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SAMHSA awards new grants to behavioral health systems serving American Indian/Alaskan Native communities

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing seven new grants for a total of up to $6.4 million over up to three years to provide tribal and urban American Indian and Alaskan Native communities resources to plan and design a holistic, community-based system of care to support mental health and wellness for their children, youth and families.

9 Sep 2011

Health law subject to attack during GOP presidential debate

As candidates threw accusations at Democratic policies and each other, they didn't always get the specifics right. Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney especially clashed on health policy issues. Meanwhile, Romney expressed his support for Medicaid block grants and Perry blamed the federal government for Texas' high number of people without health insurance.

9 Sep 2011

SAMHSA survey finds increase in use of illicit drugs among Americans between 2008-2010

The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010 according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

9 Sep 2011

Elusys receives federal contract to develop prophylactic treatment against anthrax

Elusys Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing biodefense countermeasures, announced today that it has been awarded the first U.S. Government contract to develop an anti-toxin for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) use via intramuscular injection.

9 Sep 2011

Medicare fraud dragnet snares 91 nationwide

In its continued health care fraud crackdown, the Obama administration announced Wednesday that charges were filed against 91 people in eight cities. These people are accused of bilking Medicare out of an estimated $300 million.

9 Sep 2011

Medicare fraud investigation nets 91 offenders

A nationwide sweep on lawbreakers has charged 91 people - including doctors and other medical professionals - with participating in Medicare fraud schemes involving $295 million in false billing.

8 Sep 2011

HRSA announces $5.1M in awards as part of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) today announced awards of $5.1 million to provide training and technical assistance (TA) as part of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides HIV-related services in the United States for those who do not have sufficient health care coverage or financial resources for coping with HIV disease.

8 Sep 2011

Proposed federal requirement for contraceptives drawing some fire

A proposed rule that birth control be a free preventive service under the health law is drawing partisan cheers and jeers.

8 Sep 2011

HHS Secretary tours Alaska health care facilities; judge halts rollback of Ariz. same-sex benefits

Alaska has a message for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: Don't assume that health care delivery reform can work the same way in every state. That's the lesson Sen. Mark Begich says he tried to impart to Sebelius as he toured some of the state's health and early child care centers with her last week. Sebelius went to learn first-hand about the state's health services, the Indian Health Service, and how the health law is being implemented.

8 Sep 2011

Health law supporters press Obama administration

Advocates of the law seek a change to the subsidy provision and some fear that the administration is too eager to compromise with business.

8 Sep 2011

PSI to develop statewide enterprise content management solution for Maryland DHR

Policy Studies Inc. (PSI), a recognized expert in systems design and development for health and human services (HHS) programs, announced today that the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) awarded PSI a 34-month contract to develop and implement a statewide enterprise content management solution (ECMS) to help manage and store DHR's hundreds of thousands of documents. Initial work on the project started on August 1.

7 Sep 2011

BARDA awards GlaxoSmithKline contract for development of dual-purpose broad spectrum antibiotic

The federal government today issued a contract for advanced research and development of a dual-purpose broad spectrum antibiotic with potential to treat illnesses caused by bioterrorism threats such as plague and tularemia, as well as more certain life-threatening infections, known as Gram-negative infections, associated with prolonged hospitalization.

7 Sep 2011

Business leaders concerned about economic impact of health law

To many Republicans and business leaders, there's little doubt: The health care law and sweeping new Wall Street regulation - two of President Obama's signature legislative victories - are causing uncertainty and killing jobs. Take, for example, a massive public relations campaign organized by House Republican leaders.

7 Sep 2011

At GOP presidential candidate forum, focus is on Romney and health reform

In a Labor Day warm-up for this week's presidential debate, a partial cast of Republican contenders argued Monday for turning back the clock on legislation passed at the federal level, starting with President Obama's health care law and going back nearly a century.

7 Sep 2011

International researchers to assess role of pre-clinical animal models in drug discovery

The New York Academy of Sciences and the Global Medical Excellence Cluster (GMEC), in collaboration with Imperial College London and King's College London, will host a two-day scientific conference, "Animal Models and Their Value in Predicting Drug Efficacy and Toxicity," that will provide a forum to critically examine the role of pre-clinical animal models in drug discovery.

7 Sep 2011

Reaching out to legal immigrants who need health care

Kaiser Health News staff writer Marilyn Werber Serafini, working in collaboration with The Washington Post, writes: When Dillon Pefok agreed to coach a men's soccer team in the District's Soccer 4 Jesus church league, it wasn't his intention to teach the players about the 2010 health-care law between drills.

7 Sep 2011

GSK receives HHS' BARDA contract to support development of Gram-negative antibiotic, GSK2251052

Anacor Pharmaceuticals announced today that its partner, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support the ongoing development of GSK2251052 (GSK '052, formerly AN3665), a novel boron-based Gram-negative systemic antibiotic discovered by Anacor.

7 Sep 2011

New Vital Signs report finds decline in cigarette smoking among American adults

Fewer American adults are smoking cigarettes, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, daily smokers are smoking fewer cigarettes each day, it says.

7 Sep 2011

Genetically modified M. smegmatis vaccine shows promise against TB

An experimental vaccine composed of a genetically modified bacterium closely related to the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) has been found to protect mice against TB infection, according to a study appearing online September 4 in the journal Nature Medicine.

7 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 6, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include reports from a GOP presidential candidate forum in South Carolina and analysis of what to expect as Congress returns to Washington.

6 Sep 2011

Health and Human Services News and Research

SAMHSA awards new grants to behavioral health systems serving American Indian/Alaskan Native communities

Health law subject to attack during GOP presidential debate

SAMHSA survey finds increase in use of illicit drugs among Americans between 2008-2010

Elusys receives federal contract to develop prophylactic treatment against anthrax

Medicare fraud dragnet snares 91 nationwide

Medicare fraud investigation nets 91 offenders

HRSA announces $5.1M in awards as part of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

Proposed federal requirement for contraceptives drawing some fire

HHS Secretary tours Alaska health care facilities; judge halts rollback of Ariz. same-sex benefits

Health law supporters press Obama administration

PSI to develop statewide enterprise content management solution for Maryland DHR

BARDA awards GlaxoSmithKline contract for development of dual-purpose broad spectrum antibiotic

Business leaders concerned about economic impact of health law

At GOP presidential candidate forum, focus is on Romney and health reform

International researchers to assess role of pre-clinical animal models in drug discovery

Reaching out to legal immigrants who need health care

GSK receives HHS' BARDA contract to support development of Gram-negative antibiotic, GSK2251052

New Vital Signs report finds decline in cigarette smoking among American adults

Genetically modified M. smegmatis vaccine shows promise against TB

First Edition: September 6, 2011

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