IDSA President Meets with U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health

IDSA President Paul Auwaerter, MD, FIDSA, recently met with ADM Brett Giroir, MD, the Assistant Secretary for Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant Secretary Giroir has broad oversight for a variety of public health issues and is leading the administration’s response to the opioid epidemic.  

During the meeting, Dr. Auwaerter discussed the infectious diseases impact of the opioid crisis, including the need to invest in increased surveillance and prevention efforts as well as coordinated treatment of addiction and related infections. He also raised the need for policies to combat antimicrobial resistance, including antimicrobial stewardship and incentives for antibiotic research and development. The two also discussed the need to secure the future of the infectious diseases workforce by addressing compensation disparities and medical student debt.