States Get First Installment of Federal Bioterrorism Defense Funds; Must Submit Plans To Receive Remaining Money
HHS on Jan. 31 released the first $200 million of a $1.1 billion plan to improve bioterrorism preparedness in hospitals and state and local health agencies, an effort to help "transform the overlooked science of public health" into the nation's "first line of defense" against a bioterrorist attack, the Washington Post reports (Hsu, Washington Post, 2/1). States will use the funds to train medical and emergency personnel to identify and respond to bioterrorist attacks, improve public health laboratories, upgrade computer systems and prepare hospitals to treat a "huge influx of sick or injured" ( AP/Baltimore Sun, 2/1). State and local health departments received about $175 million of the funds, and hospitals received about $25 million (Washington Post, 2/1). The state awards, based on population, ranged from $69.7 million for California to $6.5 million for Wyoming. Four cities -- Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. -- also received funds (AP/Baltimore Sun, 2/1). HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said, "We now have the opportunity to build a viable, vibrant, strong local and state public health system that will prepare and protect our citizens for any attack that may come" (Cass, Associated Press, 2/1).
Additional Funds
While states may begin spending this first installment immediately, they must submit "comprehensive" plans to improve their "core" public health systems to HHS by March 15 to receive their remaining shares of the $1.1 billion, part of a $2.9 billion anti-bioterrorism bill that Congress passed last fall (AP/Baltimore Sun, 2/1). States must develop plans to prepare hospitals for "mass-casualty incidents," track "suspicious" diseases, expand health laboratories and increase communication between the health care industry, local health officials and federal agencies (Washington Post, 2/1). HHS will review each plan within 30 days and "release the rest of the state's money when its plan is approved." Thompson said, "We're not going to be heavy handed on it. We just want to make sure the money is well-spent." He also "offered his assurance" that President Bush would include additional funding to help states improve their public health systems in his fiscal year 2003 budget (AP/Baltimore Sun, 2/1).
