vetoing $630 million in additional funding to help more elderly and working poor families in Massachusetts afford heating oil is downright dangerous.    » read more »

November 13, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today voiced his disappointment with President Bush’s veto of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services Appropriations bill. Upon introducing the domestic spending bill in the Senate, Harkin received word that Bush would veto the legislation based on the language advocating for stem cell research and the overall funding level of the bill.    » read more »

November 13, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after the President vetoed the bipartisan, Senate passed, Labor, Health, Human Services and Education Appropriations bill.

“On the day after Veteran's Day, the President has vetoed a bill to fund health and education programs that would have also provided $23.6 million for the 400,000 homeless veterans in the United States.”    » read more »

November 13, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today announced that President Bush vetoed the FY08 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill which contains $500,000 for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Higher Education Consortium (SEPCHE). This project will fund math and science programs and is one of Senator Casey’s top priorities in this year’s spending bill.    » read more »

November 13, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Following President Bush’s veto of the Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill that funds education and health care services among other vital priorities, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement:    » read more »

November 13, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to President Bush’s veto of the Labor HHS bill.    » read more »