The Department of Health and Human Services is proposing to revise and consolidate the criteria for designating medically underserved populations (MUPs) and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). These designations are used in a wide variety of Federal government programs. Comments on this proposed rule must be submitted by April 29, 2008. For more information, visit: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/
E8-3643.htm.

On February 14, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a petition filed by the American Telemedicine Association and have agreed to extend, for three years, eligibility for certain health care providers receiving financial support under the Rural Health Program who lost their eligibility when the FCC changed its definition of “rural.”  Details of the order are available under http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-47A1.pdf.

Region 3 will be hosting a metabolic nutrition conference, “Bridging Science and Clinical Practice,” on April 24-26,2008, at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

Limited partial scholarships are also available. For more information, contact Rosalynn R. Borlaza at rborlaza@genetics.emory.edu.

The Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center’s conference on “Predicting Our Future: Genetic Testing in Children and Their Families” will be held Friday and Saturday, July 25th and 26th in Seattle, WA. Registration for the conference before May 1st is $195. For more information, visit http://bioethics.seattlechildrens.org, or contact Angel Latterell at angel.latterell@seattlechildrens.org or (206) 987-7825.