Congress urged to reauthorize
National Health Service Corps
AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., sent a letter
to Congress last week urging them to reauthorize the National Health
Service Corps (NHSC) at a funding level of $300 million. Legislation
to reauthorize the program is included within the "Health Care
Safety Net Act of 2008," which is under discussion by a conference
committee. The NHSC provides scholarships and loan repayment, as
well as funding to community health centers and rural health care
programs. The AAMC letter notes that "In the past 5 years,
funding for the NHSC has been cut by $47 million, a 27 percent reduction
from the $171 million FY 2003 budget that was already insufficient
to meet the nation's needs."
GAO issues report on VA information
technology infrastructure
According to a new report
from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), "significant
progress" has been made by the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) in strengthening controls over information technology (IT)
equipment at VA headquarters organizations and medical centers,
but continued weaknesses in IT inventory policies and management
pose the risk for improper disclosure of veterans' personal and
medical information. The report notes that the VA currently does
not maintain a list of medical equipment with data storage capabilities
for physical IT equipment inventories. A 4-month GAO audit of three
VA health care systems and VA headquarters organizations revealed
continued IT inventory inaccuracies, recordkeeping errors, physical
security deficiencies in IT storage areas, as well as a lack of
user-level accountability and knowledge of proper computer hard
drive data removal and disposal processes. The report outlines five
recommendations for continued improvement. The VA has agreed to
the recommendations.
FDA launches fellowship program
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a two-year
fellowship program designed to train scientists and engineers on
the scientific foundations of its regulatory actions. The FDA
Commissioners Fellowship Program will provide participants with
exposure to FDA law, policy, the federal government budgeting process,
networking and leadership skills, international activities, communication
with the public and press, biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical
trial design, risk assessment and risk management, as well as extensive
case-based learning opportunities. The program will begin in October
with 30-40 slots available in the first entering class. Applicants
must have either a doctoral degree in medicine or another scientific
field, or at least a bachelor's degree in engineering. Applications
are due Aug. 29.
On the move
Timothy J. Babineau, M.D., M.B.A., has been appointed president
and chief executive officer of Rhode Island Hospital, effective
Oct. 1. He is currently senior vice president and chief medical
officer for the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate
professor of surgery at the University of Maryland Medical School.
