Obama administration announces beneficiaries of healthcare reform prevention dollars

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today how $250 million in prevention and public health dollars will be divided. 

“Investing in prevention and public health builds the foundation for improving the health and well-being of Americans, and for lowering costs in the health care system,” Sebelius said in a statement.  “Investing in proven preventive services will help patients get the care they need early, avoiding costly and unnecessary care later.  This prevention-focused approach is better for doctors, patients, and our national balance sheet.”

 The $250 million investment in prevention and public health will go to:

 • Community and Clinical Prevention:  $126 million will support federal, state and community prevention initiatives; the integration of primary care services into publicly funded community-based behavioral health settings; obesity prevention and fitness; and tobacco cessation.

• Public Health Infrastructure: $70 million will support state, local, and tribal public health infrastructure and build state and local capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. 

• Research and Tracking: $31 million for data collection and analysis; to strengthen CDC’s Community Guide by supporting the Task Force on Community Preventive Services; and to improve transparency and public involvement in the Clinical Preventive Services Task Force.

• Public Health Training: $23 million to expand CDC’s public health workforce programs and public health training centers.

This is the second slice of funds from the $500 million Prevention and Public Health fund created by the healthcare reform law for 2010. Another $250 million are going to beef up the nation's healthcare workforce.