The President’s preliminary proposed FY 2018 HHS www.hhs.gov budget released March 16th, requests $69 billion for HHS, which is a $15.1 billion or 17.9 percent decrease from the FY 2017 budget. The proposed budget does however include additional funds to implement the 21st Century CURES Act. …Continue reading
Discussion Held on Biosimilars
The Atlantic Policy Briefing www.theatlantic.com held March 15, 2017 in Washington D.C., brought together stakeholders from government and the private sector to discuss the changing role for biosimilars and how biosimilars will be affected in the future both domestically and abroad. …Continue reading
Closing the Digital Divide
FCC www.fcc.gov Chairman Ajit Pai recently appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee to discuss closing the digital divide along with other areas of concern. He told the Committee, “We need to more wisely apply federal funds under the Universal Service Fund www.fcc.gov/general/universal-service programs that the FCC administers. …Continue reading
State’s Telehealth Bill Advances
Nebraska Senator Mark Kolterman sponsor of the telehealth bill (LB92), said, “The bill would require health insurance companies to cover any service provided via telehealth if the service is covered for an in-person consultation.” …Continue reading
MN Updating Mental Health Access
Rural Minnesota (MN) faces a critical shortage of mental health providers and now provides mental health care via what is referred to as telemental health as a means to solve mental health access problems. To initiate a telepresence in rural Minnesota, the Arrowhead Health Alliance www.arrowheadhealthalliance.org created the Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition (ATC). …Continue reading
Navy Develops Portable Sterilizer
The research team at the Naval Medical Research Unit, San Antonio (NAMRU-SA) www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmrc/nmrc/pages/NAMRSA.aspx located at Joint Base San Antonio www.jbsa.mil at Fort Sam Houston, are developing a portable sterilizer. The sterilizer will be used in military field operations and operate by battery when power is not available. …Continue reading
Haiti’s Health Information System
U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) www.usaid.gov seeks applications to help “Haiti USAID-Port Au Prince” develop a five year Strategic Health Information System (HIS). The HIS is expected to help the Government of Haiti implement and manage the “System d’Information Sanitaire Nationale Unique” (SISNU). …Continue reading