HHS

Statement of Worldwatch Senior Researcher Danielle Nierenberg to Mexican Congress

June 3, 2009 --
Washington, D.C. -- As health officials scramble to develop a vaccine for the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as swine flu, there is reason to believe that the current swell is merely a sign of the larger pandemic to come. We should regard the current outbreak of H1N1 as a bad dress rehearsal for opening night. It is not a question of whether the virus will reemerge, but when, and we are woefully unprepared.    » read more »

Attached is an addition to the supplemental request currently being considered by Congress.

June 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- June 2, 2009 -- Dear Madam Speaker: On April 30, I wrote to you to request funding for the 2009 H1Nl flu outbreak. Since this request, we have learned much about the outbreak and the level of national response that possibly could be necessary in the coming months. There also remains much uncertainty about the outbreak and its potential to return during the upcoming flu season in the United States.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- “Good morning. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education will now come to order.

“I want to start by welcoming Secretary Duncan. I have met Mr. Duncan a few times now, and I chaired his confirmation hearing on the HELP Committee, but this is his first appearance before this subcommittee. So today, Mr. Secretary, we get to talk about money.

“Every year when Congress considers the President’s budget, you hear people say it’s a critical moment in the Nation’s history. In hindsight, some of those moments were probably more important than others. But I would submit that when it comes to education, this is truly one of them.    » read more »

June 03, 2009 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine released the following statement today regarding the Commonwealth's first confirmed death associated with the H1N1 influenza virus commonly known as "swine flu":

"The news today that the Commonwealth has witnessed its first death associated with the H1N1 influenza virus is a sad and sharp reminder that Virginians must remain vigilant against the spread of this potentially fatal illness. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the young woman who passed away this afternoon in Chesapeake.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- “It is with deep sadness that we learn that New York has lost an Onondaga County resident to an illness related to the H1N1 influenza. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my sincere condolences and prayers to his family and friends during their time of grief.

“As more cases of H1N1 are identified in New York State, unfortunately, we expect some cases to be fatal, especially for those who contract the virus and have underlying medical conditions. This is consistent with what we see during our influenza season each year. Annually, there are approximately 2,000 deaths in New York State from seasonal influenza and an estimated 36,000 deaths nationwide.    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $8 million in federal funds to seven New Jersey Research institutions and one provider of neighborhood-based health care to conduct health care research and expand community-based care in New Jersey. The funds will support research in variety of areas, including mental health, cancer treatment and neurological disorders, and help families get medical care close to home.    » read more »

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Will Invest Over $1.3 Million at Medical Research Facilities in Western NY

June 2, 2009 -- U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will provide a total of $1,346,463 to two research institutions in Western NY through the National Institutes for Health. The University at Buffalo will receive $212,022 and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) will receive $1,134,441. This funding will create jobs for those in the field and bolster research efforts on important areas of medicine. A total of $9.9 million will be administered to New York State research institutions.    » read more »

New Joint Effort to Reach the Most Vulnerable in Communities Across America

June 1, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released $25 million in grants to help older people, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers apply for special assistance through Medicare, and an additional $5 million for a national resource center to support these important efforts.    » read more »

Sen. Martinez requests briefing on joint DoJ & HHS health care fraud plan

June 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) today called for a briefing from the departments of Justice (DoJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) on their interagency effort to combat Medicare fraud.

Specifically, Senator Martinez is asking for the departments to provide information about the data-driven approach to prevent and detect Medicare fraud, plans to identify new geographic areas requiring targeted enforcement, the strategy to conduct on-site verification of medical equipment suppliers, compliance training for Medicare providers, and efforts to strengthen compliance and enforcement in Medicare Parts C and D.    » read more »

1 June 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 1 June 2009, 62 countries have officially reported 17 410 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 115 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table.

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)    » read more »

29 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 29 May 2009, 53 countries have officially reported 15,510 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 99 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table.

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Gordon Heddell, Inspector General, Department of Defense; Ellen Murray, Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology, Department of Health and Human Services; Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; and James J. Markowsky, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.    » read more »

Highlights Community Health Centers’ Work to Aid Rising Number of Uninsured Americans; Secretary Releases $81.7 Million to Expand Health Center Services

May 28, 2009 -- U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today marked the first 100 Days of the Recovery Act and discussed the Act’s critical support for community health centers. Secretary Sebelius was joined by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. and leaders from community health centers across the country.    » read more »

Calls on Health Care Providers to Help Women Achieve a Healthy Weight Before and During Pregnancy

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- A growing amount of scientific evidence indicates that how much weight women gain during pregnancy and their starting weight at conception can affect their health and that of their babies, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.    » read more »

Federal Dollars Will Advance Cutting Edge Research, Treatment for NYC

May 28, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $5,437,612 in federal dollars to support medical research and training programs at hospitals, universities, laboratories and research facilities in New York City.

These funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will help move forward on critical research and treatment to help improve the lives of all New Yorkers, and are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Senators Schumer and Gillibrand helped pass earlier this year.    » read more »