ELIZABETH M. DUKE NAMED ADMINISTRATOR OF HRSA

[Guest guest]

Folks,

Here's notice on the just named new Administrator of the HHS Health

Resources and Services Administration. She will be over Migrant and

Community Health as well as many other branches of the Public Health Service

which deal with migrant and seasonal farmworkers' health care in some way..

Alice Larson

>

>

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

>

> ELIZABETH M. DUKE NAMED ADMINISTRATOR OF HRSA

>

> HHS Secretary Tommy G. today named M. Duke,

> Ph.D., to serve as administrator of the Health Resources and Services

> Administration (HRSA). She has been acting administrator since March

> 2001.

> " HRSA is a diverse agency with important programs that range from

> directly providing health care for those who need it, to supporting our

> nation's health care structure, " Secretary said. " In the past

> year, Betty Duke has taken the reins of this agency in a decisive and

> positive manner. She will provide the leadership, compassion and

> integrity that must be the hallmarks of this agency. "

> HRSA includes a wide range of programs, working especially with states,

> local governments and other grantees to fund health services. Its

> fiscal year 2002 budget is $6.5 billion, second largest among the eight

> agencies of the U.S. Public Health Service. HRSA has more than 2,000

> employees.

> HRSA includes the $1.4 billion Community and Migrant Health Centers

> program, which supports a nationwide network of more than 3,300 health

> center sites serving some 11 million low income people, especially those

> without health insurance. Expansion of the community health centers is

> a centerpiece of the Bush administration's plans for expanding access to

> care. HRSA is providing $165 million in new funds this year for 260 new

> and expanded centers, which will serve an additional 1.25 million

> persons; and the President's budget for fiscal year 2003 proposes

> another $114 million next year, to serve another 1 million patients.

> The President's five-year plan is to fund a total of 1,200 new and

> expanded health centers, and eventually to double the number of patients

> served by the centers.

> HRSA also administers the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), which

> provides scholarships and student loan assistance in exchange for

> service by physicians and other health care professionals in underserved

> rural and inner-city areas, including community health centers. For

> fiscal year 2003, President Bush proposed a 30 percent increase in NHSC

> funding.

> HRSA also administers programs to meet the health care needs of mothers

> and infants. It provides funding for people with HIV/AIDS through the

> $1.9 billion White program. It also has responsibility for rural

> health and organ transplantation activities in HHS.

> Ms. Duke is a long-time HHS career executive. Before coming to HRSA,

> she

> served from 1997 to 2001 as deputy assistant secretary for

> administration in

> HHS' Administration for Children and Families. From 1986 to 1997, she

> was

> principal deputy assistant secretary for management and budget at HHS,

> where

> she oversaw major organizational changes within the department

> Before joining HHS, Ms. Duke spent eight years at the U.S. Office of

> Personnel Management (OPM). She was deputy assistant director and

> director of policy and systems in OPM's Office of Training and

> Development from 1984 to 1986 and was director of the Government Affairs

> Institute in OPM's Office of Executive and Management Development from

> 1978 to 1984.

> Ms. Duke earned a bachelor's degree in political science from

> College of Rutgers University, a master's degree in political science

> and African studies from Northwestern University, and a doctorate in

> political science from Washington University.

> Ms. Duke is married to M. Duke and is the widow of Carroll S.

> . She has two daughters and three granddaughters. She lives in

> Chevy Chase, Md.

>

> ###

>

> Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are

> available at www.hhs.gov/news.

>