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Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases: The Perpetual Challenge [November 30, 2005] NIH Launches Pioneer Award Program [November 29, 2005] Hospital Emergency Departments As Barometers Of The Health Care System [November 28, 2005] Education Statistics Quarterly [November 28, 2005] Academic Medicine: The Work Ahead [November 18, 2005] House-Senate Conferees Aim To Slash Health Professions Education Funding Under Title VII [November 17, 2005] GAO Report On Therapy Caps [November 16, 2005] Conferees Work On Labor-HHS Spending Bill [November 15, 2005] Association Member Institutions Awarded HRSA Grants [November 14, 2005] Degree Mills And Accreditation Mills [November 11, 2005] Research Grants For Care Of The Acutely Injured [November 10, 2005] Global Report On Aging [November 9, 2005] Myths Of Medical Malpractice, Proposed Reforms [November 8, 2005] Comments Sought For Review Of Audiology And Speech Pathology Accreditation Standards [November 7, 2005] Can Outsourcing Solve The Higher Education Cost Dilemma? [November 4, 2005] Pandemic Influenza Plan Released [November 4, 2005] International Survey: U.S. Leads In Medical Errors [November 3, 2005] GAO Report On Higher Education Reauthorization [November 3, 2005] Spirituality And Health Videocast At NIH [October 28, 2005] Academic Health Center Compliance Function [October 27, 2005] Major Increase In U.S. Medical School Enrollment [October 25, 2005] New Tool Offered To Understand, Measure Health Disparities [October 24, 2005] IInforming The Future: Critical Issues In Health [October 24, 2005] A 20-20 Vision Of Patient-Centered Primary Care [October 14, 2005] NIH Grant Program For Translational Research [October 13, 2005] 2004 Digest Of Education Statistics [October 12, 2005] Assessing the U.S. Health System [October 11, 2005] Bioterrorism Preparedness Training For Health Professions Workforce [October 7, 2005] K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards Available [October 6, 2005] HHS Accelerates Use Of E-prescribing And Electronic Health Records [October 5, 2005] Clinical Preventive Services [October 4, 2005] Federal Funding To Continue Via A Stopgap Measure [October 3, 2005] Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases: The Perpetual Challenge The December issue of Academic Medicine contains an article entitled, Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases. Public health officials once suggested that it might someday be possible to "close the book" on the study and treatment of infectious diseases. However, it is now clear that endemic diseases as well as newly emerging ones (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS]), reemerging ones (e.g., West Nile virus), and even deliberately disseminated infectious diseases (e.g., anthrax from bioterrorism) continue to pose a substantial threat throughout the world. Over the past several decades, the global effort to identify and characterize infectious agents, decipher the underlying pathways by which they cause disease, and develop preventive measures and treatments for many of the world's most dangerous pathogens has helped control many endemic diseases, but despite considerable progress, infectious diseases continue to present significant challenges as new microbial threats emerge and reemerge. HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, influenza, SARS, West Nile virus, Marburg virus, and bioterrorism are examples of some of the emerging and reemerging threats. A free copy may be obtained by clicking http://www.academicmedicine.org/cgi/reprint/80/12/1079 . NIH Launches Pioneer Award Program The National Institutes of Health announce d the opening of the 2006 NIH Director's Pioneer Award program, a key component of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Unlike other NIH grants, which support research projects, the Pioneer Award supports individual scientists. The award gives recipients the intellectual freedom to pursue new research directions and highly innovative ideas that have the potential for unusually great impact. The program is open to scientists at all career levels who may be engaged currently in any field of research provided they are interested in exploring biomedically relevant topics and willing to commit the major portion of their effort to Pioneer Award research. Awardees must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents. In September 2006, NIH expects to make five to ten new Pioneer Awards of up to $2.5 million in direct costs over a five-year period. The first nine Pioneer Awards were made in September 2004 and 13 scientists received awards in September 2005. The streamlined, electronic application process includes a three- to five-page essay, a biographical sketch, identification of the applicant's most significant publication or achievement, and three letters of reference. Applications may be submitted between January 15 and February 27, 2006. The Pioneer Award Web site may be accessed by clicking http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer . Hospital Emergency Departments As Barometers Of The Health Care System A new report by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) examines the state of U.S. emergency departments, noting that they face "rising pressure" as a result of various forces, including financial incentives for specialists who perform procedures outside general hospitals, lessening access to primary care, lower funding for community-based mental health services and financial pressures on hospitals. The study, based on HSC's 2005 site visits to 12 nationally representative communities, also notes that many hospitals reported that the problem of using EDs for primary care has intensified in the last two years and that increasing numbers of persons with mental illnesses are seeking care in EDs. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/799/ Education Statistics Quarterly The national Center for Edication Statistics (NCES) has released the lates issue of the Education Statistics Quarterly. It includes (1) " College Persistence on the Rise? Changes in 5-Year Degree Completion and Postsecondary Persistence Rates Between 1994 and 2000 ." This item draws from two longitudinal surveys of beginning postsecondary students to examine whether students who enrolled in postsecondary education in the beginning of the 1990s were more or less likely than those who enrolled in the mid-1990s to complete postsecondary education. (2) " Staff in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2002, and Salaries of Full-Time Instructional Faculty, 2002–03" p resents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System winter 2002–03 data collection, which included both primary occupational activity information for staff employed in fall 2002 and salaries and fringe benefits of full-time instructional faculty for academic year 2002–03. These documents may be accessed by clicking http://nces.ed.gov/programs/quarterly/vol_6/6_4/5_1.asp and Academic Medicine: The Work Ahead In his final Annual Meeting address as president of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Jordan J. Cohen outlined five present and future challenges facing academic medicine that will require strong leadership from the association and its constituents. His comments may be accessed at http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2005/051106.htm . House-Senate Conferees Aim To Slash Health Professions Education Funding Under Title VII House-Senate conference committee members working on the fiscal year 2006 spending bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education & Related Agencies reached agreement yesterday on huge funding cuts in health professions education programs. Although the committee did not formally pass the measure as of yesterday, the directions in which Congress is heading will make it possible to produce legislation that would result in less money than what was provided in FY 2005. Funding for the Section 755 Allied Health Grants Program would be reduced by 66%, going from $11,754,000 to $4,000,000. Area Health Education Centers would be cut 93.1%. The Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) would be cut 88.8%. The Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry Program would be cut 68.3%. The following programs would be eliminated: Health Education Training Centers, Geriatric Training, Rural Training, Workforce Information & Analysis, and Health Administration. Overall funding for Title VII would decrease to a level of $94,001,000 in FY 2006 from $299,552,000 in the previous fiscal year. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report entitled, "Little Progress Made in Targeting Outpatient Therapy Payments to Beneficiaries' Needs," recommending Congress give the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) interim authority to allow, only under certain conditions, payments exceeding the caps after the moratorium expires. GAO also recommended that HHS develop a means to access beneficiary therapy needs and improve its system of identifying improper therapy claims. The report was critical of the lack of standardization and collection of data on the health and function of patients receiving outpatient therapy services. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0659.pdf. Conferees Work On Labor-HHS Spending Bill Conferees from the U.S. House and Senate convened on November 14 to reach an agreement on spending levels in legislation for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education & Related Agencies. They agreed on a discretionary spending level of $142.5 billion for FY 2006, arrived at earlier by the House. The amount is $329 million less than what was enacted for FY 2005. The bill would eliminate 21 programs that were funded last year. No emergency funding for items such as combating avian influenza was included. Legislators hope to complete the measure (HR 3010) prior to the Thanksgiving recess. Association Member Institutions Awarded HRSA Grants In FY 2005, the Section 755 Allied Health Grants Program under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act was the vehicle for providing grants to the following institutional members of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP): Degree Mills And Accreditation Mills The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) announced a major new addition to its CHEA Website: Degree Mills and Accreditation Mills. Five major sections of the Website provide links to information about: (1) Institutions and programs accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations, (2) How accreditation operates and how to look for organizations that may be accreditation mills, (3) How degree mills operate and other pertinent information, (4) State-by-state information on institutions and programs authorized to operate in the respective states, and (5) International directories of higher education institutions. This information is aimed at helping students, families, employers, and the public determine whether or not an institution is a legitimate degree provider. The site may be accessed by clicking http://www.chea.org/degreemills/default.htm . Research Grants For Care Of The Acutely Injured CDC's Procurement and Grants Office has published a program announcement entitled, “Research Grants for the Care of the Acutely Injured.” $1,800,000 [this amount is an estimate, and subject to the availability of funds] will be available in fiscal year 2006 to fund approximately three to five awards. The purpose of this grant is to expand and advance out understanding of the care of the acutely injured. The AARP has produced a Global Report on Aging, which addresses a variety of topics, including the following that may be accessed by clicking the different links: Looking Abroad to Meet the Demands for Caregivers The Challenge of Delivering First Rate Care Crossing Borders or Staying in Place? The Long-term Care Workforce Debate Can the Developed Countries' Demand for Caregivers Outstrip the Supply? East to West: The Migration of Informal Caregivers Global Focus on Long-term Care Workforce Myths Of Medical Malpractice, Proposed Reforms A new Urban Institute issue brief cuts through the partisan debate of medical malpractice reform, comprehensively reviewing the myths that permeate the rhetoric on both sides. It proposes five alternatives for reform that address more fundamental problems than the debaters acknowledge. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411227_medical_malpractice.pdf . Comments Sought For Review Of Audiology And Speech Pathology Accreditation Standards As an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) is required periodically to undertake a thorough review of its accreditation standards. Recent changes in these professions, including new certification standards and the emergence of professional doctoral degree programs, make this an especially important time for a review. Comments are sought by November 30, 2005. Can Outsourcing Solve The Higher Education Cost Dilemma? The report, “Is Outsourcing Part of the Solution to the Higher Education Cost Dilemma?” was produced by the Institute for Higher Education Policy. The authors found outsourcing already in place and successful in American colleges and universities for functions such as bookstores and food services, but according to the report, colleges and universities have one major management concern about outsourcing that is not typically an issue for other organizations. That concern is about the potential loss of identity, community, and collegiality associated with many university services and programs. The paper notes that few universities have an outsourcing vision or strategy, but suggests that the extent to which outsourcing can and will be used is a question that will influence ongoing debates about controlling college costs. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.ihep.org/Pubs/PDF/outsourcing.pdf. Pandemic Influenza Plan Released HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt released the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan, a detailed guide for how the nation's health care system can prepare and respond to an influenza pandemic. The plan specifies four major components of preparedness and response to pandemic influenza: Intensifying surveillance and collaborating on containment measures -- both international and domestic; Stockpiling of antivirals and vaccines and working with industry to expand capacity for production of these medical countermeasures; Creating a seamless network of Federal, state and local preparedness, including increasing health care surge capacity; and Developing the public education and communications efforts so critical to The Plan may be accessed by clicking IInternational Survey: U.S. Leads In Medical Errors One-third of patients with health problems in the United States report experiencing medical, medication, or test errors, the highest rate of any nation in a new Commonwealth Fund international survey. Assessing healthcare access, safety, and care coordination in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the survey found that while no one nation was best or worst overall, the United States stood out for high error rates, inefficient coordination of care, and high out-of-pocket costs leading to barriers to access to care. The findings are published today in a Health Affairs article, “Taking the Pulse of Health Care Systems: Experiences of Patients with Health Problems in Six GAO Report On Higher Education Reauthorization The transfer of credit issue has been a sticking point throughout HEA reauthorization. Both the House and Senate versions of the HEA reauthorization legislation contain similar provisions—long championed by for-profit colleges. A new report from the Government Accounting Office (GAO) discusses transfer of credit. The document , Transfer Students: Postsecondary Institutions Could Promote More Consistent Consideration of Coursework by Not Basing Determinations on Accreditation , can be downloaded at the GAO web site at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0622.pdf . Spirituality And Health Videocast At NIH As part of a regular series of videocasts by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the topic “Is Spirituality Good for Your Health? Historical Reflections on an Emerging Research Enterprise” will be addressed by Anne Harrington of Harvard University on Friday--October 28, 2005 at 11:00 AM. For information on how to access this offering, click www.nih.gov/ . Once at the site, in succession click: “News & Events” and “Videocasting.” Academic Health Center Compliance Function The growing infrastructure for compliance at academic health centers—the systems, departments, and individuals in place to ensure awareness of and adherence to relevant laws and regulations in research, patient care, and educational operations—is testing the ability of such institutions to support core functions of education and research, according to the latest report issued by the Association of Academic Health Centers. Entitled, The Compliance Function in Academic Health Centers: Changes, Costs, and Consequences , the publication is based on findings from 13 profiled institutions. Copies at $25 each may be obtained by calling Tel: 202-265-9600 or by going on the Web at www.ahcnet.org . Major Increase In U.S. Medical School Enrollment U.S. medical schools are seeing a significant upsurge in enrollment levels and applicants, according to new data released today by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). The 2005-2006 entering class is the largest on record, with more than 17,000 first-time enrollees in the nation's 125 medical schools, a 2.1 percent increase over the 2004 total of 16,648 students. Twenty-two of the nation's 125 allopathic schools (institutions that grant M.D. degrees) expanded their class size by 5 percent or more during the past year, with seven of these 22 institutions boosting first-year enrollment by more than 10 percent. The total number of medical school applicants for the 2005-2006 school year also increased to 37,364, a 4.6 percent gain over last year's total of 35,735. Driving this increase were more Hispanic and Asian applicants. Overall, applications from Hispanic students rose by 6.4 percent, with applications from Mexican Americans up almost 8 percent over 2004. The number of Asian applicants increased to 7,286 from 6,737, an 8.1 percent increase over 2004. The number of black applicants was essentially unchanged at 2,809, and black enrollment declined slightly to 1,068 from the 2004 total of 1,086. A gain in the number of male applicants also contributed to the overall applicant increase. For the first time in two years, men reclaimed the majority, with 50.2 percent of the applicant pool. This year there were 18,744 male applicants and 18,620 female applicants. New Tool Offered To Understand, Measure Health Disparities The recent hurricane disasters in the Gulf Coast have emphasized the health and social disparities that underlie American society, prompting a need for a shared understanding of what constitutes health disparity and how its definition impacts government policy. A new tool can be found in the newly released “Measuring Health Disparities,” an interactive, CD-ROM-based course that is free from the Michigan Public Health Training Center (MPHTC). The CD-ROM's self-paced, three-hour format enables a broad spectrum of participants to develop common ground for understanding health disparities, learn what various measures of health disparities reveal and discover how to calculate these measures. The CD-ROM includes interactive exercises and review questions to help guide and reinforce learning. The course offers continuing education credits for nurses, health educators (CHES), and physicians and an MPHTC certificate for all participants who successfully complete the course. It is helpful, though not required, to have a background in statistics, epidemiology or other sciences for ease of understanding later portions of the course. “Measuring Health Disparities” is free and can be ordered from the Michigan Public Health Training Center through the online registration system at http://measuringhealthdisparities.org/ or by phone at (734) 615-9493. IInforming The Future: Critical Issues In Health Informing the Future: Critical Issues in Health. Third Edition is a report about the work that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has done in recent years. It is designed to introduce the IOM to those who may not know or may be unfamiliar with the Institute's work. Additionally, it contains a CD-Rom featuring executive summaries of recent reports, contact information for IOM staff, and a bibliography by topic area of all recent IOM work. Informing the Future should be valuable to anyone working in the health area. For a complimentary copy of this report, send an e-mail to the IOM's Office of Reports and Communication at ORAC@nas.edu or call 202-334-2352. The document also may be accessed on the Web by clicking http://www.nap.edu/books/0309100208/html/ . A 20-20 Vision Of Patient-Centered Primary Care The concept of patient-centered health care is beginning to take hold. Increasingly, patients expect physicians to be responsive to their needs and preferences, to provide them with access to their medical information, and to treat them as partners in care decisions. But despite being named one of the key components of quality health care by the Institute of Medicine, "patient-centeredness" has yet to become the norm in primary care. In the article, "A 2020 Vision of Patient-Centered Primary Care" ( Journal of General Internal Medicine, October 2005), the authors offer their perspective on what it will take to achieve this ideal. The plan advanced by The Commonwealth Fund's Karen Davis, Stephen C. Schoenbaum, and Anne-Marie J. Audet, builds on an earlier essay, "A 2020 Vision for American Health Care," a broad prescription for improving insurance coverage, access to care, and quality in the United States. For more information, click http://www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/868_Davis_2020_patient-centered_care_JGIM_10-2005_.pdf . NIH Grant Program For Translational Research Yesterday, NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni announced a new program designed to spur the transformation of clinical and translational research in the United States, so that new treatments can be developed more efficiently and delivered more quickly to patients. The Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) program, unveiled in today's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) , is designed to energize the discipline of clinical and translational science at the academic health centers around the country. The grants will encourage institutions to propose new approaches to clinical and translational research, including new organizational models and training programs at graduate and post-graduate levels. In addition, they will foster original research in developing clinical research methodologies, such as clinical research informatics, laboratory methods, other technology resources and community-based research capabilities. NIH plans to award four to seven CTSAs in FY 2006 for a total of $30 million, with an additional $11.5 million allocated to support 50 planning grants for those institutions that are not ready to make a full application. NIH expects to increase the number of awards annually so that by 2012, 60 CTSAs will receive a total of approximately $500 million per year. The CTSA program is an NIH Roadmap for Medical Research initiative and will be administered by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the NIH. The Request for Applications (RFA) calls for submissions by March 27, 2006. Initial awards are expected to be made by Fall 2006. The RFA is available at www.ncrr.nih.gov. The CTSA initiative was developed with extensive input from the research community, including a day-long conference on May 23, 2005. For more information, visit http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/clinicaldiscipline/CTSA052305meeting.asp. To view a fact sheet on the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA), visit http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2005/FactSheetCTSAclearance.pdf 2004 Digest Of Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently issued its 2004 Digest Of Education Statistics . In the fall of that year, about 81.0 million persons were involved, directly or indirectly, in providing or receiving formal education. Information is provided in the digest about elementary/secondary education and postsecondary education. Tables and figures are included. For additional information, click http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d04/ . Assessing the U.S. Health System The United States health system is fraught with waste and inefficiency, and in dire need of reform, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System. “A Need to Transform the U.S. Health Care System: Improving Access, Quality, and Efficiency,” a chartbook compiled by Commission staff Anne Gauthier and Michelle Serber, focuses on all aspects of health care system performance, painting a stark picture of a fragmented system with widespread differences in access to health care and the quality of care received by patients. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/gauthier_transformushltsys.pdf . Bioterrorism Preparedness Training For Health Professions Workforce The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded more than $26.1 million in FY 2005 grants to support bioterrorism training for the nation's public health and health care professionals and students. Funded under the Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program (BTCDP), the 32 grants to universities and educational organizations are designed to develop a health care workforce that can recognize indications of a terrorist event and treat patients and communities in a safe and appropriate manner. The bulk of the funds, 19 grants worth almost $24.2 million, support continuing education programs for health care providers. The remaining 13 grants, worth almost $2 million, will fund changes and upgrades to curricula at health professions schools. In the first two project years of the BTCDP (September 2003-August 2005), 200,000 health professionals and students were trained using these funds. It is estimated that more than 150,000 will be trained in the first year of these 3-year FY 2005 grants. A list of the awardees may be accessed by clicking http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2005/BTgrants-oct.htm . K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards Available The goals of NIH-supported career development programs are to help ensure that diverse pools of highly trained scientists are available in adequate numbers and in appropriate research areas to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. The purpose of the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) is to provide support and protected time (three, four, or five years) for an intensive, supervised career development experience in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences leading to research independence. For additional information, click http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-001.html . HHS Accelerates Use Of E-prescribing And Electronic Health Records New regulations that support adoption of e-prescribing and electronic health records were announced by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. These proposals will speed adoption of health information technologies by hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers to improve quality and safety for Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans. Taken together, they represent a major step forward in meeting President Bush's goal of widespread adoption of electronic health records. Electronic prescribing enables a physician to transmit a prescription electronically to a patient's pharmacy of choice. It decreases prescription errors caused by hard-to-read handwriting and automates the process of checking for drug interactions and allergies. Not only is this easier than paper prescriptions, but it also can improve patient safety and increase efficiency. An issue brief from the National Health Policy Forum provides an overview of clinical preventive services, including a definition of such services and the role of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in recommending which services should be routinely offered to patients. It also describes efforts to analyze the cost effectiveness of clinical preventive services and reviews the insurance coverage policies of private and public payers. Barriers to increased uptake of appropriate services are discussed and policy-relevant issues are summarized. The issue brief may be obtained by clicking: http://www.nhpf.org/pdfs_ib/IB806%5FClinicalPrevServices%5F08%2D24%2D05%2Epdf . Federal Funding To Continue Via A Stopgap Measure As in previous years, Congress has had to resort to a continuing resolution (CR) in order to enable the government to continue operating at the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. On September 30, by a voice vote the Senate passed a funding measure (H.J.Res. 68) to enable federal programs to function through November 18. The House passed a CR on September 29. Only two appropriations bills for FY 2006 - Interior-Environment and Legislative Branch - have become law.
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