Steven Hinrichs, M.D., director of the University of Nebraska Center for Biosecurity, has been named to two national committees. Dr. Hinrichs serves as the only representative from Nebraska for both committees.
Dr. Hinrichs has been appointed to the National Governors Association (NGA) Health Information Communication and Data Exchange Taskforce, and to the Department of Homeland Security, Stakeholder Panel on Agent Detection Assays (SPADA).
“These appointments are certainly appreciated for their national importance,” said Dr. Hinrichs, Stokes-Shackleford Professor of Pathology. “They also fit into the larger objective of what we are trying to achieve in our research programs. It is essential for our future growth to be involved in policy-related activities that spin out new research programs. It is clear that all of the major research institutions are represented in some way so they get advance notice of future funding priorities.”
NGA’s Health Information Communication and Data Exchange Taskforce was established by the State Alliance for e-Health, a body of state-elected and appointed officials. The task force is composed of state key stakeholders who provide expertise and experience in addressing state health information technology issues.
In his role, Dr. Hinrichs will focus on issues relating to governance and financial sustainability models for health information exchange, potential relationships between payers and state-level health information exchange efforts, and integration of state health information exchange and public health programs. The taskforce will meet three times in the first year to take testimony from a wide range of national experts. It will make recommendations to governors.
The DHS committee was organized to address the urgent need for more advanced biodefense testing methods for biological agents. False positive signals by multiple detectors on Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C., during an anti-war protest drew national attention to the problem. The SPADA task group will work to reach consensus on performance and acceptance criteria. Dr. Hinrichs and the group also will work on protocols for rapid detection of anthrax, plague, and tularemia.
“This underscores the exceptional work being done by Dr. Hinrichs and his team,” said Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “Biosecurity research projects are critical to our nation’s security. They also provide a path for researchers to propel the state to the national forefront in biosecurity and biopreparedness.”
Dr. Hinrichs holds various titles at UNMC, including vice chair of research and development, professor and director of the microbiology and virology, Department of Pathology & Microbiology, senior associate dean for research, College of Medicine, and director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, which is housed at UNMC.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources is now nearly $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes more than 460 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.