On Wednesday, HHS announced that it will make $750 million in federal funds available for disease prevention efforts, including data collection initiatives and IT infrastructure projects at local health departments, HealthLeaders Mediareports (Clark, HealthLeaders Media, 2/10).
The money, which is in addition to $500 million that HHS allocated last year, will come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the federal health reform law.
Specific projects include $137 million to bolster public health infrastructure by helping state and local health departments invest in new technology and staff training, and $133 million to collect and present data on the effects of the health reform law (Zigmond, Modern Healthcare, 2/9).
In addition:
$298 million will go for community prevention, local health and wellness promotion, improving nutrition, reducing tobacco use and increasing physical activity; and
$182 million will be put toward improving access to preventive care.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, “This investment is going to build on the prevention work already under way to help make sure that we are working effectively across the federal government, as well as with private groups and state and local governments to help Americans live longer, healthier lives” (HealthLeaders Media, 2/10).