Prevention Matters

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has named preventing and reducing tobacco use as a strategic initiative for HHS. Sebelius noted that it will require “comprehensive, sustained, and accountable tobacco control efforts based on evidence-based interventions” to lower the current smoking rate of twenty percent in the U.S.

Initial actions identified to increase efforts to prevent and reduce tobacco use include:

• Strengthening the implementation of evidence-based tobacco control interventions and policies in States and communities;
• Changing social norms around tobacco use;
• Accelerating research to expand the science base and monitor progress; and
• Leveraging HHS systems and resources to create a society free of tobacco-related disease and death.

Dr. John Clarke of Baldwin, New York, rapped his way to victory in the Department of Health and Human Service's flu prevention PSA contest. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that Clarke's "H1N1 Rap" was named the winner after a tally of more than 50,000 v0tes from more than 200 entries from across the country.

Americans were called to create a 15, 30, or 60 second video promoting good hygienic practices and submit this video over YouTube. This video was to inform people about the flu and motivate them to take steps that help prevent the spread of the flu. The winner received $2500 in cash and will be featured on national television.

A panel of 12 video communication and public health experts determined the top 10 entries. These were put on the HHS YouTube Channel and put to a public vote. Over 50 thousand votes were cast in the 18 days that voting was open, and these votes determined the overall winner.

Vaccinations will be the main defense against the swine flu epidemic in the US, says HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

"I think it's important that people begin to anticipate that we will have a vaccine," Sebeilus said in a "TODAY Show" interview. "We think it's likely that we're going to need two shots for the vaccine."

She said people should plan ahead for this, particularly those with pre-existing medical conditions, pregnant women and health care industry workers. Sebelius said federal health authorities also are recommending that people should immediately get their regular "seasonal" flu vaccine to bolster their health for the scenario yet to play out later this year regarding the swine flu virus.

"What we learned last spring is that shutting a school down sort of pre-emptively doesn't stop the virus from spreading," Sebelius added.

Most of $1 billion appropriated by Congress for disease prevention as part of the economic stimulus plan will go to a CDC-planned initiative to fight obesity, heart disease and other chronic conditions, says Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

"We finally have a plan," Sebelius told attendees at a CDC-sponsored conference on obesity in Washington DC. She said the Obama administration will give states and local governments more money to control obesity, including investing in public transportation.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has put all speculation to rest and agreed to be President Obama's nominee as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The deal was announced in the Sunday news outlets, and the formal announcement will be made Monday afternoon, prior to this week's White House summit on helath reform

Sebelius has received a lot of ink about her efforts as state insurance commissioner to hold down premium rates, and for her cost-containment efforts as governor. But she also launched the HealthyKansas initiative in November 2004 to promote prevention and wellness. The initiative is a comprehensive effort to control health care costs, improve the quality health care and raise awareness of the dangers of obesity in children and adults.

The Wall Street Journal's Jacob Goldstein blogs a brief but interesting profile on Kathleen Sebelius, the Kansas governor who currently appears to top the list of candidates for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

"Sebelius spent eight years as her state’s insurance commissioner — key experience for a job that includes overseeing Medicare, the gargantuan federal insurance program for the elderly," Goldstein writes. "During that time, she blocked the sale of Blue Cross and Blue Shield to an out-of-state company because it would have raised premiums, the NYT says, and served as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

"During her two terms as governor, her administration has been notably bipartisan — she was elected to her first term with a former Republican businessman as her running mate, and ran a second time with the former state Republican party chairman on her ticket, the NYT reports. That’s important, given the polarizing nature of health-care questions, and the power Republicans still wield in the Senate.

"Still, she’d be unlikely to hold the dual role planned for Daschle, which included not only running HHS but also holding down an office in the White House to spearhead Obama’s health-reform plans."