SENS. SPECTER, CASEY ANNOUNCE FINAL APPROVAL OF ALTOONA/BLAIR AREA HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR PROJECTS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

The office of Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., issued the following news release:

U.S. Senators Arlen Specter, Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Bob Casey, the Junior Senator of Pennsylvania, announced today the full Congress has approved funding for several Altoona/Blair area health care, education and labor projects. The projects are contained in the Fiscal Year 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Bill.

'I am pleased that Congress has approved this important funding for the Altoona/Blair area,' Senator Specter said. 'Health and education are our nation's greatest capital assets, and these projects are vital to ensuring quality health care and education for the area's residents.'

'This money is great news for the Altoona/Blair area and I am pleased that the President has signed this funding into law,' said Senator Casey. 'I will continue working with Senator Specter to ensure residents of the area have access to quality health care and education.'

The Bill will now be sent to President of the United States before funding is final.

Altoona/Blair Area projects in the bill include: *House Members that also supported a project are indicated in parentheses

$162,117 for Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine in Centre County to construct a center in sleep disordered breathing.

$85,480 for Tyrone Hospital in Blair County to purchase a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) for the Radiology Department.

$85,480 for Wrightco Technologies, Inc. in Blair County to provide job training and vocational educational programs for dislocated workers and disadvantaged youth.

$85,480 for Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Cambria County to upgrade science laboratories and expand health care training programs.

$85,480 for Saint Francis University in Cambria County to purchase research and rehabilitation equipment for the Rural Wellness & Science Complex.

$240,720 for Mount Nittany Medical Center in Centre County for equipment and construction of a Regional Cancer Center adjacent to the main hospital. (John Peterson)

$85,480 for Clearfield Hospital in Clearfield County to implement health information technology systems, including electronic medical records.

$208,296 for DuBois Regional Medical Center in Clearfield County for purchase of equipment and to create a regional health information organization which allows partner organizations to connect to a central electronic medical record system. (Peterson)

$252,510 for Fulton County Medical Center in Fulton County for facilities and to purchase equipment, including an MRI unit, CT unit, Xray unit, and surgical table. (Bill Shuster)

$85,480 for Somerset Hospital in Somerset County to purchase and implement electronic medical records and pharmaceutical dispensing equipment. (Shuster)