RFK Jr. Highlights UNMC's Biocontainment Preparedness and Nutrition Education Initiatives During Nebraska Visit
核心洞察
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. toured UNMC's National Quarantine Unit, praising its response to 18 Americans exposed to hantavirus (搜索) with zero detected cases.
The federal government is establishing a biocontainment center in Kenya, with UNMC personnel conducting the peer review for readiness.
Kennedy announced nearly 80 institutions across 36 states have committed to strengthening nutrition education, reaching over 52,000 medical students this autumn.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) on Thursday, where he toured the National Quarantine Unit and highlighted the institution's role in health preparedness, chronic disease prevention, and rural health care. Kennedy joined Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold at UNMC, praising the facility's capabilities and international reach.
"Legendary facility, and most of you don't probably appreciate how far-reaching the influence in this facility is around the world," Kennedy said.
Biocontainment Preparedness and Hantavirus Response
Kennedy pointed to UNMC's response to a hantavirus (搜索) exposure as a leading example of health preparedness. The unit recently monitored people exposed to hantavirus following an outbreak aboard a cruise ship, receiving 18 Americans at the National Quarantine Unit.
"Nebraska Medicine (搜索), UNMC, received them at National Quarantine Unit, protected the public, cared for the people involved, and completed the operation with zero detected cases," Kennedy said. "That is preparedness — build the capacity before a crisis arrives and be ready to act when it does."
Gov. Pillen highlighted more than two decades of preparation at UNMC and its role as the nation's only facility with national quarantine capabilities, according to his remarks.
Kennedy also announced that the federal government is working to establish a biocontainment center in Kenya, and that UNMC personnel will conduct a peer review of the facility's readiness.
"We are now in the process of setting up a biocontainment center in Kenya, and the peer review for readiness will be done by people at this facility," Kennedy said.
Nutrition Education and Chronic Disease
Kennedy discussed the administration's focus on nutrition and medical education as part of its effort to address chronic disease, noting that American children are some of the unhealthiest in the world when it comes to nutrition. He praised Nebraska as leading the way in promoting food as medicine, referencing the fact that Nebraska is the first state to remove soda pop from SNAP benefits.
Kennedy introduced one of his newest initiatives on nutrition education, which requires participating medical schools to provide at least 40 hours of training so that future physicians can understand how to use nutrition to treat chronic disease.
"Almost 80 institutions of higher education across 36 states have committed to strengthening nutrition education, reaching over 52,000 medical students this autumn," he said. "Nebraska helped lead that effort from the beginning."
Governor Pillen echoed the sentiment, stating, "The best practices in the world are being developed by the people here. It might seem astonishing to some, not at all to me."
Rural Health Care and Funding
Kennedy highlighted Nebraska's roughly $218 million first-year award through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which he said will help strengthen rural health care, expand technology, improve behavioral health, and prevent chronic disease.
"Nebraska has earned about $218 million in its first-year award, the eighth highest award of any state in the country," Kennedy said. "That's because you put in a really good application."
Kennedy also discussed Nebraska becoming the first state to implement Medicaid work requirements, noting that HHS and CMS are providing $200 million in government efficiency grants to modernize Medicaid eligibility and enrollment systems. He added that private sector technology companies have committed more than $600 million in additional support.
Health Care Costs and Pandemic Preparedness
Kennedy criticized the nation's health care costs and outcomes, stating, "We spend more on healthcare than any country in the world, two to three times what Europeans pay per capita, and we have the worst health outcomes. We should have the healthiest population, and President Trump has given us the mandate to close that gap."
During a question-and-answer session, Kennedy rejected criticism that staffing cuts at HHS have left the country less prepared for another pandemic, saying the U.S. is "more prepared than we've ever been before." He also defended the administration's review of the childhood vaccine schedule, attributing the nation's success in containing measles (搜索) cases amidst global outbreaks to the willingness to vaccinate.