The decision-making process in treatment questions for seriously ill and handicapped neonates must focus on the best interests of the individual infant and maintain the responsibility for pursuing that interest within the parent-physician relationship. This goal is best served by mandating the development of policies for decision making and…

A four-stage framework for considering the development of public policy in regard to the issue of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection is offered. The phases are denial, irrationality, acceptance, and the development of a rational response. Federal antidiscrimination policies which include persons with HIV infections as disabled are…

This paper contains testimony and prepared statements from the Congressional hearing called to examine ways of controlling cancer. Opening statements are included from Representatives Claudine Schneider, Jim Lightfoot, and Ben Blaz. Testimonies are given by Rosemarie Lindgren, a homemaker and former cancer patient, and by Jules Cardin, a patient…

The texts of three hearings on issues connected with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) are recorded in this document. The first hearing concerned the availability and cost of the drug azidothymidine (AZT) for victims of the disease and considered such questions as what a fair price for AZT is, who will pay for people currently being…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) estimates that the cost of S.249, the Parental and Medical Leave Act of 1987, will be, at most, 500 million dollars annually, a figure which reflects the cost of continuing health insurance coverage for employees on unpaid leave. S.249 is legislation which aims to provide to workers at firms with 15 or more…

Caselaw that functions as law until statutes are enacted has been characteristic of legal issues surrounding the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) diseases. In most cases such caselaw has protected the civil rights of persons with HIV/AIDS under established law as well as the traditions of Western…

This report covers the risks to health, safety, and emotional well-being for infants and toddlers in child care settings, and examines opportunities for diminishing those risks and promoting healthy development. Part 1 examines the risks of poor caregiving practices, including the spread of infectious disease, the incidence of injury, and the…

This document contains witness testimonies from a two-part Senate hearing called to examine different aspects of the problem of delivering appropriate, affordable, long-term health care and catastrophic coverage for older adults in America. Opening statements by Senator David Pryor are included for both sessions of the hearing. A statement by…

Discussed is the government's research and development policy related to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Programs and institutions working on various AIDS projects with federal support are discussed and several are listed. The Public Health Service Task Force on AIDS is discussed and the organization is described in a chart. Problems…

Pressured by public safety concerns, school boards have begun to adopt exclusionary policies and screening programs for pupils and employees infected with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus. This article reviews recent court decisions based on the "handicapped individual" defense and urges administrators to present…

The report describes a regionalized system of community based child health centers developed in Iowa to provide coordinated secondary level health services for children with chronic illness and handicapping conditions. The system is based on two principles: (1) Communities will be given the responsibility for determining which health services are…

The paper examines policy options for schools regarding appropriate services for children with highly communicable, potentially life threatening diseases such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Herpes. Briefly considered are the school's legal responsibility, implied risk and inability, and actual risk and its control. General…

This document present witnesses' testimonies from the Congressional hearing called to examine condom advertising and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Opening statements are included by Congressmen Henry Waxman, William Dannemeyer, and Jim Bates. C. Everett Koop, United States Surgeon General, and Gary Noble, AIDS coordinator for the…

This policy statement on smoking and health was written by a working group of experts commissioned by the American Heart Association's Subcommittee on Smoking to study relevant issues and recommend appropriate policies for achieving a smoke-free society by the year 2000. To aid in developing and implementing public policies designed to facilitate…

Twenty outbreaks of foodborne illness in schools were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during 1997; however, only 8 cases were associated with food served in the school meal programs. Preliminary findings identified nine outbreaks in 1998, affecting an estimated 1,609 individuals. CDC notes that such outbreaks are…