WASHINGTON—The Indian Health Service is making sure that its health facilities are ready to deal with a possible widespread outbreak of H1N1 in the fall. “We are not letting our guard down now. I see a lot of people kind of backing off and it is not in the news as much, but we are staying focused on it…We are focused on the fall to make sure we are prepared,” said Cdr Darrell LaRoche, USPHS, IHS director for Emergency Services.

For sheer magnitude and persistence of pain, it is hard to beat burn wounds. From the moment the injury begins, through the immediate hospital treatment and continuing to the long-term treatment of dressing changes, debridement, and skin grafts, a patient can look forward to long bouts with pain of varying intensity. Even the simple act of cleaning and redressing a burn wound can cause patients to experience intense anxiety, because of the pain the treatment causes.

WASHINGTON—Three out of every 1,000 children between 6 and 17 in the US have been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in its first-ever national estimate of the neurological disorder.

WASHINGTON, DC—Despite spending $2.2 trillion on health care in 2007, disparities among demographic groups persist. Low-income Americans and racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately higher rates of disease, fewer treatment options, and reduced access to care, according to a report released by the Department of Health and Human Services last month. HHS expects that as unemployment continues to rise, the disparities already apparent among these groups will continue to increase.

WASHINGTON—The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF) and the Tug McGraw Foundation are joining forces to host “Country United: Advancing Medicine from the Frontlines to the Homefront.” The two-day event will be held on November 6th and 7th in Washington, DC, and will include a gala as well as a symposium addressing PTSD, TBI, infectious disease, and military/civilian collaborations.

WASHINGTON, DC—The current director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, Francis Collins, MD, PhD, has been tapped by President Obama to lead the National Institutes of Health. Last month, the President announced that he was nominating Dr Collins for NIH director, a post previously held by Dr Elias Zerhouni and currently held by Acting NIH Director Raynard Kington, MD, PhD. “My administration is committed to promoting scientific integrity and pioneering scientific research, and I am confident that Dr Francis Collins will lead the NIH to achieve these goals,” President Obama said after announcing the nomination last month. “Dr Collins is one of the top scientists in the world, and his groundbreaking work has changed the very ways we consider our health and examine disease.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the House of Representatives approved a critical funding increase for a paralympic program for veterans and members of the Armed Services.

WASHINGTON—Major General James K. Gilman became the new commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at Fort Detrick last month. The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command is the Army’s medical materiel developer, with lead agency responsibility for medical research, development and acquisition, medical logistics management, medical information management/information technology, and medical health facility planning.

WASHINGTON—Indian Health Service beneficiaries may benefit from expanded health care services if the President’s proposed FY 2010 budget for the agency is passed by Congress.

FALLS CHURCH, va—Looking to set the tone and keep TRICARE positioned as a leader in American health care, Navy Rear Admiral Christine Hunter is eager to put her three decades of experience as a doctor and naval officer to work as the deputy director of the TRICARE Management Activity. “We have the chance to set the standard and lead the nation in comprehensive, high-quality health care with universal access,” Hunter said. “We can showcase what we do well and we can learn from others.” Providing high-quality health care to 9.4 million beneficiaries—active duty servicemembers, retirees and family members—is not a challenge to be overcome, Hunter said, but an opportunity for innovation.