New name for HCFA: The Health Care Financing Administration, the federal agency that administers Medicaid, Medicare, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), has been renamed the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Thomas Scully, formerly the president and chief executive officer of the Federation of American Hospitals, was sworn in as the agency's new director on June 1. The agency has been restructured in response to calls for reform from Congress and health care providers. CMS will have three new service centers. The Medicare program will be managed by two centers. The Center for Medicare Management will oversee fee-for-service payment policy and management of Medicare carriers and fiscal intermediaries. The Center for Beneficiary Choices will focus on education of enrollees, the Medicare+Choice program, consumer research, and grievance and appeals. The third center is the Center for Medicaid and State Operations, which will focus on state-administered programs, including Medicaid, SCHIP, private insurance, survey and certification, and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments.

Applications for minority research training: The American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education seeks applicants for its minority research training in psychiatry program, which is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The program provides medical students and psychiatric residents with funding for stipends, travel expenses, and tuition for an elective or summer experience at research-oriented departments of psychiatry in major U.S. medical schools and other sites nationwide. Stipends are also available for one- or two-year postresidency fellowships for minority psychiatrists. The deadline for applications is December 1 for residents seeking a year or more of training and for postresidency fellows. Deadlines for medical students are three months before training is to begin. Students who will start their training by June 30, 2002, should submit their applications by April 1. For more information, call the program's toll-free number, 800-852-1390, or call 202-682-6225. Information is also available from Ernesto Guerra at [email protected], or write to The American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education, 1400 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005.

Low-cost prescription drugs: The Cost Containment Research Institute in Washington, D.C., has published a 32-page booklet, "Free and Low Cost Prescription Drugs." The booklet lists 78 drug firms that offer discounts and free medication to people who have no insurance. To obtain a copy, send $5 to the Institute Fulfillment Center, Booklet PDM-370, P.O. Box 210, Dallas, Pennsylvania 18612-0210. For more information, visit the institute's Web site at www.institutedc.org or call 202-478-0481.

Access Project Web site: The Access Project, a national health care initiative, has redesigned its Web site (www.accessproject.org) to provide more information about how communities can launch initiatives to increase access to health care for the uninsured. Publications are available that may be ordered or downloaded. The Web site is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Annie E. Carey Foundation.

Care guidelines for Alzheimer's disease: The American Academy of Neurology has issued new practice guidelines for early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The guidelines were condensed from the findings of more than 1,000 studies by a team of experts. They stress early diagnosis because current medications and care options are most effective for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The guidelines include recommendations for education and support to improve the well-being of caregivers. A summary of the guidelines is posted on the Web site of the American Academy of Neurology at www.aan.com. The guidelines were published in the May 8 issue of Neurology.