March 10, 2003
Arlington, Va.

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It is a pleasure to be here once again for this annual meeting of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs.  I welcome this opportunity to discuss our HRSA programs as we develop capacity to meet potential threats to the Nation’s public health.
 
It’s good to see so many familiar faces at this meeting. I know you represent many parts of the MCH community, including state MCH directors, state program managers, staff in adolescent health and teen pregnancy, educators and researchers, health and social service providers, policy experts, and federal, state and local government officials.

I commend you all for your commitment and perseverance. You give your communities invaluable service. And we at HRSA are proud to call you partners -- to work with you hand-in-hand in improving the health of mothers, infants, children, and adolescents.
 
This session’s focus on public health in a time of uncertainty couldn’t be more timely. These are challenging times we live in and we must all work together to strengthen our national protections and emergency preparedness.  
 
HHS is the lead agency within the federal government for addressing the medical and public health consequences of all manner of mass casualty events, whether terrorist-induced, accidental, or naturally occurring. And, we take this charge very seriously.
 
To all of us in HHS, Secretary Tommy Thompson has made it clear that broad collaboration and cooperation will be necessary to be successful in meeting head-on any possible bioterrorist attack.  Since September 11, I can tell you that we have been working hard as one united department to ensure that our public health and medical systems are strong enough to protect the health and well-being of our citizens. At HRSA, we are delighted to be working with CDC, and our other sister HHS agencies, in this effort that is so critical to the welfare of our nation.
 
We are all committed to making sure that our country is ready to respond immediately and effectively should the need arise.
 
We also know that you at the state and local level are on the frontlines of our war against bioterrorism. In case of an attack, it's the police who have to protect and keep order … the local medics who have to transport the sick and the injured … and ER personnel who have to treat the wounded.
 
I know this is a great concern to all of you and that’s why we’re working so hard to shore up systems locally so that you can be better able to respond in the case of an emergency.

We’re now building the best public health system in the world. And we're doing it in partnership with state and local officials.
 
HRSA’s role is primarily concerned with linking the health care system with the public health system, so that we are better positioned to detect a bioterrorist attack and provide appropriate prevention and treatment.  In short, we will be working to make sure that those systems that provide critical health care services to people are closely coordinated with the public health system. 
 
In FY2003, $514.6 million was authorized for a Hospital Preparedness State Grant Program.  Our goal is to help states develop and implement regional plans to improve the capacity of hospitals, their emergency departments, outpatient centers, EMS systems, and other collaborating health care organizations to respond to incidents requiring mass immunization, treatment isolation and quarantine in the aftermath of bioterrorism or other outbreaks of infectious disease.
 
We want to give each state, territory and municipality the flexibility to look for the best ideas, to design the best ways to link up with their public health counterparts, and, we hope, to develop an overall approach to bioterrorism and other mass casualty events that makes sense and works.
 
We also have four other programs underway at HRSA that will greatly aid in any future need for emergency response. 
 
A new $27.8 million program for Education Incentives for Medical Curriculum is designed to help make sure that public health and healthcare professionals develop the proper skills, knowledge and networks to address possible bioterrorism attacks.  The ability of first-responders to treat public health threats will depend in large part on their knowledge of what to look for. That knowledge, and its use in treatment, are the hinges on which the public health of whole regions of our country might turn.
 
Second, HRSA continues to operate the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program at a level of $19.4 million.  The EMSC program is designed to ensure state-of-the-art emergency medical care for ill or injured children and adolescents. The program provides grants to states to improve existing EMS systems and to schools of medicine to develop and evaluate improved procedures and protocols for treating children.  If new protocols are developed for bioterrorism or chemical agents, we will see that they are adapted for use with children.
 
Finally, HRSA also continues to fund Poison Control Centers at a level of $22.4 million. This is a vital part of the continuum of necessary emergency services needed by all Americans facing the threat of bioterrorism.  Poison Control Centers can serve as part of the nation’s surveillance and first response system.  For example, during the anthrax incident in Florida, HRSA-supported Poison Control Centers were able to provide the public accurate information about anthrax. 
 
Finally, we have $3.5 million for the Trauma/Emergency Medical Services program. This program will look at ways to effectively plan, communicate, and implement future statewide trauma system initiatives, including the development of state plans for trauma care delivery.
 
And, I also want to tell you that HRSA’s National Health Service Corps is currently training an elite cadre of new U.S. Public Health Service officers – we call them our Ready Responders. These first rate clinicians, recruited from the general public, are being trained to serve in some of the most medically underserved communities in America in addition to being able to respond to our call in times of emergency at national, regional, state or local levels.
 
With this set of programs, we believe that HRSA will strengthen the ability of the nation’s public health system and hospitals to prepare for possible biological, chemical or radiological attacks.
 
The bottom line is, we are making progress on many fronts but there is so much more we can, and must do.
 
For us to be fully successful in our efforts, we must build a seamless system among our local, state and federal partners; among our public health providers, hospital workers, medical staff, laboratory workers and all those who will play a key role in responding to any type of mass casualty event, whether terrorist-induced, accidental, or naturally occurring.
 
The keys to this seamless system are collaboration and partnership. That’s where you come in, because each of us as professionals and as citizens has a role to play.
 
In closing, I urge you to share with your colleagues what you have learned today and I hope that you will return home with a renewed commitment to improve the emergency preparedness of your states, your communities, and your families.
 
Thanks again for coming today and for being a part of this intensive and beneficial learning experience.