Secretary Leavitt's Activity Archive

January 7 - 11, 2008: Secretary Leavitt travels to India where he and the Commissioner of the HHS Food and Drug Administration, the Honorable Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., paid a series of visits to senior Indian Government officials to emphasize the theme of product safety and championed the eradication of polio. Blog entries on India  Global Health Stories

November 6, 2007:  Secretary Leavitt presents the Action Plan on Import Safety President Bush and discuses the recommendations.

HHS photo by Chris Smith
original

October 22, 2007: Secretary Leavitt gets his annual flu shot. You can find a Flu Clinic in your area by searching the Flu Clinic Locator

September 10, 2007:  Secretary Leavitt meets with President Bush to discuss the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety’s initial report.
Transcript of Media Briefing

July - September: Secretary Leavitt and other Cabinet officials are traveling the nation on a fact-finding mission to visit import safety facilities and meet with industry and local leaders.  Import Safety Outreach Activities

August 17-29, 2007 - Secretary Leavitt traveled to four African nations to observe U.S. government programs that are delivering life-saving health care and sustenance to underserved communities.  Secretary Leavitt met with top host-country government officials during the 10-day mission and visited multiple sites that are providing health care and basic social services in each country.

July 31, 2007: Ask the White House: Secretary Leavitt discusses affordable health insurance plans and efforts to improve the safety of imported products More>>

July 26, 2007: Secretary Leavitt met with Special Olympics athletes and law enforcement officials participating in the Global Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Flame of Hope torch will be used to light the ceremonial cauldron at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China. More>>

^{[HHS photo by Craig Lafond]}

July 20, 2007: Ask the White House: Secretary Leavitt discusses current health care issues and affordable health insurance plans More>>

May 21, 2007: In advance of the U.S.–China Strategic Economic Dialogue this week in Washington, DC, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt emphasized the importance of working together with the Chinese on food safety and health care reform issues at a speech to senior Chinese and U.S. government officials attending the US-China Health Care Forum. More>>

May 15, 2007: Secretary Mike Leavitt highlighted the Department’s global health efforts during his address to the 60th World Health Assembly in Geneva Switzerland, the annual gathering of the world’s health ministers.  A notable portion of his remarks was the emphasis placed on global cooperation to prepare for an influenza pandemic. More>>

“We continue to call on countries everywhere to share influenza samples openly and rapidly, without pre-conditions. No nation can go it alone… All nations have a responsibility — and all benefit – developed and developing nations alike.  We must all participate fully in the Global Influenza Surveillance Network and we must all work together toward universal implementation of the International Health Regulations.”

Response to the Virginia Tech Tragedy: At President Bush’s directive, Secretary Leavitt is leading the federal effort to make recommendations about the lessons that can be learned from the Virginia Tech Tragedy. Secretary Leavitt is speaking with educators, mental health experts and local leaders across the nation to help determine where and how the federal government can help avoid such tragedies in the future. He has already met with leaders in Minnesota, West Virginia, Utah, Colorado, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas.

“The pain of this tragedy is felt throughout this nation and our hearts and prayers go out to the victims’ families, friends and the entire Virginia Tech community. While our review will not answer all the questions or solve all the problems, we hope to frame up a series of issues as part of a thoughtful, national dialogue and determine where the federal government can play a role in helping states and communities avoid such tragedies in the future.”

March 26, 2007: Secretary Mike Leavitt and Costa Rican Health Minister Maria Luisa Avila sign a letter of intent during a visit to the Pavas Community Clinic in San Jose. Secretary Leavitt is meeting with top officials of five countries this week to further the President's initiative to help improve the health infrastructure of Central America.

March 5, 2007: Secretary Leavitt named Chair of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH). HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced his vision for helping Americans who are homeless through improving their access to health insurance and health services and by encouraging continued collaboration among other committed federal agencies. More>>

Jan. 29, 2007:  'DETROIT 3' SIGN ON. In a featured appearance at the Detroit Economic Club, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt welcomes the Detroit Big Three automakers as they commit to the goals of quality, value and public reporting in their health care plans. Joining Secretary Leavitt, from left, are Tom LaSorda, president and CEO of the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG; Rick Waggoner, chairman and CEO of General Motors; Secretary Leavitt; and Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. More than 200 health care purchasers -- including employers, unions and state governments -- have committed so far to the four "cornerstone" goals identified by Secretary Leavitt for improving health care while lowering health costs. By committing to the goals, the automakers and more than 30 other employers who 'signed on' in Detroit this week are pledging to bring about public reporting for their employees about the quality and cost of health services. This helps the employees make the best health care choices for their needs while keeping costs in view.

Secretary Leavitt meets with villagers in Yujian Village, Sichuan.

December 11, 2006: Secretary Leavitt makes his first official trip to the People’s Republic of China to speak with people across China and to meet with Chinese Health and Economic leaders.

"And as I meet with your government leaders in Beijing later this week, my visit here has made me want to do all I can to increase the cooperation between our nations. Because in the great human family, we are all brothers and sisters. I look forward to working together as nations to improve how we all live." 

November 21, 2006: Secretary Leavitt presents the Presidential Award for Management Excellence to ACF's Grants Center for Excellence and HHS leadership. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) received the Presidential Award for Management Excellence after consolidating the electronic grants system, thus saving millions of dollars. This is the first year HHS has received such an honor.

August 24, 2006: Secretary Leavitt's vision for Health Care Transparency. More>>

"Consumers need to know – and they deserve to know – the value of their health care. I believe that bringing transparency to quality and cost information will reform health care in America."

June 29, 2006 - Secretary Leavitt issues his Second Update Report (PDF) on Pandemic Planning.

"While we have accomplished much in a short period of time, the race we are in is not a sprint, but a marathon. In June, Congress passed the President’s FY 2007 emergency funding request of $2.3 billion to help achieve our pandemic preparedness goals. These funds, the second installment of the President’s request, will allow us to continue the essential work outlined here."

June 14, 2006 - Secretary Leavitt Issues his final Progress Report IV (PDF) on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

June 13, 2006 - Secretary Leavitt speaks at the Heritage Foundation in an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of welfare reform.
Transcript>>>>  Archived Webcast>>

May 22, 2006 - Secretary Leavitt, speaking to the World Health Organization about pandemic flu preparedness, said, "I ask this Assembly today to pledge with me to abide by four principles of pandemic preparedness: transparency, rapid reporting, data sharing, and scientific cooperation. If we do this, we will be more prepared today than we were yesterday, and more prepared tomorrow than we are today." More...

• Transcript as Delivered of U.S. Participation in the World Health Assembly (Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland)

 April 24, 2006
Major Accomplishments of the First Year

The significant activities of the Department from early 2005 to early 2006 are featured in the Major Accomplishments of the First Year.

• First Year Major Accomplishments  
  PDF - 123.92 KB)

 April 4, 2006 - Secretary Leavitt Issues his Progress Report III (PDF) on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.

The Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan is now three months old. In that short time, we have more than 27 million Medicare beneficiaries who have prescription drug coverage and are enjoying significant savings in their drug prescription costs. We are urging all seniors to sign-up before the May 15 deadline so that they do not pass up an average savings of $1,100 per person.

 March 13, 2006 - Secretary Leavitt issues his Update Report (PDF) on Pandemic Planning.

"President Bush asked Congress for $7.1 billion to fund preparations, and in December 2005 Congress appropriated $3.8 billion to help the Nation prepare. Of that, $3.3 billion was allocated to HHS. This report outlines how that funding is being used to help achieve HHS’s five primary objectives."

 February 22, 2006 - Secretary Leavitt Issues his Progress Report II (PDF) on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.

"We are now at the 53rd day since implementation of Medicare prescription drug coverage. After reviewing the numbers and experiences to date, I can report that we are seeing solid progress. But we are not done. We continue to work aggressively to solve the problems that inevitably occur in transitions this size."

February 6, 2006 - President Bush's budget for the Department of Health and Human Services for fiscal year 2007 proposes total outlays of nearly $700 billion. That is an increase of more than $58 billion from 2006, or more than 9.1 percent. More...