HHS awards funds for bioterrorism preparedness training

Sep 15, 2003 (CIDRAP News) – Federal health officials have announced $26.6 million in grants to universities and health systems around the country to improve bioterrorism preparedness training and education for healthcare professionals.

The grants include $22.3 million for continuing education for health professionals and $4.2 million to develop new emergency preparedness curricula in health professions schools, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson announced last week.

The grants "will provide for training of at least 38,000 health professionals to better respond to an emergency," an HHS news release states. Grant recipients include institutions in 23 states.

The awards are part of the Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program, which was created with passage of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, HHS officials said. The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) administers the funds.

Thompson called the program "an important part of our broader efforts to prepare our public health system, develop effective medical countermeasures and stand ready to respond if bioterrorism should strike.'

See also:

HHS news release with list of grant recipients
http://www.os.dhhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030912d.html