According to the FDA, prescription drugs like Vicodin and Percocet that combines painkiller with stronger narcotics should be eliminated and should be pulled off the market because of what is considered to be their role in deadly overdoses.
On Tuesday, a Food and Drug Administration panel voted 20-17 that prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with other painkilling ingredients should be yanked.
The FDA has assembled a group of experts to vote on ways to reduce liver damage associated with acetaminophen, one of the most widely used drugs in the U.S.
Louisiana and HUD
Louisiana, which has received recent assistance from HUD is on the short end this go-around.According to a news release, “SECRETARY DONOVAN AWARDS OVER $1 BILLION IN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS TO JUMP-START AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN 26 STATES
Funding to stimulate the production of thousands of housing units stalled by recession while creating jobs across the country
WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that HUD is approving plans submitted by state housing finance agencies for $1,035,322,485 to jump start affordable housing programs in states throughout the country that are currently stalled due to the economic recession. Funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), HUD's new Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) will allow 26 state housing finance agencies to resume funding of affordable rental housing projects across the nation while stimulating employment in the hard-hit construction trades.
"The purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is to jumpstart the nation's ailing economy, with a primary focus on creating and saving jobs in the near term," said Secretary Donovan. "The funding being announced today is an important step in achieving the goal of putting the American people back to work while providing quality, affordable housing options for low-income families at a time when those options are needed more than ever."
The current economic and financial crises present significant challenges for the construction industry, particularly residential construction. One of the by-products of this crisis has been the freezing of investments in the low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) market. The tax credits create an incentive for investors to provide capital to developers to build multi-family rental housing for moderate- and low-income families across the nation. Since the contraction of the credit market, and as traditional investors remain on the sidelines, the value of tax credits has plummeted. Consequently, as many as 1,000 projects (containing nearly 150,000 units of housing) are on hold across the country.
In response, the Recovery Act provides $2.25 billion for TCAP, a grant program to provide capital investments in these stalled LIHTC developments. HUD is awarding these TCAP grants by formula to 52 state housing credit agencies (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) to complete construction of qualified housing projects that will ultimately provide affordable housing to an estimated 35,000 households nationwide. Since a major purpose of this program is job creation, the Recovery Act establishes ambitious deadlines for expenditure of grant funds and requires state housing credit agencies to give priority to projects that can begin immediately and be completed by February 16, 2012.
Under this first round of TCAP funds, state housing finance agencies in the states below are receiving awards today (the remaining 26 grants will follow in the coming weeks):
Louisiana was not listed as one of the recipients.
Recovery Grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $11.7 million in Recovery Act grants to community health centers throughout Louisiana. Twenty four centers in Louisiana will receive Capital Investment Program (CIP) funds to address pressing health center facility and equipment needs, as well as to create health center and construction jobs.
“These Recovery Act grants provide Louisiana’s community health centers with an unprecedented opportunity to serve more patients and meet the increased demand for primary health care services,” Louisiana Sen. Landrieu said. “Communities around our state – from Bastrop to New Iberia to Independence – will be able to construct, renovate and enhance their health care facilities to ensure all Louisianians have access to cutting-edge medical technology and the best possible care. These construction and capital improvement projects will in turn create some good-paying jobs and work opportunities in communities that desperately need a jolt to the local economy.”
Landrieu also stated the following:
“Community Health Centers provide care to the Americans who need it most and their work has never been more important,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “These grants will help centers in Louisiana serve more Americans who simply can’t afford insurance coverage anymore.”
“This is extremely exciting news for Louisiana as we face significant challenges on how to reform healthcare and be responsive to the needs of the growing uninsured population,” said Rhonda Litt, Louisiana Primary Care Association (LPCA) Executive Director. “The work and expansion of the FQHCs is becoming more imperative with economic challenges and the dwindling resources we face as a state. During the 2007 Legislature, Louisiana Primary Care Association, the trade association of FQHCs, was appropriated $41.5 million to expand sites and services statewide. The challenge is and has always been that the appropriation only represented 41.5 percent of the total projects and health centers were charged with finding the remaining 58.5 percent to bring the initiatives to fruition. This announcement is critical in the success of this leveraging requirement and brings the health centers one step closer to executing their plans and continuing their premier role as primary care leaders in the state.”
A new community health center in Winnfield celebrated its grand opening today. Sen. Landrieu secured previous funding for the WinnCommunityHealthCenter, which will now serve 17,000 people in central Louisiana. Earlier this year, the Center received its first sum of Recovery Act funds – $100,000 – to expand its available services and its reach to nearby communities. Today’s announcement will bring an additional $250,000 to the Center.
“I congratulate the WinnCommunityHealthCenter on its grand opening today and have been proud to support this facility’s construction,” Sen. Landrieu said. “This Center will provide critical health services to a previously underserved area. Now residents will not have to travel great distances to receive the care they need. The success of the WinnCommunityHealthCenter is an example of the importance of federal investment in our local communities and families.”
HHS awarded grants for the construction, repair and renovation of community health centers in the following Louisiana communities:
$316,255 to Baton Rouge Primary Care Collaborative
$467,560 to CapitolCityFamilyHealthCenter in Baton Rouge
$638,780 to the Catahoula Parish Hospital District #2 at SicilyIsland
$606,685 to the DavidRainesCommunityHealthCenter in Shreveport
$687,710 to Excelth in New Orleans
$805,485 to the IberiaComprehensiveCommunityHealthCenter in New Iberia.
$440,225 to the InnisCommunityHealthCenter in Innis
$491,045 to the Jefferson Community Health Care Centers in Avondale
$343,275 to the Morehouse Community Medical Centers in Bastrop
$326,545, to the New Orleans Health Department
$609,660 to the Out-PatientMedicalCenter in Natchitoches
$477,570 to Primary Care Providers For A Healthy Feliciana in Clinton
$610,920 to the PrimaryHealthServicesCenter in Monroe
$446,700 to the RapidesPrimaryHealthCareCenter in Alexandria
$430,810 to the SouthwestLouisianaPrimaryHealthCareCenter in Opelousas
$312,580 to the St Gabriel Health Clinic in St Gabriel
$673,535 to the St. CharlesCommunityHealthCenter in Luling
$498,010 to the St. HelenaCommunityHealthCenter in Greensburg
$250,000 to the St. ThomasCommunityHealthCenter in New Orleans
$553,329 to the SWLACenter For Health Services in Lake Charles
$726,105 to the Teche Action Board in Franklin
$282,795 to the TensasCommunityHealthCenter in Saint Joseph
$509,385 to the Multipractice Clinic in Independence
$250,000 to the WinnCommunityHealthCenter in Winnfield
In March, Sen. Landrieu announced the first wave of Recovery Act grants allocated to Louisiana’s community health centers. The $4.9 million in Increased Demand for Services (IDS) funds were distributed to 24 Federally Qualified Health Centers in Louisiana (FQHCs), including seven that are newly designated to receive federal funds. Over the next two years, the money will be used to create or retain about 116 health center jobs in Louisiana and serve an additional 40,792 patients, 21,132 of whom are uninsured.
Landrieu and Small Business
United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Karen Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, today hosted a Small Business Outreach Conference in New Orleans to provide participants with information on federal and state small business assistance programs. The event was the fifth outreach conference hosted by the Small Business Committee. Previous conferences were held in Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport and Baton Rouge.
“Too often, politics in Washington gets in the way of helping people back at home,” Sen. Landrieu said when opening the event. “On the news you hear about the political back and forth between parties and their leaders, but you never really get to hear how you are affected by the changes. We’re here today to tell you about some of these changes in Washington and how they can help your business.”
“In these tough economic times, SBA's programs and resources are even more critical to small businesses,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “The SBA has many tools in our toolbox to help small businesses gain access to much-needed capital and a strong network of partners who can provide assistance to small businesses to help them adapt their business plan in today’s current economic environment, as well as grow and create jobs.”
At today’s conference, the Small Business Committee worked with the SBA and Louisiana Economic Development (LED) to provide brief overviews of SBA lending programs, federal contracting opportunities, LED’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program and other programs to help small businesses maintain and grow their businesses in this tough economic climate.
Officials from the SBA, LED and LouisianaSmallBusinessDevelopmentCenters joined Sen. Landrieu’s staff, which includes Staff Director and Chief Legal Counsel Donald Cravins, Jr., a former State Senator from Louisiana, to discuss top concerns for entrepreneurs.
In her remarks, Sen. Landrieu encouraged conference participants to ask staff from the Small Business Committee, SBA and LED questions about available programs to assist their small businesses.
“This is your chance to get the real meat of what the Recovery Act means for you and your business,” Sen. Landrieu said. “You have the people with the real answers right here ready to answer your questions. I encourage you to make use of this valuable time.”
New research warns rising sea levels and changing sediment patterns have made inundation of much of the Mississippi Delta inevitable
Essence Fair
As part of its ongoing commitment to help improve the health status of African Americans, UnitedHealthcare has teamed up with the world-renowned Essence Music Festival to co-sponsor the first-ever Essence Health Pavilion taking place July 3 - 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Nearly 160,000 attendees from across the country are expected for the 15th anniversary of the three-day Essence Music Festival event. The 2009 Essence Health Pavilion is co-sponsored by AARP and Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s® Circle of Promise.
