House hearing examines HHS's response to recent hurricanes

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations today held a hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services’ preparedness for and response to the 2017 hurricane season. Three major hurricanes struck U.S. states or territories in the past two months, with the largest impacts in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. At the hearing, officials from HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described how their agencies respond to and prepare for emergencies and natural disasters, including the recent hurricanes.