Digital Government
Improved global disease surveillance systems needed
Health ministers from more than 30 countries urge the development of national flu pandemic plans.
People
New Zealand preps pandemic flu plans
Continuity plan covers critical infrastructure, such as telecommunications, transportation, electricity, water, sewage and natural gas and petroleum.
People
Australia hosts international e-health conference
Representatives from several countries seek common ground among e-health systems at defense and veterans affairs departments.
Digital Government
Canada hosts international flu conference
Meeting is intended to encourage global focus on reducing risks of an influenza pandemic.
People
U.K. ahead of U.S. in pandemic planning
The United Kingdom has released its second influenza pandemic contingency plan since March, while the United States still works to develop and release its plan.
Digital Government
Health directors say HHS flu cuts are for the birds
But funding shortage to deal with avian flu could be fixed through Defense appropriations amendment.
Modernization
Army doubles Savi RFID contracts
Army increases contract for active radio frequency identification tags and readers used to track supplies delivered to Iraq.
People
HHS taps Navy's Wah for health IT post
Wah, associate CIO of the Military Health System, is one of five interim managers.
Digital Government
Latitudes and longitudes
The U.S. health care community is not alone in its struggles with privacy, standards and other challenges to the health information technology agenda
People
At home in the DISA Louisiana megacenter
The megacenter has not been processing a lot of data, but it has housed 120 hurricane evacuees and served 360 meals a day.
People
Physicians' e-mails document post-Katrina horrors
Providing care in hurricane-battered areas was compounded by shortfalls in the National Disaster Medical System.
Digital Government
Diabetes monitoring reaches new levels
In the United States and abroad, health care professionals have started to wield information technology to identify, treat and manage patients with diabetes.
Digital Government
U.K. completes major engineering work for health IT system
National Health Service hopes to fully deploy medical imaging system within two years.
Digital Government
Gov. Warner: IT needed to cut Medicaid costs
The federal government needs to invest significantly more in health technology to keep the system from bankrupting states.
People
Leavitt: Katrina demonstrates need for e-health records
Most people displaced by Hurricane Katrina have no medical records, making it difficult for clinicians working in disaster medical centers to treat them, the HHS secretary says.
Modernization
DOD satellite systems boost Gulf cell coverage
In an unusual step, the Pentagon is using military satellite systems to help improve cell phone coverage in the Gulf Coast states.
Modernization
HHS seeks volunteers for Katrina disaster relief
The agency has created a Web site for medical professionals and IT and communications personnel with experience in health care IT who want to volunteer for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts.
Modernization
Carriers scramble to restore Gulf Coast mobile phone coverage
Wireless companies dispatch mobile units to restore lost service in storm-struck region.
People
Navy sends understaffed hospital ship to ravaged Gulf Coast
The USNS Comfort will sail Saturday with only enough medical personnel to staff 250 of the ship's 1,000 hospital beds.
Modernization