Posts Tagged ‘obama’

MaggieSchmerin
Maggie
Schmerin

Developing the Country’s HIV/AIDS Strategy

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

This is the first in our series titled “Spectrum Infectious Thursdays,” which will highlight pertinent issues in the infectious disease community.

Last week, I attended the Interagency Working Group Community Meeting for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The purpose of the event was to provide the public with an update on progress to date and the process that the interagency working group is following to develop the country’s first-ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

Hosted by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) and the Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) at HHS, the meeting brought together approximately 200 attendees from a variety of vantage points – federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and concerned advocates.

President Obama meets with White House Office of National AIDS Policy Director of Jeffrey Crowley (Photo Credit: The White House)

President Obama meets with White House Office of National AIDS Policy Director Jeffrey Crowley (Photo Credit: The White House)

Although the United States has one of the worst HIV epidemics among industrialized nations, we have never adopted a coordinated nationwide response to preventing, treating and managing this disease. President Obama is committed to addressing HIV and has tasked ONAP, under the direction of Jeffrey Crowley, to develop a National HIV/AIDS Strategy. There are three goals for the strategy:
  • 1. Reduce the number of new HIV infections;
  • 2. Increase access to care for people living with HIV and optimize health outcomes; and
  • 3. Reduce HIV-related disparities. (more…)

Posted in Infectious Disease
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Spectrum

Wanted: A Health Reform Action Hero

Monday, June 15th, 2009

President Obama took his health care reform message to Wisconsin Thursday, holding a town hall meeting in Green Bay to reiterate his priority of passing full scale reform this year:

“Every day in this country, more and more Americans are forced to worry not simply about getting well, but whether they can afford to get well…Millions more wonder if they can afford the routine care necessary to stay well.”

It’s been a big week on the health reform front.  Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy’s (D-MA) long-awaited health reform legislation made its public debut on Tuesday.  Coming in at a whopping 615 pages, The Affordable Health Choices Act aims to “reduce health care costs, protect individuals’ choices of doctors, hospitals and insurance plans and guarantee, quality and affordable health care for all Americans” according to the press release from Kennedy’s office.

The legislation includes two areas many Republicans have voiced concern over:  a public health insurance plan option and a mandate for employers to provide workers with benefits or face financial penalties.  However, exact language on both issues is still being crafted.  The bill includes placeholder text — “policy under discussion” — instead of policy specifics. The same is true for sections of the bill addressing biologics and non-discrimination.

(more…)

Posted in Congress, Health Care Reform, Public Affairs
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