We had quite a week in Washington. It began with our first and probably last big snowfall – a whole 6 inches worth. It was pretty for a day. By the end of the week – tomorrow, it is supposed to hit 70. We like to run the gamit here in DC. Here is a little bit else of what happened this week:
- Obama Holds the Forum on Health Reform – It was held yesterday. A lot of people who weren't me were invited. Fortunately, we got an HHS nominee in time for the meeting, but no FDA Commissioner. Health and Human Services reported live in blog form from the event. Ok, now we know everyone has an opinion about what to do. Now what?
- Sanjay Stays on TV – Gardiner Harris of the New York Times reports that Sanjay is withdrawing his name from Surgeon General consideration. The reason given, according to the article, is that he wants to spend more time with his family. I've never heard of that before. He and Judd Gregg should perhaps begin a club. It is a shame, as he would have had a tremendous opportunity to shape the thinking of the population about health.
- IOM To Study Comparative Effectiveness Approach – Keep an eye out for this – the Institute of Medicine announced that the IOM's Committee on Comparative Effectiveness Research Priorities is conducting a study to recommend national priorities for comparative effectiveness research conducted or supported with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The study is informed by and extends the views of stakeholders and the recent and ongoing IOM work relevant to comparative effectiveness research such as that on the national capacity to identify what works in health care, standards for systematic reviews of evidence, and standards for developing trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. The project is slated to take 10 months – so perhaps comparative effectiveness is not exactly just around the corner….
- Peanut Recalls Go On and ON – While the peanut recall is continuing, FDA is to be congratulated along with HHS and CDC on putting together an impressive set of new media and digital tools to inform consumers. Nice job and provides some nice tools for others to emulate during a time of crisis, like this handy widget!
The other stuff that caught my eye was reported earlier this week in postings. I, for one, am anxious to begin the weekend. Have a good one everyone!
