Funding also Provided for Hydropower Turbine along the East River

Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel secured a preliminary $1,500,000 in funding for the continuation of Montefiore Hospital’s Medical Surveillance Initiative – Clinical Looking Glass, as part of the FY 2010 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations bill.

In addition, the bill contains $2,000,000 for the Kinetic Hydropower Turbine from Verdant Power. This was secured along with Reps. Jay Inslee, Ed Towns and Paul Tonko. This project would assist in bringing technology to New York to establish a renewable tidal power station. This would help bring the nation further along the path towards a renewable energy future.

The funding for Montefiore will be used to allow the DoD and the Veterans Administration (VA) to analyze patient data in real time, and improve medical surveillance, quality initiatives and cost savings measures. The Clinical Looking Glass is a user-friendly interactive software application developed at Montefiore to evaluate health care quality, effectiveness and efficiency. It tracks the performance of doctors and identifies patients in need of clinical remediation.

This action was a preliminary step in a long process. The bill will now be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee, and then the full House. The Senate is also working on their version of the bill.

"We would like to commend congressman Engel for his efforts and great foresight in supporting the Clinical Looking Glass information technology system and in seeing the need for this very important tool in combating chronic illness and other diseases. It is important for our patients that we have the means necessary to measure just how we are doing in keeping them in good health," said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President and CEO, Montefiore Medical Center.

“This measure will allow the DoD and the VA to make much-needed improvements to its technology infrastructure and better deliver care to its patients. Our veterans deserve the best care we can provide, they have sacrificed so much for our nation and I believe it is our responsibility to repay them. Montefiore Hospital is a stellar example of a facility which gives that superior care and this program is one reason for those successes. I am pleased to be able to help them continue and expand this program,” said Rep. Engel.

“I have also been urging our nation to end its dependence on foreign oil and to use clean, renewable sources of energy. The turbines used in the tidal power station would not impact the environment and would relay solely on the tides. It is a low-cost, efficient and clean way to add to New York’s electricity needs and one certainly worth pursuing,” added Engel.

The 11-term Congressman said, “While this is only the beginning of the Appropriations process, I feel very good that funding for these important projects was included in this measure. I will continue working with my colleagues to ensure this funding is preserved as the bill moves through the legislative process.”