Wednesday, September 18, 2002

HHS Seeks Science Advice to Match Bush Views
Washington Post story - "The Bush administration has begun a broad restructuring of the scientific advisory committees that guide federal policy in areas such as patients' rights and public health, eliminating some committees that were coming to conclusions at odds with the president's views and in other cases replacing members with handpicked choices." Among the committees were the National Human Research Protections Advisory Committee, created under President Clinton "after a series of government reports found serious deficiencies in the federal system for protecting human subjects in research." The story notes that "Some sources suggested the committee had angered the pharmaceutical industry or other research enterprises because of its recommendations to tighten up conflict-of-interest rules and impose new restrictions on research involving the mentally ill."  
  

County budget cuts: human services hit hardest (California)
Story in The Almanac on budget cuts to health and human services agencies in San Mateo County. The story notes that those agencies "also bear the brunt of the state's efforts to patch over its $24 billion deficit."  
  

Idea emerges to ease crunch in mental health (Minnesota)
Minneapolis Star Tribune story - "In a unique joint venture, Minnesota's health plans and hospitals may contribute at least $5 million to open one or more halfway houses for people with mental illnesses. The proposal, aimed at easing the severe shortage of psychiatric beds in the metro area, arose from an unprecedented collaboration by health plan and hospital executives, Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and state Attorney General Mike Hatch."  
  

Center for Mental Health migrant outreach program becomes permanent (Colorado)
Montrose Daily Press story on outreach services to local migrant and immigrant workers at the Center for Mental Health of Delta and Montrose counties, "one of the only programs of its type in the state" and response to a statewide mandate for local mental health agencies to increase cultural competency.