User login
Ebola Virus Persists in Semen Long Term
According to a study by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the World Health Organization, and the CDC, fragments of Ebola virus have been found in semen 9 months after onset of symptoms. In the study, 93 men from Freetown, Sierra Leone, enrolled between 2 and 10 months after their illness began. Of 9 men who were tested in the first 3 months after initial symptoms, all were positive for Ebola virus. Of 40 who were tested between 4 and 6 months after onset, 26 (65%) were positive, as were 11 of 43 (26%) tested 7 to 9 months after onset.
Related: Ebola Virus in Semen Raises Possibility of Sexual Transmission
The researchers say it isn’t clear why some participants had cleared the virus earlier than others did. Until more is known, men who survive the Ebola virus are being counseled to get tested regularly and abstain from all types of sex or use condoms. The CDC is conducting further tests of the samples to determine whether the virus is live and potentially infectious.
According to a study by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the World Health Organization, and the CDC, fragments of Ebola virus have been found in semen 9 months after onset of symptoms. In the study, 93 men from Freetown, Sierra Leone, enrolled between 2 and 10 months after their illness began. Of 9 men who were tested in the first 3 months after initial symptoms, all were positive for Ebola virus. Of 40 who were tested between 4 and 6 months after onset, 26 (65%) were positive, as were 11 of 43 (26%) tested 7 to 9 months after onset.
Related: Ebola Virus in Semen Raises Possibility of Sexual Transmission
The researchers say it isn’t clear why some participants had cleared the virus earlier than others did. Until more is known, men who survive the Ebola virus are being counseled to get tested regularly and abstain from all types of sex or use condoms. The CDC is conducting further tests of the samples to determine whether the virus is live and potentially infectious.
According to a study by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the World Health Organization, and the CDC, fragments of Ebola virus have been found in semen 9 months after onset of symptoms. In the study, 93 men from Freetown, Sierra Leone, enrolled between 2 and 10 months after their illness began. Of 9 men who were tested in the first 3 months after initial symptoms, all were positive for Ebola virus. Of 40 who were tested between 4 and 6 months after onset, 26 (65%) were positive, as were 11 of 43 (26%) tested 7 to 9 months after onset.
Related: Ebola Virus in Semen Raises Possibility of Sexual Transmission
The researchers say it isn’t clear why some participants had cleared the virus earlier than others did. Until more is known, men who survive the Ebola virus are being counseled to get tested regularly and abstain from all types of sex or use condoms. The CDC is conducting further tests of the samples to determine whether the virus is live and potentially infectious.
New VA Under Secretary of Health Focuses on Access, Employee Engagement
In an address at the 2015 AMSUS meeting last week, VA Under Secretary of Health David J. Shulkin, MD, outlined his plans for improving both health care quality and employee morale across the VA, which has been sapped by recent scandals.
In June 2015, Shulkin was sworn in to the position that had been empty for more than a year following the resignation of Robert Petzel, MD, in the wake of the Phoenix wait-time controversy. Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, had filled the position on an interim basis.
Related: Committed to Showing Results at the VA
Access issues remain a top concern for the VA. “The first priority is access for the VA,” Shulkin insisted in his address. “For me, this is the most important thing. I would not be here today if it weren’t for this crisis. It really shook the confidence of the country in what the VA was doing.”
Shulkin also recognized the unique nature of VA care. “The care that is delivered in the VA is different from community care,” he said. “Only 1 in 5 physicians in the private community have any real competency in military culture… and only 13% of community-based mental health providers have any real knowledge about military deployment issues.” The VA, he noted, now delivers personalized health plans to every patient and is far more focused on posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and other conditions that impact veterans disproportionately.
Related: Senate Confirms New VA Under Secretary for Health
While increasing access to care was his top priority, Shulkin also focused on employee satisfaction. Although health care providers at the VA are extremely satisfied with some aspects of their work, many also report increasing frustration in other areas. According to the data that VA has collected, VA providers are “highly passionate about their work, they think that serving veterans is important, and they are really engaged.” But Shulkin admitted that providers remain frustrated by other workplace issues, such as dealing with poor performers, recognition for good work, and rewards for creativity and innovation. “We have to get our employees to feel better and more satisfied about working at the VA, we have to address [these issues] and that means that people need to feel better about their actual work environment… This is a road map for me in my priorities. I am trying to improve employee engagement.”
Shulkin also touted VA’s commitment to technology to improve access. “I don’t think people realize that VA is the leader in telehealth,” he argued. “Nobody is doing telehealth on the level of the VA: 2.1 million visits in 2014.” The VA has also developed an app store (https://mobile.va.gov/) and patient self-care text message system.
Related: 10 Apps for Veterans to Improve Health and Wellness
According to Shulkin, he came to the VA with a sense of opportunity. “I recognized that all these things that I felt were lacking in the private sector all come together in the VA. Whether we can take advantage of this… that’s what I am excited about.”
In addition to the presentation, Shulkin also sat down with Federal Practitioner for a conversation about his priorities and the challenge of maintaining the VA’s unique mission with increased use of private health care through the Veterans Choice Act. Here, Dr. Shulkin discusses the challenge of maintaining employee engagement at the VA and working with private health care providers.
In an address at the 2015 AMSUS meeting last week, VA Under Secretary of Health David J. Shulkin, MD, outlined his plans for improving both health care quality and employee morale across the VA, which has been sapped by recent scandals.
In June 2015, Shulkin was sworn in to the position that had been empty for more than a year following the resignation of Robert Petzel, MD, in the wake of the Phoenix wait-time controversy. Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, had filled the position on an interim basis.
Related: Committed to Showing Results at the VA
Access issues remain a top concern for the VA. “The first priority is access for the VA,” Shulkin insisted in his address. “For me, this is the most important thing. I would not be here today if it weren’t for this crisis. It really shook the confidence of the country in what the VA was doing.”
Shulkin also recognized the unique nature of VA care. “The care that is delivered in the VA is different from community care,” he said. “Only 1 in 5 physicians in the private community have any real competency in military culture… and only 13% of community-based mental health providers have any real knowledge about military deployment issues.” The VA, he noted, now delivers personalized health plans to every patient and is far more focused on posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and other conditions that impact veterans disproportionately.
Related: Senate Confirms New VA Under Secretary for Health
While increasing access to care was his top priority, Shulkin also focused on employee satisfaction. Although health care providers at the VA are extremely satisfied with some aspects of their work, many also report increasing frustration in other areas. According to the data that VA has collected, VA providers are “highly passionate about their work, they think that serving veterans is important, and they are really engaged.” But Shulkin admitted that providers remain frustrated by other workplace issues, such as dealing with poor performers, recognition for good work, and rewards for creativity and innovation. “We have to get our employees to feel better and more satisfied about working at the VA, we have to address [these issues] and that means that people need to feel better about their actual work environment… This is a road map for me in my priorities. I am trying to improve employee engagement.”
Shulkin also touted VA’s commitment to technology to improve access. “I don’t think people realize that VA is the leader in telehealth,” he argued. “Nobody is doing telehealth on the level of the VA: 2.1 million visits in 2014.” The VA has also developed an app store (https://mobile.va.gov/) and patient self-care text message system.
Related: 10 Apps for Veterans to Improve Health and Wellness
According to Shulkin, he came to the VA with a sense of opportunity. “I recognized that all these things that I felt were lacking in the private sector all come together in the VA. Whether we can take advantage of this… that’s what I am excited about.”
In addition to the presentation, Shulkin also sat down with Federal Practitioner for a conversation about his priorities and the challenge of maintaining the VA’s unique mission with increased use of private health care through the Veterans Choice Act. Here, Dr. Shulkin discusses the challenge of maintaining employee engagement at the VA and working with private health care providers.
In an address at the 2015 AMSUS meeting last week, VA Under Secretary of Health David J. Shulkin, MD, outlined his plans for improving both health care quality and employee morale across the VA, which has been sapped by recent scandals.
In June 2015, Shulkin was sworn in to the position that had been empty for more than a year following the resignation of Robert Petzel, MD, in the wake of the Phoenix wait-time controversy. Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, had filled the position on an interim basis.
Related: Committed to Showing Results at the VA
Access issues remain a top concern for the VA. “The first priority is access for the VA,” Shulkin insisted in his address. “For me, this is the most important thing. I would not be here today if it weren’t for this crisis. It really shook the confidence of the country in what the VA was doing.”
Shulkin also recognized the unique nature of VA care. “The care that is delivered in the VA is different from community care,” he said. “Only 1 in 5 physicians in the private community have any real competency in military culture… and only 13% of community-based mental health providers have any real knowledge about military deployment issues.” The VA, he noted, now delivers personalized health plans to every patient and is far more focused on posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and other conditions that impact veterans disproportionately.
Related: Senate Confirms New VA Under Secretary for Health
While increasing access to care was his top priority, Shulkin also focused on employee satisfaction. Although health care providers at the VA are extremely satisfied with some aspects of their work, many also report increasing frustration in other areas. According to the data that VA has collected, VA providers are “highly passionate about their work, they think that serving veterans is important, and they are really engaged.” But Shulkin admitted that providers remain frustrated by other workplace issues, such as dealing with poor performers, recognition for good work, and rewards for creativity and innovation. “We have to get our employees to feel better and more satisfied about working at the VA, we have to address [these issues] and that means that people need to feel better about their actual work environment… This is a road map for me in my priorities. I am trying to improve employee engagement.”
Shulkin also touted VA’s commitment to technology to improve access. “I don’t think people realize that VA is the leader in telehealth,” he argued. “Nobody is doing telehealth on the level of the VA: 2.1 million visits in 2014.” The VA has also developed an app store (https://mobile.va.gov/) and patient self-care text message system.
Related: 10 Apps for Veterans to Improve Health and Wellness
According to Shulkin, he came to the VA with a sense of opportunity. “I recognized that all these things that I felt were lacking in the private sector all come together in the VA. Whether we can take advantage of this… that’s what I am excited about.”
In addition to the presentation, Shulkin also sat down with Federal Practitioner for a conversation about his priorities and the challenge of maintaining the VA’s unique mission with increased use of private health care through the Veterans Choice Act. Here, Dr. Shulkin discusses the challenge of maintaining employee engagement at the VA and working with private health care providers.
IHS Grants $10 Million to Dental Health Programs
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have the highest rates of tooth decay of all minorities in the U.S. To help change that, IHS launched the IHS Dental Preventive and Clinical Support Centers in 2000. The centers are addressing some of the most serious and long-standing challenges to high-quality dental care in AI/AN communities, says IHS. This year for instance, 29% of patients aged 1 to 15 years for which IHS had data received 1 or more topical fluoride applications, exceeding the goal of at least 26.4%.
Related: HHS Grants Expand Home Visiting
The IHS is awarding grants of up to $10 million over 5 years to 5 tribal organizations and 3 IHS federal government programs. The money will go to coordinating regional resources, training dentists and other dental health personnel, and advising health programs in improving dental health care for AI/ANs.
Related: IHS Pilots Improved Version of Health Records
“These new awards improve dental care and dental health for tens of thousands of American Indians and Alaska Natives,” said IHS Principal Deputy Director Robert G. McSwain. “They respond to the needs of patients as well as the needs of dental health programs and personnel, so that programs operate most effectively and dental health personnel have the training and resources they need to provide excellent care, even in the most rural and remote settings.”
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have the highest rates of tooth decay of all minorities in the U.S. To help change that, IHS launched the IHS Dental Preventive and Clinical Support Centers in 2000. The centers are addressing some of the most serious and long-standing challenges to high-quality dental care in AI/AN communities, says IHS. This year for instance, 29% of patients aged 1 to 15 years for which IHS had data received 1 or more topical fluoride applications, exceeding the goal of at least 26.4%.
Related: HHS Grants Expand Home Visiting
The IHS is awarding grants of up to $10 million over 5 years to 5 tribal organizations and 3 IHS federal government programs. The money will go to coordinating regional resources, training dentists and other dental health personnel, and advising health programs in improving dental health care for AI/ANs.
Related: IHS Pilots Improved Version of Health Records
“These new awards improve dental care and dental health for tens of thousands of American Indians and Alaska Natives,” said IHS Principal Deputy Director Robert G. McSwain. “They respond to the needs of patients as well as the needs of dental health programs and personnel, so that programs operate most effectively and dental health personnel have the training and resources they need to provide excellent care, even in the most rural and remote settings.”
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have the highest rates of tooth decay of all minorities in the U.S. To help change that, IHS launched the IHS Dental Preventive and Clinical Support Centers in 2000. The centers are addressing some of the most serious and long-standing challenges to high-quality dental care in AI/AN communities, says IHS. This year for instance, 29% of patients aged 1 to 15 years for which IHS had data received 1 or more topical fluoride applications, exceeding the goal of at least 26.4%.
Related: HHS Grants Expand Home Visiting
The IHS is awarding grants of up to $10 million over 5 years to 5 tribal organizations and 3 IHS federal government programs. The money will go to coordinating regional resources, training dentists and other dental health personnel, and advising health programs in improving dental health care for AI/ANs.
Related: IHS Pilots Improved Version of Health Records
“These new awards improve dental care and dental health for tens of thousands of American Indians and Alaska Natives,” said IHS Principal Deputy Director Robert G. McSwain. “They respond to the needs of patients as well as the needs of dental health programs and personnel, so that programs operate most effectively and dental health personnel have the training and resources they need to provide excellent care, even in the most rural and remote settings.”
SAMHSA Helps Improve Mental Health Care for Veterans
In 2013, 65% of admissions involving veterans in non-VA treatment programs were related to alcohol abuse compared with 37% of non-veteran admissions. Veterans also were more likely to report marijuana and less likely to report heroin as the primary substance of abuse.
Veterans’ substance abuse treatment needs are significantly different from those of non-veterans, according to Veterans’ Primary Substance of Abuse Is Alcohol in Treatment Admissions (http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2111/Spotlight-2111.pdf). The report data are drawn from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Treatment Episodes Data Set, which collects information from substance use treatment programs across the nation.
Related: Lowering Veterans’ Opioid Use and Reducing Overdose Risk
One way SAMHSA has been partnering with the VA and DoD to improve access to mental health care for veterans is by integrating the National Resource Directory into eBenefits, where veterans can find more than 15,000 resources of information and assistance. The programs and organizations that are included in the partnership are held to quality assurance criteria, to ensure that each is “acting in good faith and making a positive difference” for wounded warriors, veterans, service members, and their family and caregivers, SAMHSA says.
Related:Accelerated Hepatitis A and B Immunization in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program
SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance (SMVF TA) Center works with states and territories to promote coordination of care among community, military, and veteran service systems. Models of care can be found in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, a searchable online registry of substance abuse and mental health interventions, many targeted to veterans and military families.
Related: Dr. Geppert on the Legal and Clinical Implications of Medical Marijuana
An updated guide featuring resources to support health care practitioners in caring for veterans, service members, and their families is downloadable at http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/resource/serving-veterans-a-resource-guide.
In 2013, 65% of admissions involving veterans in non-VA treatment programs were related to alcohol abuse compared with 37% of non-veteran admissions. Veterans also were more likely to report marijuana and less likely to report heroin as the primary substance of abuse.
Veterans’ substance abuse treatment needs are significantly different from those of non-veterans, according to Veterans’ Primary Substance of Abuse Is Alcohol in Treatment Admissions (http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2111/Spotlight-2111.pdf). The report data are drawn from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Treatment Episodes Data Set, which collects information from substance use treatment programs across the nation.
Related: Lowering Veterans’ Opioid Use and Reducing Overdose Risk
One way SAMHSA has been partnering with the VA and DoD to improve access to mental health care for veterans is by integrating the National Resource Directory into eBenefits, where veterans can find more than 15,000 resources of information and assistance. The programs and organizations that are included in the partnership are held to quality assurance criteria, to ensure that each is “acting in good faith and making a positive difference” for wounded warriors, veterans, service members, and their family and caregivers, SAMHSA says.
Related:Accelerated Hepatitis A and B Immunization in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program
SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance (SMVF TA) Center works with states and territories to promote coordination of care among community, military, and veteran service systems. Models of care can be found in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, a searchable online registry of substance abuse and mental health interventions, many targeted to veterans and military families.
Related: Dr. Geppert on the Legal and Clinical Implications of Medical Marijuana
An updated guide featuring resources to support health care practitioners in caring for veterans, service members, and their families is downloadable at http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/resource/serving-veterans-a-resource-guide.
In 2013, 65% of admissions involving veterans in non-VA treatment programs were related to alcohol abuse compared with 37% of non-veteran admissions. Veterans also were more likely to report marijuana and less likely to report heroin as the primary substance of abuse.
Veterans’ substance abuse treatment needs are significantly different from those of non-veterans, according to Veterans’ Primary Substance of Abuse Is Alcohol in Treatment Admissions (http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2111/Spotlight-2111.pdf). The report data are drawn from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Treatment Episodes Data Set, which collects information from substance use treatment programs across the nation.
Related: Lowering Veterans’ Opioid Use and Reducing Overdose Risk
One way SAMHSA has been partnering with the VA and DoD to improve access to mental health care for veterans is by integrating the National Resource Directory into eBenefits, where veterans can find more than 15,000 resources of information and assistance. The programs and organizations that are included in the partnership are held to quality assurance criteria, to ensure that each is “acting in good faith and making a positive difference” for wounded warriors, veterans, service members, and their family and caregivers, SAMHSA says.
Related:Accelerated Hepatitis A and B Immunization in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program
SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance (SMVF TA) Center works with states and territories to promote coordination of care among community, military, and veteran service systems. Models of care can be found in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, a searchable online registry of substance abuse and mental health interventions, many targeted to veterans and military families.
Related: Dr. Geppert on the Legal and Clinical Implications of Medical Marijuana
An updated guide featuring resources to support health care practitioners in caring for veterans, service members, and their families is downloadable at http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/resource/serving-veterans-a-resource-guide.
Bono Addresses DHA Challenges at AMSUS Meeting
Two months after the Defense Health Agency (DHA) reached full operational capacity and 1 month after being named DHA director, VADM Raquel C. Bono opened the 2015 AMSUS conference with an ambitious agenda for the agency. “We want to be very responsive to what our patients are telling us,” she insisted.
Related: Bono to Replace Robb at Defense Health Agency
Bono, who recently replaced Lt. Gen. Douglas J. Robb, touted a number of significant DHA recent achievements. “Our ability to move patients from the frontlines back to definitive care was something that never happened before and could only happen because the services worked together,” Bono explained.
New data analytics capabilities, for example, allowed the DHA to identify unusually high expenditures for compounded drugs. Through a combination of legislative and policy changes, the DHA reined in the costs and in some cases collaborated with the Department of Justice to go after the pharmacies for predatory practices.
Related: New Guidance on Compounded Drugs
The DHA goals of increasing both collaboration and transparency are built on the implementation of an off-the-shelf electronic health record (EHR) system. The DHA awarded a $4.3 billion contract to Leidos, Inc., which will cover more than 205,000 health care providers and more than 9.5 million beneficiaries. According to Bono, the new EHR system may eventually allow patients to have increased access to their health records and a better understanding of delays in making appointments while streamlining research and improving delivery of care for service members on base or at forward deployed locations. The new EHR system also may facilitate better communication and interaction with VA facilities.
Related: Preparing the Military Health System for the 21st Century
Still, the DHA faces daunting challenges in implementing the new system across U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army facilities. Bono noted that the DHA had identified more than 800 processes that needed to be standardized. Even accessing already existing data remains a challenge for the DHA, which it had not previously handled in a standardized way.
Sources:
http://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2015/07/29/DoD-Awards-Contract-for-Electronic-Health-Records
Two months after the Defense Health Agency (DHA) reached full operational capacity and 1 month after being named DHA director, VADM Raquel C. Bono opened the 2015 AMSUS conference with an ambitious agenda for the agency. “We want to be very responsive to what our patients are telling us,” she insisted.
Related: Bono to Replace Robb at Defense Health Agency
Bono, who recently replaced Lt. Gen. Douglas J. Robb, touted a number of significant DHA recent achievements. “Our ability to move patients from the frontlines back to definitive care was something that never happened before and could only happen because the services worked together,” Bono explained.
New data analytics capabilities, for example, allowed the DHA to identify unusually high expenditures for compounded drugs. Through a combination of legislative and policy changes, the DHA reined in the costs and in some cases collaborated with the Department of Justice to go after the pharmacies for predatory practices.
Related: New Guidance on Compounded Drugs
The DHA goals of increasing both collaboration and transparency are built on the implementation of an off-the-shelf electronic health record (EHR) system. The DHA awarded a $4.3 billion contract to Leidos, Inc., which will cover more than 205,000 health care providers and more than 9.5 million beneficiaries. According to Bono, the new EHR system may eventually allow patients to have increased access to their health records and a better understanding of delays in making appointments while streamlining research and improving delivery of care for service members on base or at forward deployed locations. The new EHR system also may facilitate better communication and interaction with VA facilities.
Related: Preparing the Military Health System for the 21st Century
Still, the DHA faces daunting challenges in implementing the new system across U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army facilities. Bono noted that the DHA had identified more than 800 processes that needed to be standardized. Even accessing already existing data remains a challenge for the DHA, which it had not previously handled in a standardized way.
Sources:
http://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2015/07/29/DoD-Awards-Contract-for-Electronic-Health-Records
Two months after the Defense Health Agency (DHA) reached full operational capacity and 1 month after being named DHA director, VADM Raquel C. Bono opened the 2015 AMSUS conference with an ambitious agenda for the agency. “We want to be very responsive to what our patients are telling us,” she insisted.
Related: Bono to Replace Robb at Defense Health Agency
Bono, who recently replaced Lt. Gen. Douglas J. Robb, touted a number of significant DHA recent achievements. “Our ability to move patients from the frontlines back to definitive care was something that never happened before and could only happen because the services worked together,” Bono explained.
New data analytics capabilities, for example, allowed the DHA to identify unusually high expenditures for compounded drugs. Through a combination of legislative and policy changes, the DHA reined in the costs and in some cases collaborated with the Department of Justice to go after the pharmacies for predatory practices.
Related: New Guidance on Compounded Drugs
The DHA goals of increasing both collaboration and transparency are built on the implementation of an off-the-shelf electronic health record (EHR) system. The DHA awarded a $4.3 billion contract to Leidos, Inc., which will cover more than 205,000 health care providers and more than 9.5 million beneficiaries. According to Bono, the new EHR system may eventually allow patients to have increased access to their health records and a better understanding of delays in making appointments while streamlining research and improving delivery of care for service members on base or at forward deployed locations. The new EHR system also may facilitate better communication and interaction with VA facilities.
Related: Preparing the Military Health System for the 21st Century
Still, the DHA faces daunting challenges in implementing the new system across U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army facilities. Bono noted that the DHA had identified more than 800 processes that needed to be standardized. Even accessing already existing data remains a challenge for the DHA, which it had not previously handled in a standardized way.
Sources:
http://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2015/07/29/DoD-Awards-Contract-for-Electronic-Health-Records
Treating LGBTQ Youth
In cases of “gender nonconformity,” conversion therapy is not an appropriate approach for minors, according to a comprehensive review of research and clinical expertise.
Related: Native Americans Address LGBT Health Issues
“Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth,” which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released last month, is the first publication of consensus statements developed by an expert panel held by the American Psychological Association in July 2015. The panel included researchers and practitioners in child and adolescent mental health, with an emphasis on gender development, gender identity, sexual orientation, family therapy, ethics, and psychology of religion.
Related: AMA Challenges Transgender Troop Policies
The panel concluded that variations in sexual orientation and gender identity are normal. They also found that conversion therapies or other efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity are neither effective nor appropriate therapeutic practices and are, in fact, harmful.
The report is available at http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA15-4928.
In cases of “gender nonconformity,” conversion therapy is not an appropriate approach for minors, according to a comprehensive review of research and clinical expertise.
Related: Native Americans Address LGBT Health Issues
“Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth,” which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released last month, is the first publication of consensus statements developed by an expert panel held by the American Psychological Association in July 2015. The panel included researchers and practitioners in child and adolescent mental health, with an emphasis on gender development, gender identity, sexual orientation, family therapy, ethics, and psychology of religion.
Related: AMA Challenges Transgender Troop Policies
The panel concluded that variations in sexual orientation and gender identity are normal. They also found that conversion therapies or other efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity are neither effective nor appropriate therapeutic practices and are, in fact, harmful.
The report is available at http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA15-4928.
In cases of “gender nonconformity,” conversion therapy is not an appropriate approach for minors, according to a comprehensive review of research and clinical expertise.
Related: Native Americans Address LGBT Health Issues
“Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth,” which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released last month, is the first publication of consensus statements developed by an expert panel held by the American Psychological Association in July 2015. The panel included researchers and practitioners in child and adolescent mental health, with an emphasis on gender development, gender identity, sexual orientation, family therapy, ethics, and psychology of religion.
Related: AMA Challenges Transgender Troop Policies
The panel concluded that variations in sexual orientation and gender identity are normal. They also found that conversion therapies or other efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity are neither effective nor appropriate therapeutic practices and are, in fact, harmful.
The report is available at http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA15-4928.
Trustworthy Health Information for Websites
There is no need to research and write unique health information for websites. Individuals and companies can partner with HHS to gain access to the latest on preventive health services and other health issues without needing a web developer. It’s called “content syndication."
Related: AHRQ Invests in Preventive Primary Care
The myhealthfinder 2.0 tool, the latest in the suite of such tools from the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, builds on a recent collaboration with CVS Health, which incorporated myhealthfinder into its Minute Clinic website. Experience from that collaboration informed the new tool, which can be added to a website by copying and pasting a simple HTML embedded code. Visitors to the website enter their age, sex, and pregnancy status and receive information about recommended preventive services.
Related:Workshops on Heart Disease and Comorbid Conditions
Similarly, HHS also now offers an easy way to add health news and information from NIH and other federal websites directly onto a website through its Syndication Storefront. The high-quality, multimedia content includes infographics, videos, and podcasts. Syndicated content updates automatically in real time, so no staff are needed to keep the pages updated. It’s more than a widget that sends visitors to another site—the information is pulled into the user’s website, and the content populates on the web page with the existing website’s look and feel.
Anyone interested in the myhealthfinder 2.0 tool can explore that and other content syndication options at http://healthfinder.gov/developer. Interested customers can also create a free account at HHS Syndication Storefront (https://syndication.hhs.gov), then browse and choose from topics to add to their web page.
There is no need to research and write unique health information for websites. Individuals and companies can partner with HHS to gain access to the latest on preventive health services and other health issues without needing a web developer. It’s called “content syndication."
Related: AHRQ Invests in Preventive Primary Care
The myhealthfinder 2.0 tool, the latest in the suite of such tools from the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, builds on a recent collaboration with CVS Health, which incorporated myhealthfinder into its Minute Clinic website. Experience from that collaboration informed the new tool, which can be added to a website by copying and pasting a simple HTML embedded code. Visitors to the website enter their age, sex, and pregnancy status and receive information about recommended preventive services.
Related:Workshops on Heart Disease and Comorbid Conditions
Similarly, HHS also now offers an easy way to add health news and information from NIH and other federal websites directly onto a website through its Syndication Storefront. The high-quality, multimedia content includes infographics, videos, and podcasts. Syndicated content updates automatically in real time, so no staff are needed to keep the pages updated. It’s more than a widget that sends visitors to another site—the information is pulled into the user’s website, and the content populates on the web page with the existing website’s look and feel.
Anyone interested in the myhealthfinder 2.0 tool can explore that and other content syndication options at http://healthfinder.gov/developer. Interested customers can also create a free account at HHS Syndication Storefront (https://syndication.hhs.gov), then browse and choose from topics to add to their web page.
There is no need to research and write unique health information for websites. Individuals and companies can partner with HHS to gain access to the latest on preventive health services and other health issues without needing a web developer. It’s called “content syndication."
Related: AHRQ Invests in Preventive Primary Care
The myhealthfinder 2.0 tool, the latest in the suite of such tools from the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, builds on a recent collaboration with CVS Health, which incorporated myhealthfinder into its Minute Clinic website. Experience from that collaboration informed the new tool, which can be added to a website by copying and pasting a simple HTML embedded code. Visitors to the website enter their age, sex, and pregnancy status and receive information about recommended preventive services.
Related:Workshops on Heart Disease and Comorbid Conditions
Similarly, HHS also now offers an easy way to add health news and information from NIH and other federal websites directly onto a website through its Syndication Storefront. The high-quality, multimedia content includes infographics, videos, and podcasts. Syndicated content updates automatically in real time, so no staff are needed to keep the pages updated. It’s more than a widget that sends visitors to another site—the information is pulled into the user’s website, and the content populates on the web page with the existing website’s look and feel.
Anyone interested in the myhealthfinder 2.0 tool can explore that and other content syndication options at http://healthfinder.gov/developer. Interested customers can also create a free account at HHS Syndication Storefront (https://syndication.hhs.gov), then browse and choose from topics to add to their web page.
Funding to Help Eradicate Domestic Violence
The IHS and the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) are putting nearly $21 million toward supporting victims of tribal domestic violence. Grants will be awarded to 56 health programs to increase access to services. The goal is to help strengthen tribal responses to domestic violence; emphasize public awareness, advocacy, and policy; and fund training and technical assistance. “Tribal domestic violence programs provide a lifeline to tens of thousands of Native women, children, and men each year,” said Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families Rafael López.
Related: What to Do When You Suspect Domestic Violence
The funding is provided under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). In 2014, local tribal domestic violence programs funded by FVPSA answered 86,203 calls for crisis counseling and requests for shelter and other services.
Related: Finding Ways to Overcome HIV and Domestic Violence
The grants are also a new phase in the Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative (DVPI), which previously funded 65 health programs in a 5-year demonstration project. During the first 4 years of the demonstration, DVPI projects provided more than 50,000 crisis interventions, victim advocacy and counseling encounters and made more than 38,000 referrals for domestic violence services.
The IHS and the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) are putting nearly $21 million toward supporting victims of tribal domestic violence. Grants will be awarded to 56 health programs to increase access to services. The goal is to help strengthen tribal responses to domestic violence; emphasize public awareness, advocacy, and policy; and fund training and technical assistance. “Tribal domestic violence programs provide a lifeline to tens of thousands of Native women, children, and men each year,” said Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families Rafael López.
Related: What to Do When You Suspect Domestic Violence
The funding is provided under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). In 2014, local tribal domestic violence programs funded by FVPSA answered 86,203 calls for crisis counseling and requests for shelter and other services.
Related: Finding Ways to Overcome HIV and Domestic Violence
The grants are also a new phase in the Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative (DVPI), which previously funded 65 health programs in a 5-year demonstration project. During the first 4 years of the demonstration, DVPI projects provided more than 50,000 crisis interventions, victim advocacy and counseling encounters and made more than 38,000 referrals for domestic violence services.
The IHS and the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) are putting nearly $21 million toward supporting victims of tribal domestic violence. Grants will be awarded to 56 health programs to increase access to services. The goal is to help strengthen tribal responses to domestic violence; emphasize public awareness, advocacy, and policy; and fund training and technical assistance. “Tribal domestic violence programs provide a lifeline to tens of thousands of Native women, children, and men each year,” said Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families Rafael López.
Related: What to Do When You Suspect Domestic Violence
The funding is provided under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). In 2014, local tribal domestic violence programs funded by FVPSA answered 86,203 calls for crisis counseling and requests for shelter and other services.
Related: Finding Ways to Overcome HIV and Domestic Violence
The grants are also a new phase in the Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative (DVPI), which previously funded 65 health programs in a 5-year demonstration project. During the first 4 years of the demonstration, DVPI projects provided more than 50,000 crisis interventions, victim advocacy and counseling encounters and made more than 38,000 referrals for domestic violence services.
Experienced Help for Disaster Preparedness
When a disaster looms—or strikes—it can help to get advice from someone who’s already been through something similar. That’s the underlying premise of the Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE), a system designed to help communities better prepare for and manage the health impacts of disasters.
Related: Help for Mass Disaster Survivors
TRACIE features a “living library” of resource materials, help line, “just-in-time” suggestions, and tools to share information “gleaned from real-life experiences,” according to HHS. The system also offers a comprehensive national knowledge center and multiple ways to share information among federal, state, and local officials.
Related: Perceived Attitudes and Staff Roles of Disaster Management at CBOCs
State, tribal, local, and territorial officials can consult subject-matter experts on subjects that range from assessing a hospital’s emergency readiness to lessons learned about delivering dialysis care during disasters, as well as training in preparedness, response, and recovery. In the information exchange, users can discuss, collaborate, and share information about pending and actual health threats and exchange templates, plans, and other materials.
Related: Pre-Storm Dialysis Saves Lives
For more information on TRACIE visit https://asprtracie.hhs.gov.
When a disaster looms—or strikes—it can help to get advice from someone who’s already been through something similar. That’s the underlying premise of the Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE), a system designed to help communities better prepare for and manage the health impacts of disasters.
Related: Help for Mass Disaster Survivors
TRACIE features a “living library” of resource materials, help line, “just-in-time” suggestions, and tools to share information “gleaned from real-life experiences,” according to HHS. The system also offers a comprehensive national knowledge center and multiple ways to share information among federal, state, and local officials.
Related: Perceived Attitudes and Staff Roles of Disaster Management at CBOCs
State, tribal, local, and territorial officials can consult subject-matter experts on subjects that range from assessing a hospital’s emergency readiness to lessons learned about delivering dialysis care during disasters, as well as training in preparedness, response, and recovery. In the information exchange, users can discuss, collaborate, and share information about pending and actual health threats and exchange templates, plans, and other materials.
Related: Pre-Storm Dialysis Saves Lives
For more information on TRACIE visit https://asprtracie.hhs.gov.
When a disaster looms—or strikes—it can help to get advice from someone who’s already been through something similar. That’s the underlying premise of the Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE), a system designed to help communities better prepare for and manage the health impacts of disasters.
Related: Help for Mass Disaster Survivors
TRACIE features a “living library” of resource materials, help line, “just-in-time” suggestions, and tools to share information “gleaned from real-life experiences,” according to HHS. The system also offers a comprehensive national knowledge center and multiple ways to share information among federal, state, and local officials.
Related: Perceived Attitudes and Staff Roles of Disaster Management at CBOCs
State, tribal, local, and territorial officials can consult subject-matter experts on subjects that range from assessing a hospital’s emergency readiness to lessons learned about delivering dialysis care during disasters, as well as training in preparedness, response, and recovery. In the information exchange, users can discuss, collaborate, and share information about pending and actual health threats and exchange templates, plans, and other materials.
Related: Pre-Storm Dialysis Saves Lives
For more information on TRACIE visit https://asprtracie.hhs.gov.
Novel Treatment for Ebola Virus
A new treatment for the Ebola virus is being developed through an agreement between the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Related: Communication as a Weapon Against Ebola
The drug is made of monoclonal antibodies that bind to a key Ebola viral protein and neutralize the virus. The technologies Regeneron used allow for rapid discovery, development, and production of monoclonal antibodies, according to HHS, which makes the system “potentially well suited for generating therapeutic drugs during public health emergencies when turnaround time is critical,” according to HHS. The technology sped the discovery and development of this drug through the pipeline in just 9 months, compared with the normal development cycle of several years.
Related:No Man Is an Island in the Public Health Service
The ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will provide up to $38 million over the next 2 years to support development and manufacturing of the experimental drug for use in studies.
A new treatment for the Ebola virus is being developed through an agreement between the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Related: Communication as a Weapon Against Ebola
The drug is made of monoclonal antibodies that bind to a key Ebola viral protein and neutralize the virus. The technologies Regeneron used allow for rapid discovery, development, and production of monoclonal antibodies, according to HHS, which makes the system “potentially well suited for generating therapeutic drugs during public health emergencies when turnaround time is critical,” according to HHS. The technology sped the discovery and development of this drug through the pipeline in just 9 months, compared with the normal development cycle of several years.
Related:No Man Is an Island in the Public Health Service
The ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will provide up to $38 million over the next 2 years to support development and manufacturing of the experimental drug for use in studies.
A new treatment for the Ebola virus is being developed through an agreement between the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Related: Communication as a Weapon Against Ebola
The drug is made of monoclonal antibodies that bind to a key Ebola viral protein and neutralize the virus. The technologies Regeneron used allow for rapid discovery, development, and production of monoclonal antibodies, according to HHS, which makes the system “potentially well suited for generating therapeutic drugs during public health emergencies when turnaround time is critical,” according to HHS. The technology sped the discovery and development of this drug through the pipeline in just 9 months, compared with the normal development cycle of several years.
Related:No Man Is an Island in the Public Health Service
The ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will provide up to $38 million over the next 2 years to support development and manufacturing of the experimental drug for use in studies.