Uninsured to See Increased Assistance From Obama’s Pick For Head of Federal Health Services Agency

Dr. Mary Wakefield

WASHINGTON, D.C.- President Barack Obama has appointed Dr. Mary Wakefield, one of the nation’s top rural healthcare professionals, as administrator of the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. The agency serves to deliver services to those who are uninsured or underinsured by the current healthcare system.

“Under her leadership, we will be able to expand and improve the care provided at community health centers which serve millions of uninsured Americans and address severe provider shortages across the country,” said President Obama, in a statement.

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Alliance Healthcare Initiative to Provide Families With Assistance in Combating Obesity

Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999-2000. (2002). National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website. Graphic courtesy of Discovery Health CME.NEW YORK – The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, announced the formation of the Alliance Healthcare Initiative, a collaborative effort with national medical associations, leading insurers, and employers to offer comprehensive health benefits to children and families for the prevention, assessment, and treatment of childhood obesity.

“Nearly one in three children in the U.S. is overweight or obese – we are confronting a public health crisis,” said former President Bill Clinton, who will co-lead the AHI with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and American Heart Association President Tim Gardner.

The AHI will enable healthcare providers to be active participants in the decline of obesity by providing children with primary care visits, and visits to registered dietitians as part of their health insurance benefits. Additionally, the AHI will educate parents about childhood obesity and the expansion of services available to their children as a result of this effort.

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Peanut Products From Over 100 Companies Are Now Affected by the Nationwide Recall

Photo courtesy of Fiery-Foods.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Peanut Corporation of America has distributed potentially contaminated products to more than 100 consignee firms for use as ingredients in hundreds of different products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy, ice cream, and pet food, according to the latest information released in the investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

All of the PCA’s affected peanut products were made at the company’s Blakely, Ga. facility, which is no longer in operation. The FDA has been working with the company and purchasers to identify affected products and facilitate their removal from the market. Affected products are those that were produced between January 1, 2007 to the present.

“More than 400 products at this time” have been recalled, said FDA Dr. Stephen Sundlof. Concerned consumers can check the FDA’s new peanut products recall webpage to check and see if they have purchased any contaminated products.

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Auto Battery Cell Alliance Works On Proposal for Federal Investment in Research and Development

The movement of these lithium ions happens at a fairly high voltage, so each cell produces 3.7 volts. This is much higher than the 1.5 volts typical of a normal AA alkaline cell that you buy at the supermarket and helps make lithium-ion batteries more compact in small devices like cell phones. Graphic provided by HowStuffWorks.com

CHICAGO - The National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture, formed last month, is working on a proposal to the federal government for investment as part of the development of one or more manufacturing and prototype development centers across the United States, which will be shared by the Alliance members.

“The Alliance will develop and operate a state-of-the-art manufacturing foundry that will permit any U.S.-based battery companies to design, test, and manufacture proprietary and semi-proprietary large format lithium-ion battery cells that power next generation motor vehicles,” said Carlos Helou, president of Grep International, a Darien, Ill.-based consulting firm in the energy arena, and an advisor to the Alliance.

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FDA Seeks the Nationwide Recall of 69 Tainted Diet Pill Brands

Photo courtesy of Wineinyourdiet.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers not to purchase 69 diet pill brands because they contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients that could pose health risks to consumers.

The FDA has inspected a number of unspecified companies associated with the sale of these illegal products, and is currently seeking recalls. The agency advises consumers who have used these products to stop taking them and consult their doctors immediately.

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