U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on Feb. 7 cosponsored bipartisan legislation that aims to increase the quality of life for the two-and-a-half million Americans living with congenital heart disease (CHD).
“Our bill will improve research and data collection to better increase the quality of care offered to those born with CHD,” said Sen. Young, who signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, S. 3757, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
If enacted, S. 3757 would reauthorize the congenital heart disease research, surveillance, and awareness program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve childhood survival rates and prevent premature death and disability.
“Gaining a better understanding of congenital heart defects is critical to babies born with CHD and the millions of survivors living with this disease,” Sen. Young said. “I am encouraged by the progress in recent years, particularly for children with heart defects.”
Specifically, S. 3757 would reauthorize the CDC’s surveillance systems to track the epidemiology of children born with CHD and conduct research; the CDC’s efforts to gather longitudinal patient data of CHD patients as they age; and the CDC’s awareness-building activities to enhance education among the CHD patient and medical communities, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Young’s staff.
Additionally, the measure would direct the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a workshop of subject matter experts to assess and report upon research gaps and workforce capacity for adult CHD patients, the summary says.
“We have seen an incredible improvement in screening and surgeries for children born with heart defects — saving thousands of lives and increasing survival into adulthood,” said Sen. Durbin. “With this bill, we can improve research, data collection, awareness, and workforce training so we can establish a standard of care for the millions of Americans born with CHD.”
S. 3757 has garnered support from the American Heart Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital Association, and the American College of Cardiology, among several other entities.