To help kick off the “A Healthier US Starts Here!” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Prevention and Wellness Initiative, a bus that will travel the country stopped by NIH on the morning of Apr. 18. Leaders from across NIH—including Dr. Elias Zerhouni (below, l), who took a turn behind the wheel—were able to get a sneak peek of the colorful bus that will tour across 48 states this spring and summer as part of an effort to promote awareness of the prevention benefits available to Medicare beneficiaries.

Decked out in bright photos and booming out buoyant songs like U2’s “Beautiful Day” and Frank Sinatra’s “You Make Me Feel So Young,” the bus was poised for an official launch by HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt on Apr. 20. The CMS initiative aims to increase awareness and utilization of preventive benefits, to encourage beneficiaries to speak to their health care providers about the preventive benefits available to them and to encourage beneficiaries to enroll and use the web site www.mymedicare.gov.

In the group photo above are (from l) NIH deputy director Dr. Raynard Kington, NIGMS director Dr. Jeremy Berg, Zerhouni, NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIH deputy director for OPASI Dr. Alan Krensky, NIH Budget Director John Bartrum and NINR director Dr. Patricia Grady. They were joined by many members of the Commissioned Corps, in the photos at bottom.

Photos: Mike Spencer