WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley has asked the Food and Drug Administration to account for its treatment of a group of agency scientists who questioned approvals of medical devices in communications with Congress and the White House.  The FDA appears to have punished the employees for expressing safety concerns about radiological devices used to detect diseases such as breast cancer and colon cancer.

"The FDA has a poor track record of retaliating against whistleblowers.  This situation appears to be more of the same," Grassley said.  "Federal law explicitly protects the right of federal employees to provide information to Congress.  I reminded the FDA of the relevant law in January 2009 after this came to my attention.  Still, even after that letter, the FDA appears to have persisted in a long campaign to punish a group of employees for talking to Congress.   I'm pursuing this matter with the FDA to get answers and ensure that whistleblowers aren't singled out and retaliated against for protected disclosures to Congress."

Grassley wrote to FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, asking for a description of whether each of the staff members involved still works at the agency and if not, for an explanation of the circumstances of the employee's departure.  Grassley also sought details of who authorized the monitoring of the employees' e-mail and to what extent such monitoring occurred.  The agency engaged in extensive monitoring of the employees' email accounts, apparently to try to justify its case for retaliation.

Grassley also reminded Hamburg that any retaliation against whistleblowers "directly contradicts" her promise during her 2009 confirmation hearing that she would protect whistleblowers by "creating a culture that enables all voices to be heard."

"The FDA has a huge responsibility to protect public health and safety," Grassley said.  "With all the important work that needs to be done on that front, it's hard to see how managers apparently thought it was a good use of time to shadow agency scientists and monitor their email accounts for legally protected communications with Congress."

Grassley also sought answers from Hamburg on what the agency is doing in light of the retaliation inquiry to reassure employees of their right to provide information to Congress.

"Without federal whistleblowers, I wouldn't be able to perform my constitutional oversight of the executive branch," Grassley said.  "Whistleblowers come forward to shed light on matters that affect public safety or the public purse.  They expose incompetence and malfeasance and promote reform that leads to better government.  Their perspective has done a lot of good.  I've seen this kind of behavior from the FDA before, and it's troubling to think there might be a pattern.  The FDA needs to make an immediate effort to reassure employees of their freedom to talk to Congress.  Muzzling is inappropriate and illegal.  Retaliation of this kind is intolerable by any federal government agency."

Grassley, a long-time advocate for whistleblowers, works to strengthen whistleblower protections for all government employees.  Certain employees, including members of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps within the Department of Health and Human Services, are not covered under the Whistleblower Protection Act, which leaves employees vulnerable to retaliation.  This is a loophole in current law that needs to be closed.  Grassley is actively working to ensure that employees of the commissioned corps are given necessary whistleblower protections.

Grassley's letter to the FDA is available here.  His 2009 letter to the FDA is available here.  Washington Post articles on the matter are available here and here.

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WASHINGTON, DC - In honor of American Heart Month, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) would like to remind the public to talk with their pharmacist regarding available screening and consultative services that could prevent and detect health problems usually associated with heart disease. As part of the healthcare team, pharmacists can play a significant role in the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease?including heart disease and stroke?is the leading cause of death in the United States. Every day, 2,200 people die from cardiovascular disease?that's 815,000 Americans each year, or 1 in every 3 deaths. Americans also suffer more than 2 million heart attacks and strokes each year. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are primary contributing cardiovascular health risks. These two conditions combined affect more than 80 million Americans annually.

Many pharmacists offer screenings and prevention and wellness services dedicated to helping patients manage their health and get the most out of their medications. A few "heart healthy" services a pharmacist may provide to help prevent a heart attack, control heart disease and improve knowledge about effective treatment include blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) screenings, smoking cessation, healthy lifestyle counseling and education about medications. To learn more about the specific ways pharmacists can assist in the management of cardiovascular disease, please see APhA's Your Pharmacist and You: Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Fact Sheet. Contact your pharmacist for available services as they may vary by pharmacy location.

Individuals can decrease their risk for developing coronary heart disease by taking steps to prevent and control associated risk factors. A targeted focus should be placed on the "ABCS," which address the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and can help to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

1. Aspirin: Increase low dose aspirin therapy according to recognized prevention guidelines.
2. Blood pressure: Prevent and control high blood pressure; reduce sodium intake.
3. Cholesterol: Prevent and control high blood cholesterol.
4. Smoking cessation: Increase the number of smokers counseled to quit and referred to State quit lines; increase availability of no or low-cost cessation products.

APhA has partnered with the Million Hearts Initiative in an effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. Million Hearts brings together the efforts of the public and private health sectors to improve health across communities and help Americans live longer, healthier, more productive lives.

Pharmacists work with doctors and other health care providers to optimize care, improve medication use and to prevent heart disease. To achieve the best outcomes for their condition, patients should maintain regular visits with all of their health care providers. APhA encourages patients to fill all their prescriptions with one pharmacy, get to know their pharmacist on a first name basis, discuss their medications with their pharmacist, carry an up-to-date medication and vaccination list and share all medical information with each of their health care providers.

About the American Pharmacists Association
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization, representing more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States.

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Learn how to preserve your family's history and stories with A Gift That Money Can't Buy, Tuesday February 21st, 7:00 p.m. at the Moline Public Library.  Presenter Jeffrey Bockman explains how to use basic forms to record family data, as well as basics for identifying people in photographs, basic preservation, and how to record unique family stories.

Registration is required for this free event, and can be done by visiting the Moline Public Library at 3210 - 411st Street, Moline, or by calling 309-524-2470.  This program is made possible in part by an award from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly.

Mr. Bockman is a genealogy lecturer and writer.  He was a contributing editor for Everton's Genealogical Helper and a feature writer for Heritage Quest Magazine.  He is the author of Giving Your Family a Gift That Money Can't Buy, a book that encourages people to record and preserve their family's history.

A Gift That Money Can't Buy is presented in conjunction with the traveling exhibit In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak, on display December 28th, 2011 through February 24th, 2012.  In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak was organized by the Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia, and developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture, and ideas, and the American Library Association Public

Programs Office. The national tour of the exhibit has been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, and an anonymous donor, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life.

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SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. (02/01/2012)(readMedia)-- The 126th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) at Scott Air Force Base was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious service from Aug. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2011.

During this period, the 126 SFS provided global coverage to continue the war fighting effort. Through numerous deployments and home-station efforts, the squadron embodied the Total Force concept.

"Our Security Forces Squadron continues to perform in an outstanding fashion," said Col. Rick Nyalka, of Marine, 126th Mission Support Group Commander. "Whether it is at Scott Air Force Base or while deployed, they always perform at the highest levels. I am very proud of our Security Forces members. They have demonstrated that they are truly deserving of this prestigious award!"

Members also served as true citizen-Airmen by volunteering countless hours in both local and deployed communities. In addition, squadron members were recognized with awards for home-station and deployment excellence.

"I could not be more proud of the men and women of the 126th Security Forces Squadron," said Lt. Col. John Bryk, of Mokena, 126th Security Forces Squadron Commander. "This is the finest group of non-commissioned officers and Airmen that I have had the opportunity to serve with during my 28-year career in the Air National Guard. The dedication and commitment they display on a daily basis is amazing."

In addition to deployments and community support, the squadron was recognized during each of its most recent compliance and readiness inspections. The squadron received an excellent rating with zero findings during the Aug. 2009 Air Mobility Command Unit Compliance Inspection. Additionally, the squadron was most recently rated outstanding for providing flawless security during a June 2011 Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection.

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award was authorized by Department of the Air Force General Order 1, Jan. 6, 1954. It is awarded by the Secretary of the Air Force to units which are distinguished by exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement that clearly sets the unit above and apart from similar units.

The services include : performance of exceptionally meritorious service, accomplishment of a specific outstanding achievement of national or international significance, combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States, or military operations involving conflict with or exposure to hostile actions by an opposing foreign force.