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Minutes of the Board of Regents - September 2001

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS

September 11, 2001

The 128th meeting of the Board of Regents was convened on September 11, 2001, at 9:00 a.m. in the NLM Board Room, Building 38, National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting was open to the public from 9:00 a.m to 10:22 a.m. The meeting ended early because of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

MEMBERS PRESENT:

ABSENT MEMBERS:

EX OFFICIO AND ALTERNATE MEMBERS PRESENT:

CONSULTANTS TO THE BOR PRESENT:

MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT:

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES PRESENT:

I. OPENING REMARKS

Dr. Henry Foster welcomed the Regents, alternates, and guests to the 128th meeting of the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine. The Chairman noted especially the presence of consultants, Dr. Marion Ball, Dr. Tenley Albright, and Dr. Kenneth Walker. The Board congratulated Regent Alison Bunting on her receiving the prestigious Marcia C. Noyes Award from the Medical Library Association.

II. REPORT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PHS SURGEON GENERAL

Rear Admiral Kenneth Moritsugu, Deputy PHS Surgeon General, representing Surgeon General David Satcher, reported that the Surgeon General has three priorities: the need for a balanced community health system, to engage in a global approach to public health, and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. As the senior officer in charge of the PHS Commissioned Corps, the Surgeon General has initiated a reexamination of the Corps to make it relevant to the issues we face in the 21st century. Three major documents have come out of the Office of the Surgeon General in recent months: a national suicide prevention strategy, a call to action to promote sexual health and responsible sexual behavior, and a supplement to the 1998 report on mental health titled "Culture, Race, and Ethnicity." In the near future, the PHS will be addressing the problem of overweight and obesity in society, primary care and mental health, and health for the mentally retarded. Two issues for action after Dr. Satcher leaves office (in February 2002) are health care in correctional facilities and environmental issues. Dr. Moritsugu distributed to the Board copies of "Healthy People 2010." He closed by thanking the NLM, which has worked closely with the Office of the Surgeon General on several initiatives, including how to improve the reports from that office so that they become more user friendly and consistent with good bibliographic practice.

III. REPORT FROM THE NIH NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH

Dr. John Ruffin, Director of the NIH National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, said it has been almost 10 years since he last spoke to the Board and much has happened in that time. One event was that Congress turned the Office of Research on Minority Health into the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Dr. Ruffin covered three topics in his presentation: some of the past collaborations between the Center and other NIH components; the authorities contained in their legislation; and opportunities for collaboration between NLM and non-minorities, and there is no longer any question that the differences are real. He described how a high-level NIH Minority Programs Fact-Finding Team, which included many health leaders from minority communities, went around the country to look into the problem. The team's report had 13 major recommendations which were distributed to the Regents. Dr. Ruffin took those recommendations to the leaders of NIH and challenged them to convert them into good science. Approximately 300 studies on key issues affecting minority health resulted from the recommendations. Some 30 programs have been created for training minorities, at all levels of the educational spectrum. NIH funding even went to the National Science Foundation to support such programs. He gave several examples of NIH-supported educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The Minority International Research Training program is another NIH-supported activity, with an international focus. Although the Center plans to fund more initiatives on its own, it will continue to partner with the individual Institutes and Centers at NIH, where the expertise exists. Dr. Ruffin said that the legislation (distributed to the Regents) specifically mentions that the Center will be involved in an endowment program and "centers of excellence." He described how the Center will address these requirements in FY 2002. Two very important items that came out of the legislation are that the Center now has grant-making authority and, even more important, the traditional definition of "minority" has been expanded to include other identifiable populations that also suffer from health disparities. Dr. Ruffin concluded by saying that he would be glad to speak to them at a future time about how the Center and NLM can work together.

IV. REPORT FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR, NIH

Dr. Ruth Kirschstein, Acting NIH Director, stated that this has been an extremely eventful period. It has been the "summer of the stem cell." She described how the NIH gathered the information that was provided to the White House before the President's August 9th speech on the subject. She also reported on the week-long visit of HHS Secretary Thompson to the NIH in August. He visited NLM where he saw various exhibits and database presentations. She concluded by saying that there is nothing new on the horizon concerning the naming of a new NIH Director.

V. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEEING

The Regents approved without change, the minutes from the May 22-23, 2001 meeting.

VI. FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS

The Board of Regents will meet next on February 12-13, 2002. The Board meeting next spring will be May 14-15. The dates of September 10-11, 2002 were adopted for the meeting next fall.

VII. REPORT OF THE NLM DIRECTOR

Dr. Lindberg had just begun his presentation when notification was made that the NIH was closing due to the attacks on the Trade Center and the Pentagon.

VIII. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 10:22 a.m. on September 11, 2001.

I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the foregoing minutes and attachments are accurate and complete.

Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D.
Director, National Library of Medicine

Henry Foster, M.D.
Chair, NLM Board of Regents

Last Reviewed: December 29, 2016