Acknowledgments

The content in this publication was accurate at the time it was published, but it is not being updated. The item is provided for historical purposes only.

The Surgeon General expresses sincere appreciation to all who contributed their time, experience, and knowledge to support the development of this report and national Blueprint to improve the health of individuals with mental retardation. The Surgeon General would especially like to acknowledge the following:

The Public

Among the most valuable contributions were those from members of the public who participated in many ways:

Approximately 8,500 comments were received at the Surgeon General’s dedicated website and at the Surgeon General’s Listening Session on Health Disparities and Mental Retardation, October 10, 2001.
The participants and speakers at the five sites included in the Surgeon General’s Listening Session—Civitan International Research Center at the University of Alabama, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Oregon Institute on Disability & Development at the Oregon Health & Science University, Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin, and the National Institutes of Health.
The participants, speakers, and moderators at the Surgeon General’s Conference on Health Disparities and Mental Retardation, especially the self-advocates and family members who shared their perspectives on the day-to-day challenges of enabling persons with mental retardation to achieve good health.

National Organizations

Many national organizations of advocates, patients, and health care professionals supported the Surgeon General’s effort by sharing their expert knowledge, and by participating in the Listening Session and the Conference. In particular, the Surgeon General would like to recognize the major efforts contributed by the following organizations:

American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association on Mental Retardation
American Dental Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychiatric Association
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Child Neurology Society
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation
Special Olympics, Inc.
The Arc of the United States

The support and continued interest of the following national organizations also are appreciated:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry American Academy of Neurology American Association of Physician Assistants American Association on Health and Disability American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists American Medical Association American Neurological Association American Nurses Association American Physical Therapy Association American Psychological Association The Council on Quality and Leadership Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association Family Voices Federation of Families Intertribal Voices for Children’s Mental Health National Alliance for Caregiving	National Association for the Dually Diagnosed National Association of Developmental Disabilities Councils National Association of Qualified Mental Retardation Professionals National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services National Dental Association National Down Syndrome Congress National Hispanic Medical Association National Indian Child Welfare Association National League for Nursing National Medical Association Oglala Sioux Tribe People First Self Advocates Becoming Empowered Special Care Dentistry TASH – The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps Voice of the Retarded

Government Agencies

The Surgeon General’s Conference on Health Disparities and Mental Retardation was sponsored by the following Government agencies:

Department of Health and Human Services

Office of the Surgeon General, Office of Public Health and Science
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Indian Health Service
National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Social Security Administration

Office of Disability

in collaboration with the following agencies:

Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Developmental Disabilities
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health
Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health
Office of Public Health and Science
President’s Committee on Mental Retardation

Department of Defense

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs, TRICARE

Department of Education

Office of Special Education and RehabilitativeServices

The Surgeon General would especially like to recognize Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the staff of the Institute for their assistance in conceptualizing the effort, organizing the Listening Session, conducting the Conference, and preparing this report.

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