CFS Advisory Committee Reminder

Media Alert:  1/23/2003

Nominations for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) CFS Advisory Committee (CFSAC) are due on January 31, 2003. Please note that anyone can make nominations. For more information on how to nominate someone, please visit http://www.cfids.org/advocacy/c-act_01072003.asp.

The CFSAC will be comprised of seven biomedical research scientists with demonstrated expertise in biomedical research applicable to CFS and four individuals with expertise in health care delivery, private health care services or insurers, or voluntary organizations concerned with the problems of individuals with CFS.

Several CFSAC members’ terms have expired during the period that the committee has been dormant. It is unclear who will continue on the committee. To our knowledge, none of the former CFS Coordinating Committee (CFSCC) members have been contacted by HHS about their status on the new committee.

Of the 11 slots on the CFSAC, it appears from conversations with HHS that four have been filled. The CFSCC terms of Leonard Jason, PhD and Jeffrey Rabin, JD expire February 29, 2004. We have been informed by HHS that the committee slots formerly occupied by Dr. Anthony Komaroff and Kim Kenney have been filled during the hiatus of the committee, although no formal announcement has been made by HHS to identify the new members.

To learn more about the structure and function of the CFS Advisory Committee, please go to http://www.cfids.org/advocacy/c-act_12102002.asp.To visit the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Web site where information about the Advisory Committee is posted, follow these instructions:

1.       Go to http://fido.gov/facadatabase/public.asp
2.       Choose Fiscal Year 2002 and select “Explore data”
3.       Scroll down and click on “Department of Health and Human Services”
4.       Scroll down and click on “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee”