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Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives last night approved a Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Defense Appropriations conference report that included $1 million he secured for the Anti-Terror Medical Technology Program at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The conference report reconciles differences between House and Senate bills that were passed earlier this year. The final legislation now goes to the President's desk for his signature.
The Anti-Terror Medical Technology Pilot Program will be a collaboration between RWJUH and the US Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. TATRC has been working to develop needed medical technologies for Afghanistan, Iraq, other forward-deployed areas and scenarios for weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The two will work together in order to develop needed technologies for various WMD and terrorism incidents.
RWJUH is a state designated Level 1 Trauma Center and is thereby able to respond to disaster situations and other related Mass Casualty Incidents. The hospital's personnel are key participants in the Medical Emergency Disaster Prevention and Response Expert Panel Statewide Bioterrorism Task Force.
"In recent years, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital personnel have responded to the challenges posed by Hurricane Floyd, the September 11th attacks, the New Jersey Anthrax crisis, the 2003 Northeast Blackout, and numerous other incidents," Pallone said. "Their experiences will be an invaluable benefit to the US military medical community at Ft. Detrick."
The New Jersey congressman requested the funds for the project earlier this year. The 2007 fiscal year officially begins on October 1, 2006. |
