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Congressional Schedule
• On Oct. 1, 2007, the Senate passed H.R.
1585, as Amended, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.
• On Oct. 3, 2007, President Bush vetoed H.R.
976, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act.
This legislation would have reauthorized SCHIP and expanded enrollment in the program
to about 10 million children.
• The Senate passed H.R. 3222, Department
of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008, on Oct. 3, 2007. The $459.6 billion bill
now goes to conference to resolve the differences with the House version.
• On Oct. 4, 2007, Senator Pete Domenici,
(R-N.M.) announced that he is retiring at the end of his sixth term because of a
degenerative brain disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, or FLTD. He
will complete his term in January 2009.
• Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) announced on
Oct. 4, 2007 that despite a judge's refusal to allow him to withdraw his guilty
plea, he would serve out the rest of his term in the Senate but not seek re-election
in 2008.
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Military Health Care News
• TRICARE Management Activity published a
notice in the Federal Register,
which provides the updated per diem rates for FY 2008 under the TRICARE Mental Health
Per Diem Payment System; and the updated per diem rates for both full-day and half-day
TRICARE Partial Hospitalization Programs for FY 2008. The FY 2008 rates contained
in this notice are effective for services occurring on or after Oct. 1, 2007.
• On Oct. 2, 2007, the Department of Defense
announced that President Bush has nominated Army Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker for
appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as commanding general,
U.S. Army Medical Command/Surgeon General, U.S. Army, Falls Church, Va. He is currently
serving as the commanding general, North Atlantic Regional Medical Command/Walter
Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
• The Department of Defense announced that
Maj. Gen. Carla G. Hawley-Bowland will be assigned to be commanding general, North
Atlantic Regional Medical Command/Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
She is currently commanding general, Tripler Army Medical Center/Pacific Regional
Medical Command/U.S. Army Pacific surgeon/lead agent, Tricare Pacific/chief, U.S.
Army Medical Corps, Honolulu, Hawaii.
• The Military Health System (MHS) launched
a new
Web site, which leverages Web 2.0 technology. The new Web
site allows military and civilian health care professionals to submit questions,
share ideas and recognize peers – interactively. It also gives the public
an opportunity to keep informed and comment on the status of the MHS.
The new Web site includes a “blog” located off of the main page where Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. S. Ward Casscells engages in an open
discussion about military medicine. Readers can leave comments at the end of each
daily entry.
Another feature, called Pulse Check, will ask questions about the MHS. The answers
will be used to make improvements and inform others about decision-making processes.
There are also areas for feedback to recognize people for making that “extra effort,”
or for visitors to let leadership know if they aren’t getting the entire story.
Defense officials anticipate future innovations like a new MHS motto, logo and theme
song that will be designed from the suggestions and feedback of visitors to the
Web site.
http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=322
• The U.S. Medicine Institute posted its executive summary of a recent roundtable
discussion: “TBI: Fitting the Pieces Together.” The roundtable focused on
issues surrounding diagnosing and treating traumatic brain injury (TBI). During
the discussion, representatives from federal agencies, congressional offices, academia
and professional and beneficiary organizations agreed on the need for improved collaboration
to make maximum use of resources and to help wounded soldiers and their families.
http://www.usminstitute.org/
• Health Net Federal Services LLC has been
recognized for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence under the
J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program(SM).
Through the TRICARE program, the Health Net Federal Services' call center handles
more than 4.2 million customer interactions per year. Health Net Federal Services'
call center operations successfully passed a detailed audit of their recruiting,
training, employee incentives, management roles and responsibilities, and quality
assurance capabilities. As part of its evaluation, J.D. Power and Associates conducted
a random survey of TRICARE beneficiaries and providers who recently contacted its
call centers. TRICARE is the uniformed services health care program for active duty,
retired, Guard and Reserve, and their families provided through the Department of
Defense.
For certification status, a call center must also perform within the top 20 percent
of customer service scores, which is based on benchmarks established in J.D. Power
and Associates' cross-industry customer satisfaction research. The criteria used
include evaluation of: courtesy; knowledge; concern for the customer; usefulness
of the information provided; convenience of operating hours; ease of reaching a
representative; and timely resolution.
The Call Center Certification Program was launched by J.D. Power and Associates
in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction with call centers and to help
call centers in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by
establishing best practices for handling service calls. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/LATH06904102007-1.htm
The DoD Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care held a public meeting on
Oct. 3, 2007. The task force focused on military-to-civilian conversion issues.
Mr. Frank Camm, RAND National Defense Research Institute, outlined the research
RAND has conducted on how the Services should examine their billets and determine
their status. Representatives from the Army, Navy and Air Force testified on the
strategies being used to determine what the correct ratio of military and civilian
personnel will be most effective and how each of the Services are implementing the
conversions.
The task force also heard testimony about the issues that healthcare systems nationwide
face as the population ages and what steps are needed to ensure uniform quality
care is delivered. Dr. Richard Migliori, executive vice president, Business
Initiatives and Clinical Affairs, UnitedHealth Group, suggested that more preventative
care and disease management programs be used for patients with chronic illnesses.
He also recommended improving communication and records sharing between doctors
to alleviate some of the fragmentation and confusion.
The task force ended the meeting hearing from Mr. Steve Lillie, deputy chief, TRICARE
Operations; and Mr. Robert Moss, deputy director Management Control and Financial
Studies, TRICARE Management Activity about the history, funding and status of the
TRICARE For Life program.
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Veterans
Health Care News
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield will become the
Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs following the resignation of Secretary R. James
Nicholson on Oct. 1, 2007.
• The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved
the nomination of Paul J. Hutter to be the next General Counsel of the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs. The nomination now moves to the floor of the U.S. Senate
for final confirmation.
• On Oct. 3, 2007, the Veterans Disability
Benefits Commission released its final report: Honoring the Call to Duty:
Veterans’ Disability Benefits in the 21st Century.
The report provides 113 recommendations that would help to ensure that the benefit
fairly compensates the service-disabled veterans and their families.
The Commission identified 14 priority recommendations, among them:
- Using an updated VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) that would include
the evaluation and rating of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental
disorders and of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in both the DoD and VA and would be
revised to account for new diagnostic classifications, medical criteria and medical
advances;
- Identifying specific criteria for PTSD rating and establishing a holistic approach
to PTSD that couples compensation, treatment, and vocational assessment. Re-evaluation
should occur every 2-3 years to ensure that treatment is effective;
- Initially increasing compensation rates up to 25 percent to take into account the
quality of life and other non-work related effects of severe disabilities on veterans
and their families;
- Eliminating the ban on concurrent receipt for all military retirees and for all
service members who are separated from the military due to service-connected disabilities,
as well as eliminating the SBP/DIC offset for survivors of retirees and in-service
deaths, with priority for the more severely disabled veterans.
- Expediting compatible information systems for VA and DoD;
- Realigning the disability evaluation process so that the Military Services determine
fitness for duty and service members who are found unfit for duty are referred to
VA for disability rating;
- Improving the claims cycle by establishing a simplified and expedited process using
best practices and maximizing use of information technology.
During the course of its comprehensive investigation, the Commission conducted eight
fact-finding site visits throughout the country and heard from thousands of veterans,
advocates and family members regarding the current veterans’ disability system.
In addition, the Commission employed the Institute of Medicine to review the medical
and functional criteria used to rate impairments and other related areas and the
CNAC Corporation to provide an overall analysis of the disability and survivors
benefits.
The Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission is an independent, bipartisan body
created by Public Law 108-136 and appointed by the President and leaders of Congress,
mandated to study the benefits and services intended to compensate and assist veterans
and their survivors for disabilities and deaths attributable to military service.
The Commission examined the full range of programs that are intended to meet the
needs of disabled veterans and survivors.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced that the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio will
house the nation’s newest Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, where seriously injured
and wounded veterans can go to receive intensive medical rehabilitation for treatment
of disabilities due to trauma.
VA created four special TBI centers in 1992 in Minneapolis, Minn.; Richmond, Va.;
Tampa, Fla.; and Palo Alto, Calif. The centers expanded their mission in recent
years to assist TBI patients and service members suffering from other serious problems,
including amputations, burns, blindness and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD).
Their new designation as polytrauma centers reflects their expanded mission. The
facilities have structured their services around teams of specialists.
Last year, the four polytrauma centers were joined by 17 other regionally-based
facilities to meet the needs of less severely injured veterans or those whose conditions
had stabilized at one of the four primary polytrauma centers.
The San Antonio project will consist of two stages. In the first, VA will
construct an 84,000 square-foot, three-level building for rehabilitation, transitional
living and prosthetics. This will be followed by renovation of 32,500 square
feet of office and exam room spaces in the main medical center building at the veterans
medical center.
The cost of the entire project is estimated at $66 million. Construction is
expected to begin next year. http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1389
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Health Care News
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
is launching one of the most extensive collections of genetic and clinical data
ever made freely available to researchers worldwide. Called SHARe (SNP Health Association
Resource), the Web-based dataset enables qualified researchers to access a wealth
of data from large population-based studies, starting with the landmark Framingham
Heart Study. Funded by the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI),
SHARe will accelerate discoveries linking genes and health, thereby advancing scientists'
understanding of the causes and prevention of cardiovascular disease and other disorders.
Framingham SHARe includes data on more than 9,300 participants spanning three generations,
including over 900 families, who had their DNA tested for 550,000 genetic variations
(single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs). In addition, the participants' clinical
data gathered during the study, such as test results or weight, are included. SHARe
will enable researchers to relate study participants' genetic variations with their
clinical and laboratory test results. The Framingham Heart Study is funded by NHLBI
in collaboration with Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University
School of Public Health.
SHARe is accessed through
dbGaP, or the database of Genotypes
and Phenotypes, a Web-based resource for archiving and distributing data from genome-wide
association studies (GWAS). GWAS explore the associations between genes and observable
traits, such as weight, cholesterol levels, or the presence or absence of a disease.
Launched in December 2006, dbGaP was developed and is operated by the National Center
for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a division of NIH's National Library of Medicine
(NLM).
Researchers interested in applying for access to individual-level Framingham SHARe
data should follow the directions at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/gap/cgi-bin/study.cgi?id=phs000007.
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2007/nhlbi-01.htm
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration announced the award of 67 grants totaling nearly $159 million over
five years to provide coordinated substance abuse treatment and HIV/AIDS services
targeting African American, Hispanic, and other racial or ethnic minority communities
affected by the epidemics of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.
All of the grantees will offer rapid HIV testing, through on-site testing or by
referral to a licensed partner agency or health department. Along with substance
abuse treatment and HIV counseling and testing, Targeted Capacity Expansion Program
projects offer health education, referrals, case management, and testing for sexually
transmitted infections, hepatitis and tuberculosis. In addition, the program funds
outreach and pretreatment for people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS related
to their substance abuse.
The 67 awards under the Targeted Capacity Expansion Program for Substance Abuse
Treatment and HIV/AIDS Services are funded up to $500,000 per year in total costs
for treatment services and $400,000 annually for outreach and treatment services.
Continuation of these awards is subject to the availability of funds, as well as
the progress achieved by the grantees. Total funding for year one is $31.8 million.
To view the list of grantees please visit: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0710035724.aspx
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved
Afluria, an additional seasonal influenza vaccine for the immunization of people
ages 18 and older. Afluria, manufactured by CSL Limited of Parkville, Australia,
is intended to protect adults from influenza type A and type B flu viruses.
Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that can cause annual epidemics.
Based on current manufacturing trends, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimates that the six manufacturers will supply a record 132 million doses of influenza
vaccine for the 2007-2008 influenza season.
Afluria was approved using FDA's accelerated approval pathway for serious or life-threatening
diseases, which reduces the time for needed medical products to become available
to the public. In this case, the manufacturer demonstrated that the vaccine induced
levels of antibodies in the blood likely to be effective in preventing seasonal
influenza. As part of the accelerated approval process, the manufacturer will conduct
further studies to verify that the vaccine decreases seasonal influenza disease
after vaccination.
The vaccine is administered as a single injection in the upper arm, and is available
in both a single-dose, preservative-free, pre-filled syringe and a multi-dose vial
with thimerosal, a mercury derivative, as a preservative. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01714.html
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched
a program aimed at increasing the number and variety of generic drug products available
to consumers and health care providers. Generic drugs generally cost less than their
brand-name counterparts and competition among generics has been a key factor in
lowering drug prices. The Generic Initiative for Value and Efficiency, or GIVE,
will help the FDA modernize and streamline its generic drug approval process.
The agency approved or tentatively approved a record of 682 generic drugs products
in fiscal year 2007, an increase of more than 30 percent from the previous
year.
As part of the GIVE efforts, FDA is revising the review order for certain drug applications.
For example, first generic products, for which there are no blocking patents or
exclusivity protections on the reference listed drug, are identified at the time
of submission for expedited review. This will mean that these products, for which
there are currently no generic products on the market, may reach the consumer much
faster.
Generic drugs undergo a rigorous scientific review to ensure that they are of high
quality, safe, and effective. Generic drug manufacturers must demonstrate that a
generic drug has the same dosage form, strength, route of administration, and conditions
of use as the approved brand-name product. They also must demonstrate bioequivalence,
meaning that the drug delivers the same amount of its active ingredient in the same
amount of time as the brand-name counterpart. Bioequivalence is a critical requirement
for concluding that the original and generic drugs will produce the same therapeutic
results.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01719.html
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Reserve/Guard
• The total number of Guard and Reserve currently
on active duty has decreased by 3,996 from the last report to 91,409.
The totals for each service are Army National Guard and Army Reserve, 70,758; Navy
Reserve, 5,727; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 7,831; Marine Corps Reserve,
6,812; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 281.
www.defenselink.mil
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Reports/Policies
• The GAO issued “Influenza Pandemic: Federal
Executive Boards' Ability to Contribute to Pandemic Preparedness,” (GAO-07-1259T)
on Sept. 28, 2007.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071259t.pdf
• The Institute of Medicine released “Improving
the Presumptive Disability Decision-Making Process for Veterans,” on Oct.
3, 2007. The report examined the current system and concluded that the presumptive
disability decision-making process should be based on evidence about military exposures
and veterans’ health and if a specific health condition for a specified group of
veterans was at least as likely as not to have been caused by their military service.
IOM proposed a framework for the future that will be based on findings about the
health of veterans that come from tracking of exposures during military service
as well as tracking of health status at entry into, during, at separation from and
after military service. http://www.iom.edu/CMS/26761/34756/45306.aspx
• The GAO released “Global Health: U.S. Agencies
Support Programs to Build Overseas Capacity for Infectious Disease Surveillance,”
(GAO-07-1186) on Oct. 4, 2007. The report, published on Sept. 28, 2007, examines
the obligations, goals, and activities of programs run by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department
of Defense and the agencies' monitoring of the programs' progress. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071186.pdf
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Legislation
• H.J.RES.54 (introduced
Sept. 27, 2007): Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title
5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services within the Department of Health and Human Services relating to Medicare
coverage for the use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents in cancer and related
neoplastic conditions was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sponsor: Representative Anna G. Eshoo [CA-14]
• H.R.3681 (introduced Sept.
27, 2007): To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to advertise in the national media to promote awareness of benefits
under laws administered by the Secretary was referred to the House Committee on
Veterans' Affairs.
Sponsor: Representative John Boozman [AR-3]
• H.R.3689 (introduced Sept.
27, 2007): To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the
National Cancer Institute to make grants for the discovery and validation of biomarkers
for use in risk stratification for, and the early detection and screening of, ovarian
cancer was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sponsor: Representative Howard L. Berman [CA-28]
• H.R.3697 (introduced Sept.
27, 2007): To amend the Public Health Service Act to address antimicrobial resistance
was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sponsor: Representative Jim Matheson [UT-2]
• H.R.3701 (introduced Sept.
27, 2007): To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to intensify programs with respect to research and related activities
concerning falls among older adults was referred to the House Committee on Energy
and Commerce.
Sponsor: Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. [NJ-6]
• H.R.3710 (introduced Oct.
1, 2007): To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of Correctional
Public Health was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sponsor: Representative Tim Holden [PA-17]
• S.RES.335 (introduced Sept.27,
2007): A resolution recognizing that the occurrence of prostate cancer in African
American men has reached epidemic proportions and urging Federal agencies to address
that health crisis by designating funds for education, awareness outreach, and research
specifically focused on how that disease affects African American men was referred
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor: Senator John F. Kerry [MA]
• S.2105 (introduced Sept.27,
2007): A bill to provide for the establishment of the Federal Health Care Board
was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor: Senator Chuck Hagel [NE]
• S.2108 (introduced Sept.27,
2007): A bill to establish a public education and awareness program relating to
emergency contraception was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions.
Sponsor: Senator Patty Murray [WA]
• S.AMDT.3089 to H.R.1585
(introduced Sept.27, 2007): To provide for a continuation of transitional
health benefits for members of the Armed Forces pending a resolution of their service-related
medical conditions was agreed to in the Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Sponsor: Senator John McCain [AZ]
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Hill Hearings
• The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee
on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs will hold a field hearing on Oct.
9, 2007, to examine the personal costs of the VA claims backlog.
• The House Veterans Affairs Committee will
hold a hearing on Oct. 10, 2007, to examine the findings of the
Veterans Disability Benefits Commission.
• The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will
hold a hearing on Oct. 17, 2007, to examine Departments of Veterans
Affairs and Defense collaboration, focusing on the report of the President's Commission
on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, the report of the Veterans Disability
Benefit Commission, and other related reports.
• The House Veterans Subcommittee on Health
will held a hearing on Oct. 18, 2007, to examine the impact of
health care on recruitment and retention.
• The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will
hold a hearing on Oct. 24, 2007, to consider pending legislation.
• The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will
hold a hearing on Oct. 31 2007, to examine vocational rehabilitation.
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Meetings / Conferences
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will
hold a public meeting on Oct. 19, 2007, to solicit views and information
from interested persons on issues concerning how the agency can best plan and apply
information technology (IT) resources to support the process for the review of human
drug applications. Federal Register Notice
• The 20th Annual Infectious Diseases in Children
Symposium will be held on Oct. 20-21, 2007, in New York City, N.Y.
http://www.vindicomeded.com/meetings/idc/ny/default.htm
• The National Cancer Institute (NCI), will
hold a symposium: “HIV/AIDS Research at the National Cancer Institute: a Record
of Sustained Excellence,” on Nov. 1- 2, 2007, in Bethesda
Md. http://web.ncifcrf.gov/events/hivaidsresearch2007
• The American Association for Clinical Chemistry
(AACC) and the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) will hold a one-day
conference: “Making the Case for the New Cancer Diagnostics,” on Nov.
2, 2007, in St. Louis, Mo. http://www.aacc.org/AACC/events/meetings/NewCancerDetectionTechnologies.htm
• The 46th Annual Research in Medical Education
(RIME) Conference will be held Nov. 2-7, 2007, in conjunction with
the AAMC Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. http://www.aamc.org/meetings/annual/2007/start.htm
• The American Public Health Association 135th
Annual Meeting will be held on Nov. 3-7, 2007, in Washington, D.C.
http://apha.confex.com/apha/135am/techprogram/
• The FDA’s conference: “Anthrax Vaccines
-- Bridging Correlates of Protection in Animals to Immunogenicity in Humans,”
will be held on Nov. 8-9, 2007, in Gaithersburg Md. http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E7-11613.htm
• The AMSUS 113th Annual Meeting will be held
Nov. 11-16, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah. http://www.amsus.org/convention/
• The 27th AMEDD Neurology Meeting will be
held on Nov. 14-16, 2007, in Washington, D.C. www.hjf.org/events
• The 2007 meeting of the Army and Air Force
Chapters of the ACP will be held on Nov. 14-18, 2007, in San Antonio,
Texas.
www.hjf.org/events
• The 47th ASCB Annual Meeting will be held
on Dec. 1-5, 2007, in Washington D.C.
http://www.ascb.org/meetings/
• The Special Operations Medical Conference
will be held on Dec. 10-13, 2007, in Tampa, Fla. https://www.trueresearch.org/soma/2007/attendee-registration.aspx
• The State of the MHS - The 2008 Annual TRICARE
Conference will be held on Jan. 28-31, 2008, in Washington D.C.
http://www.tricare.mil/conferences.cfm
• The American Medical Directors' Association's
(AMDA) 2008 Annual Symposium will beheld on March 6-9, 2008, in
Salt Lake City, Utah.
http://www.amda.com/education/annsym08/
• The 5th Annual World Healthcare Congress
will be held on April 21-23, 2008,, in Washington D.C.
http://www.worldcongress.com/email/HR08000/HR08000-9-11-07Online.htm
• The 13th International Congress on Infectious
Diseases will be held June 19-22, 2008, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
http://www.isid.org/13th_icid/
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