April 2011

In a filing at the Federal Communications Commission, the Latino Coalition says the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile holds great promise for all Americans, and especially those of Hispanic heritage.

First, by making it possible to accelerate the deployment of 4G technology and making it available to 95 percent of America, this transaction will move us closer to the Administration's goal of spreading advanced wireless service to every part of our country. That is good news for Latinos, who have enthusiastically embraced wireless technology as one way to enjoy the benefits of Internet communications. In addition, the work required to build out an expanded 4G network will create new business opportunity for the Latino suppliers and vendors who already partner with AT&T and also will open the door for new business partners as well. Given the advanced capabilities of 4G service of additional speed and reliability it will mean new economic opportunities for all small businesses across America. By enabling expanded and higher quality connectivity among businesses and their customers, the acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T should set off a cycle of investment and other business activity that will help support economic growth that helps all Americans.

The Health Resources and Services Administration unveiled details of a $12 million grant program designed to assist rural healthcare providers qualify for incentive payments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for successfully using electronic health-record systems. HRSA will distribute up to 40 grants through the Rural Health Information Technology Network Program to "rural providers who work in formal networks, alliances, coalitions or partnerships" to help them achieve meaningful use of their electronic health-record systems.

[Commentary] Many have documented the shift from a paternalistic approach to medicine to a patient-centered approach, with greater participation by patients in their care decisions. The Internet has encouraged participation in health care for almost two decades. The Association of Cancer Online Resources in 1995 became one of the earliest groups to use listservs specific to different cancer types.

Now we are witnessing the rise of the e-patient, online advocates helping others to join participatory medicine. The joining of social media and participatory medicine can be observed throughout the stages of an illness, including:

• Diagnosis and information gathering;
• Finding a provider or second opinion;
• Accepting a diagnosis and entering a community;
• Participation in research; and
• Being an advocate.

In an effort to combat childhood obesity – the most serious health crisis facing today’s youth – a working group of four federal agencies today released for public comment a set of proposed voluntary principles that can be used by industry as a guide for marketing food to children.

Led by former Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Congress directed the Federal Trade Commission, together with the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to establish an Interagency Working Group of federal nutrition, health, and marketing experts to develop recommendations for the nutritional quality of food marketed to children and adolescents, ages 2 to 17. The working group seeks public comment on the proposed voluntary nutrition and marketing principles it has developed. After public comment, the working group will make final recommendations in a report to Congress. This is not a proposed government regulation. The proposed voluntary principles are designed to encourage stronger and more meaningful self-regulation by the food industry and to support parents’ efforts to get their kids to eat healthier foods. While the goals they would set for food marketers are ambitious and would take time to put into place, the public health stakes could not be higher. One in three children is overweight or obese, and the rates are even higher among some racial and ethnic groups.

The FTC has posted a request for comments on the proposed principles to its website. Interested parties will have 45 days to comment, during which time the working group will hold a half-day forum to provide stakeholders with a chance to comment in person. The forum will take place on Tuesday, May 24 in Washington, D.C. Additional details about the forum will be provided soon. Public comments will be considered by the agencies before the final report is submitted to Congress.

The working group proposal sets out two basic nutrition principles for foods marketed to children. Advertising and marketing should encourage children to choose foods that make meaningful contributions to a healthful diet from food groups including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk products, fish, extra lean meat and poultry, eggs, nuts or seeds, and beans. In addition, the saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars, and sodium in foods marketed to children should be limited to minimize the negative impact on children’s health and weight. The working group proposes that industry strive to market foods by the year 2016 that meet the proposed nutritional principles and marketing criteria. For sodium, the proposal includes interim targets for 2016 and final targets for 2021. The proposed principles are voluntary and do not call for government regulation of food marketing. They are an opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers, public health advocates, the entertainment industry, academics, and other stakeholders to provide comments that will inform the working group’s final recommendations to Congress.