Featured Issue Briefs
The Battle on the Home Front: Jonathan Gadsden's Story
Marine Lance Corporal's story reflects the growing need for new antibiotics that can treat dangerous diseases, against which most drugs are useless. Read More
Facilitating Medical Device Innovation: De Novo Reform
The de novo process -- which requests lower-risk reclassification of medical devices and entry into the marketplace -- as it exists now is not achieving its purpose and has instead added unnecessary and time-consuming requirements. Read More
Food Products Recalled by FDA
Since President Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act into law, at least 149 FDA-regulated food products have been recalled due to potential pathogenic contamination. Read More
More Issue Briefs
| Date | Issue Briefs | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2007 |
Overview of Child Welfare Services in Tennessee StateTennessee's child welfare system has undergone dramatic changes over the past few years. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, child welfare in Tennessee was under-funded and fragmented among six state agencies that failed to communicate with one another or coordinate their efforts. In 1996, a single state agency, the Department of Children's Services (DCS) was created by executive order to house child welfare and juvenile justice services. In 2000, Children's Rights, a national non-profit that advocates for children in foster care, filed a class action lawsuit, claiming over-utilization of emergency shelters and large group facilities, untrained caseworkers, high levels of placement instability, inadequate efforts to achieve permanency, inadequate educational services and disparate treatment of African-American children in foster care. More info |
Health Topics |
| Jul 2, 2007 |
Overview of Child Welfare Services in Washington StateCompared to other states, child welfare is high on the list of legislative priorities in Washington. This high level of legislative activity can be attributed in part to a number of recent events that are briefly described below. In addition, the legislature, particularly the House, has a number of experienced champions of children's issues, including Rep. Ruth Kagi, chair of the House Early Learning and Children's Services Committee, and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, chair of the House Human Services Committee, among others. More info |
Health Topics |
| Jan 28, 2004 |
Statement of The Honorable Bill Frenzel, Chairman, Pew Commission on Children in Foster CareFor the last nine months, I have been privileged to chair the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, a task I share with my colleague, former Representative Bill Gray. This independent, nonpartisan commission, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, includes some of the wisest and most experienced individuals in the field of child welfare. You heard from one of them this morning, New York City Commissioner William Bell. The other members of our Commission are no less impressive. More info |
Health Topics |
| Apr 3, 2012 |
MRSA: A Deadly Pathogen with Fewer and Fewer Treatment OptionsStaphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a common bacterium that exists in our environment and our bodies. Most of the time it does no harm. Sometimes, however, it can cause infection and require treatment. MRSA refers to strains of S. aureus that are resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and a host of other drugs used to treat infection. More info |
Food Safety, Antibiotic Innovation |
| Jul 27, 2012 |
What Did Pew Health Group Find in its Review of the U.S. Food Additive Regulatory Program?In the November 1, 2011, edition of the peer-reviewed journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety (CRFS), Pew Health Group published a rigorous analysis of the U.S. food additive regulatory program. Key among the findings is that more than 10,000 chemicals were allowed in human food as of January 2011. More info |
Food Safety |
| Jul 17, 2012 |
Food Products Recalled By FDASince President Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act into law, at least 149 FDA-regulated food products have been recalled due to potential pathogenic contamination. A recall is needed when a failure in the food safety program in a food facility results in contaminated food products being shipped to supermarkets and other retail and wholesale outlets. A recall is the last line of defense that protects consumers from getting sick. More info |
Food Safety |
| Feb 19, 2010 |
Produce Safety Project: Stakeholders' Discussion Series MeetingsThe Food and Drug Administration announced in December 2009, that it was going to establish a nationwide produce safety standard for the growing, harvesting and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables and opened an official docket for comments in February 2010. More info |
Food Safety |
| Nov 19, 2008 |
FDA Responsibilities and ResourcesCharged with responsibility for keeping 80% of the nation's food supply (including fresh produce) safe, the FDA receives less than 25% of federal dollars spent on food safety activities. More info |
Food Safety |
| Nov 19, 2008 |
Produce-Related Foodborne-Illness OutbreaksFrom 1990 through 2005, at least 713 produce-related outbreaks have occurred. This issue brief summarizes 15 years of produce-related illness outbreaks in the U.S. More info |
Food Safety |
| Nov 19, 2008 |
Foodborne Pathogens Associated with Fresh Fruits and VegetablesThere are a number of foodborne microbial pathogens associated with the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables that can cause illness or death among consumers who eat contaminated produce. This document summarizes the major foodborne microbial pathogens that may be found in fresh produce, including Cyclospora cayetanensis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp. More info |
Food Safety |
