Thompson Wants More Organ Donors

By Laura Meckler

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON -- Newly installed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson promised Friday to begin a national campaign within 100 days to increase organ donation and to quickly craft a patients' bill of rights that can pass Congress.

In his first day on the job, Thompson also suggested that the way to prevent HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is to look for a cure. And he said he will review federal policy over the use of embryonic stem cells for medical research.

Repeatedly pledging to bring a passionate, aggressive attitude to issues, Thompson told his new employees he would continue a variety of HHS efforts, including reducing racial disparities in health care, discouraging smoking and improving child support collection.

Thompson, who resigned Thursday as governor of Wisconsin, was sworn into his new job at HHS Friday morning.

He was scheduled to speak at a welfare research conference Friday afternoon, but his appearance was canceled after welfare rights activists shouted down earlier conservative speakers and planned the same during his talk.

Speaking to HHS workers, Thompson called organ donation "an issue that is very close to my heart" and promised to do more to recognize families who donate organs of a loved one. Noting that more than 70,000 people are on the transplant waiting list, he promised "a national campaign to raise awareness organ donation," though he offered no specifics.

As governor, Thompson aggressively fought the department's effort to equalize distribution of donated organs. Under the current system, organs are given to patients in a local area, even if a sicker potential recipient is hospitalized just over the border. Under President Clinton, HHS tried hard to change that.

Wisconsin, where organ donations are high, has vigorously opposed changes that would move locally donated organs to other states. Thompson even sued Health and Human Services, but the case was dismissed.

In his speech Friday, Thompson only hinted about possible policy changes.

"What we need to do, instead of taking from one another, is to grow the number of donors in America," he said. "I believe very passionately about that."

After the speech, he said: "I'm not at this point in time going to change anything."

He gave no specifics on patients' rights legislation, which has been debated in Congress for more than three years, but he promised to put the matter at the top of his agenda.

"We will reach out to Congress, and in the next few weeks sit down and craft a patients' bill of rights that's going to be able to be passed in the Congress," he said.

Asked by an HHS worker what he would do to help prevent the spread of HIV, Thompson would not say how he might address prevention. Rather, he said: "The best thing I can and this department can do is find a cure for HIV." Researchers believe any hope for a cure is many years away.

Thompson also said he would review policy on use of stem cells, many of which come from discarded embryos, which are being used in research toward a cure for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and numerous other diseases. President Bush has implied that he opposes this sort of research, but Thompson, as governor, praised as pioneers Wisconsin researchers who co-discovered the vital cells.

Asked about his earlier comments, Thompson said his position may have to change. "I found out that I'm a cabinet officer now," he said.

While awaiting confirmation, Thompson was criticized for having close ties to tobacco companies, but he said Friday he will work aggressively to discourage smoking. He suggested that he and Surgeon General David Satcher travel the country, much like during a political campaign, to promote a soon-to-come report on women and smoking.

Thompson also served up plenty of praise for his new workers. He said they are dedicated, hardworking and committed and added, to applause: "I want people to say, 'It's hard to be humble when you work for the Department of Health and Human Services.'"

On the Net: Department of Health and Human Services:

http://www.hhs.gov/

Copyright © 2001 The Associated Press.

This article posted February 18, 2001.