Hurricane Katrina Relief
The federal government is seeking volunteers from a variety health care professions to deploy to the Gulf region. Deployment may last 14 days or longer and may include 12-hour shifts under austere conditions, according to the Health and Human Services department. Volunteers will be unpaid, but will receive travel reimbursement, a per diem, and coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act for liability coverage and workman's compensation, HHS said in a statement. To volunteer, visit
https://volunteer.ccrf.hhs.gov
Lipitor Indictments
Eleven individuals, a drug repacker, and two wholesale distributors were recently indicted for their roles in the sale of counterfeit Lipitor, according to the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. The indictment includes charges for conspiracy to sell counterfeit, illegally imported, and misbranded drugs, and conspiracy to sell stolen drugs. The U.S. attorney is alleging a conspiracy that involved manufacturing counterfeit Lipitor (atorvastatin) in Central America, purchasing genuine Lipitor intended for distribution in South America, and illegally importing both products into the United States.
Partnering for Cardiovascular Health
The World Heart Federation and Bayer HealthCare have entered into a 3-year partnership aimed at increasing education on cardiovascular disease to both the public and health care professionals. One aim of the partnership will be to increase awareness among health care providers of the World Heart Federation's Principles for National and Regional Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. “More needs to be done to increase awareness of the significant benefits afforded by behavior change and appropriate medical therapies in achieving CVD prevention,” Sidney Smith, chairman of the federation's scientific advisory board, said in a statement.
Tougher Tobacco Penalties
Six public health organizations including the American Heart Association have filed a court brief in the federal government's lawsuit against the tobacco companies seeking tougher restrictions on tobacco marketing and more money from tobacco companies to fund smoking cessation programs. In July, the groups were made formal parties to the lawsuit and allowed to present arguments in court. The public health groups are seeking $54 billion over 10 years to fund cessation and public education programs compared with the government's request of $14 billion over 10 years. “It is essential that the court adopt a comprehensive remedial approach to prevent and restrain the defendants from continuing to engage in the type of fraud and deception that has been a part, and remains a part, of this industry's standard operating procedure,” the groups wrote in their court brief.
Walter Reed to Close
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, which has cared for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and dignitaries for 96 years, is slated to close as part of the base realignment and closure process. A recommendation by the Department of Defense to be closed was recently approved by members of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. If President Bush agrees with the recommendations, he will send the entire list to Congress for a vote. Congress must accept or reject the list in full, but they cannot amend it. If the closure is approved, most of the staff and services from the army hospital will be combined with services at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and renamed the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Other units will be transferred to Ft. Belvoir, Va. Closures and realignments must begin within 2 years of congressional approval and must be completed within 6 years, according to the base realignment and closure statute.
Census Bureau Statistics
The Census Bureau reports that 45.8 million Americans were without health insurance in 2004, up from 45 million in 2003. While the increase is statistically small, it means that “an additional 860,000 Americans live without the safety net of health insurance,” J. Edward Hill, M.D., president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement. “As the decrease in employment-based health insurance continues, the AMA renews its call for health insurance solutions that put patients in the driver's seat, along with their physicians,” Dr. Hill said. In other statistics, the number of people with health insurance increased by 2 million to 245.3 million between 2003 and 2004. Those covered by government health insurance rose from 76.8 million in 2003 to 79 million—driven by increases in the percentage and number of people covered by Medicaid.