HHS News and Events News and Events from the Department of Health and Human Services http://www.hhs.gov/news/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST HHS Officials Mark Opening of First U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office in Latin America HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Joxel García and HHS Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., are in Costa Rica today to mark the opening of an HHS/FDA office to serve Latin America, which completes another step in the President’s Action Plan on Import Safety. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/01/20090107a.html http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/01/20090107a.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST HHS Issues Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a plan that establishes a set of five-year national prevention targets to reduce and possibly eliminate health care-associated infections (HAIs). http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/01/20090106a.html http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/01/20090106a.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST Nationwide Health Information Network Advances: Foundation for Interoperable Health Information Exchange Established -- Path to Nationwide Production Set The 5th Nationwide Health Information Network Forum, held this week in Washington, D.C., showcased the groundbreaking work of the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) trial implementations which began more than 14 months ago. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/12/20081219a.html http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/12/20081219a.html Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST HHS Issues Final Regulation to Protect Health Care Providers from Discrimination The right of federally funded health care providers to decline to participate in services to which they object, such as abortion, is affirmed by a final regulation that has been issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is on display today at the Federal Register. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/12/20081218a.html http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/12/20081218a.html Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST HHS Releases Guidance for Use and Stockpiling of Antiviral Drugs for Pandemic Influenza Health care workers and emergency services personnel who could have direct contact with individuals who are ill during an influenza pandemic should be protected with antiviral drugs throughout the pandemic, even before these workers are exposed or become ill themselves, according to guidance released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/12/20081216a.html http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/12/20081216a.html Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST