Inside HRSA, March 2008 - Health Resources and Services Administration
 
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News Summary: Proposed New HPSA Rule... and more

March 3: HRSA posted on the Web a statement on autism and the vaccine injury program.

February 29: HRSA proposed a new rule in the Federal Register to improve the way underserved areas and populations are designated and target federal resources to communities that need them most. The “Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Proposed Rule” consolidates criteria for designating medically underserved populations and health professional shortage areas into a single new methodology called the Index of Primary Care Underservice. The public can comment within 60 days of the Federal Register notice.

February 28: HRSA announced research which found that children with special health care needs have higher-than-average access to health insurance. The survey also reports that almost all CSHCN have regular sources of health care when they are ill. According to the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs Chartbook 2005-2006, more than 10 million U.S. children, about 14 percent of the total, have special health needs.

February 25: HRSA Administrator Elizabeth Duke accompanied HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on a site visit to Christ House, a residential medical facility serving homeless men and women in Washington, D.C. Christ House’s work is supported by a Health Care for the Homeless grant from HRSA. Secretary Leavitt and Administrator Duke met with health care professionals who operate the facility and discussed with them the challenges of providing medical care to chronically ill homeless patients.

February 13: June Horner, director of HRSA’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, hosted the Parklawn building’s 2008 African-American History Month Program, titled “Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism.”

Andrea Roane of Washington’s WUSA-9 television station spoke about the importance of breast cancer awareness and breast self-exams. Roane, who has been active in promoting breast cancer awareness through her on-air work at the station, said the public needs to be aware that some diseases have genetic components. She urged more minorities, particularly African-Americans, to become marrow donors and get involved in clinical drug trials, since some drugs react differently in minority populations.

Roane was preceded by Gina Boyd of NIH’s Marrow Registration Program, who shared a slide presentation about bone marrow donation. After the program, Boyd helped Roane provide a sample swab to join the National Marrow Donor Program Registry and assisted other participants in joining the NMDP Registry.

Nurses provided blood pressure screenings after the program and community organizations were on hand to share information. The program was sponsored by HRSA, AHRQ, FDA, IHS, PSC, SAMHSA and the HHS Office of Minority Health.

 

After the African-American History Month celebration, Gina Boyd from NIH’s Marrow Registration Program assists Andrea Roane in registering to become a marrow donor.
After the African-American History Month celebration, Gina Boyd from NIH’s Marrow Registration Program assists Andrea Roane in registering to become a marrow donor.

February 5: HRSA announced the President’s proposed $5.9 billion budget for HRSA in FY 2009. The budget will continue efforts to expand access to health care for millions of Americans and help ensure that low-income people living with HIV/AIDS get the care and drugs they need to stay healthy and lead productive lives.

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