The National Coordinating Center for the Regional Collaboratives has released its March 2009 issue of the NCC Collaborator. This issue features telehealth and telemedicine resources with the different Regional Collaboratives. To view the newsletter, go to: http://www.nccrcg.org/newsletter/NCC-Collaborator-current.pdf

With Congress recently passing the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has been asked to recommend priorities for spending on comparative effectiveness research (CER) to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The IOM’s Committee on Comparative Effectiveness Research Priorities is seeking suggestions that will reflect the needs of patients, consumers, and the American health care community.

You are invited to submit your suggestions by March 27, 2009 for incorporation into the database and committee consideration for the final report to the Secretary via the following link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=704JA7NisuyMhdLvocyIFw_3d_3d

Your submission will be available in a public document, but your contact information will remain confidential or you are free to leave the email and phone contact areas blank. Please feel free to share this announcement with colleagues. For questions or comments, please contact cerpriorities@nas.edu

The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS) is requesting public comments on their draft report, “Public Consultation Draft Report on Gene Patents and Licensing Practices and Their Impact on Patient Access to Genetic Tests.” All comments must be received by May 15, 2009.

Comments may be emailed, faxed, or mailed to:

Darren Greninger
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Biotechnology Activities
6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 700
Bethesda, MD 20892 (20817 for non-U.S. Postal Service mail)
Fax: 301-496-9839
greningerd@od.nih.gov
For more information, or to download a copy of the report, go to: http://oba.od.nih.gov/SACGHS/sacghs_public_comments.html