Institute of Medicine Forms Task Force to Study Children's Health

Posted 11:00 a.m. Jul 26, 1999 — Updated 11:00 a.m. Jul 26, 1999

RALEIGH — Children in North Carolina are generally healthy, but a new task force hopes to improve the state of affairs for the state's two million kids.

The state's Secretary ofHealth and Human Servicesrequested the formation of the task force. David Bruton wants to make sure all of the state's children receive the attention they deserve.

"We're interested here in all the children, particularly those of the children who are right above where we care for, the children of the working poor," Bruton says.

Bruton hopes the task force will work toward that goal by:

studying ways to improve the network of programs that already exist

creating measurable and attainable health status goals

analyzing how well North Carolina children meet those goals

identifying unmet needs where new or expanded programs are required

The task force will be led by two prominent North Carolinians: Dr. Samuel Katz, who helped develop the measles virus vaccine, and former UNC Head Coach Dean Smith.

"With the type of leadership we have, it's bound to do great work for the children," Smith says of the task force.

The panel was convened by theNorth Carolina Institute of Medicine.

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