ACHA is excited to announce another step in the right direction!
As you know, the 2012 budget that was passed in December 2011 included $2 million in funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for congenital heart disease (CHD) surveillance. On Monday, April 9, the CDC announced plans to use that money! The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) will fund pilot projects to develop and implement innovative approaches for conducting population-based surveillance of structural congenital heart defects. The work will focus on adolescents and adults, and examining healthcare utilization and referral to timely and appropriate services.
The CDC has also announced plans to hold a meeting of experts to discuss research priorities in CHD. This meeting will include members of the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, researchers and medical professionals. ACHA has also been invited to attend.
To learn more about our federal advocacy activities, and how you can get involved, please click here.