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(US) Let's try to make sure the CFSAC recommendations are acted on

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
(Please re-post)

I don't think this has been highlighted here so I thought I'd do it.

People need to do what they can to make sure the CFSAC recommendations are
highlighted and preferably acted on, as much as possible. As people will
recall, I feel strongly about recommendation #3 (which is also mentioned in
recommendation #4).

Tom

=======================================================

From the December edition of the CFIDS Association of America's CFIDSLink
e-newsletter:

-----

Write to Secretary of Health Kathleen Sebelius and elected officials to
request action http://www.capwiz.com/cfids/home/ on the CFS Advisory
Committee's latest set of recommendations and the urgency of expanded
research. We've made it easy for you with letter templates at our Grassroots
Action Center.

-----

[TK: I've copied below the intro bit. There is then a sample letter (which
I haven't copied in) that can be edited]


----
http://www.capwiz.com/cfids/issues/alert/?alertid=13463086&type=CU

Write to Secretary of Health Sebelius

Ask her to implement the CFSAC's recommendations


Kathleen Sebelius is the Secretary of Health and Human Services. She is
responsible for all the agencies of the Department of Health & Human
Services (DHHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). On October 29-30, the
federal CFS Advisory Committee met and passed a set of four recommendations,
copied below. Please use our form letter to support swift implementation of
these recommendations by Secretary Sebelius.

Recommendations from the CFS Advisory Committee
to the Secretary of Health & Human Services October 30, 2009

Recommendation 1:
The CFSAC renews its recommendation to the Secretary to establish Centers of
Excellence for CFS that would effectively utilize state of the art knowledge
concerning the diagnosis, clinical management, treatment and clinical
research.

Recommendation 2:
The CFSAC renews its recommendation to the Secretary, as submitted 6 months
ago, to establish progressive leadership at the CDC. It is disappointed that
no response has been made to the earlier recommendation and it is interested
in getting feedback, especially in light of the comments made to the New
York Times by Dr. Reeves that reflect an inappropriate bias and undermine
others' CFS research.

Recommendation 3:
The CFSAC objects to CDC's continued use of the inadequate and inappropriate
2005 "empiric" research definition for CFS. It recommends that CDC abandon
the empiric case definition and the fundamentally incorrect
conceptualization of chronic unwellness as being equivalent to CFS
incorrect.

Recommendation 4:
The CFSAC has significant concerns about the CDC's five-year plan. In
particular, the priorities articulated in its recommendation of May 2009
have not been adequately captured in the latest draft. The CFSAC renews its
recommendation that CDC prioritize: identification of biomarkers and (viral)
etiology of CFS; partnership with organizations representing CFS scientific
expertise to create guidelines for adult and pediatric management; provide
web based guidelines for CFS management given our current state of knowledge
and expert opinion; and provide comprehensive information about CFS in
partnership with CFS experts to the scientific community, medical and mental
health providers, educational institutions and the public for both adult and
pediatric CFS through DHHS resources. CDC's continued use of the inadequate
and inappropriate 2005 "empiric" research definition for CFS. It recommends
that CDC abandon the empiric case definition and the fundamentally incorrect
conceptualization of chronic unwellness as being equivalent to CFS
incorrect.
---------

December edition of CFIDSLink:
http://www.cfids.org/archives/2006-2010-cfidslink/december-2009.asp
 

markmc20001

Guest
Messages
877
thanks tom

hey Tom,

your wording for the directions was a bit confusing (could be me and my brain frog), but after I clicked the link in your post, I could see Kathleen seblius's name. I clicked her name, and bingo everything was filled out. All I had to do was fill in a couple of brief sentences. Smooth and easy. Thanks for setting that up.

Thx
Mark
 

starryeyes

Senior Member
Messages
1,558
Location
Bay Area, California
Great TomK --- thank you so much!!

and Mark you spurred me on to do it right now when you explained how easy it was. :)

Check out my new Sig. :) Thank you TomK for bringing this to our attention. I would have posted the 2nd link but it doesn't work from a direct link, you have to go to the link I give and click the word Go! Probably because the CAA wants this linked to them.... oh hey! the CAA is following through with trying to get the CFSAC Recommendations implemented. Well alright!

tee
 

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
hey Tom,

your wording for the directions was a bit confusing (could be me and my brain frog), but after I clicked the link in your post, I could see Kathleen seblius's name. I clicked her name, and bingo everything was filled out. All I had to do was fill in a couple of brief sentences. Smooth and easy. Thanks for setting that up.

Thx
Mark
Thanks for the feedback, Mark.

Apologies if it was confusing. I sent this to a few places. If you have tips about simpler instructions, feel free to let me know and I'll post that to the same places - gives me an excuse to do it again.

Anyway else is free to give their own tips.
Or is it simply "click on the first link and go from there"?
I'm not from the US so can't follow it all the way through myself.
 

fresh_eyes

happy to be here
Messages
900
Location
mountains of north carolina
Tomk, thanks for pointing out that amazing resource! I had no idea it was available. Perhaps a new thread should be started, so folks know it's about more than just the CFSAC recommendations?
 

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
Tomk, thanks for pointing out that amazing resource! I had no idea it was available. Perhaps a new thread should be started, so folks know it's about more than just the CFSAC recommendations?
Thanks for the positive feed back.

Sounds good. Perhaps somebody from the US (like yourself?) could do it - I'm not from the US so generally don't use it as it is about contacting US politicians, officials, etc. Also I sometimes post the same message on a few forums while it might stand out more if somebody else did it.

ETA: I see you have already done it - well done