97-22150. Conversion of CDC Voice/Fax Information Service to Toll Free Access

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44475-44476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22150]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Conversion of CDC Voice/Fax Information Service to Toll Free 
Access

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of disease and health 
risk information by voice and fax as a toll-free service to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dottie Knight, Information Resources 
Management Office, Office of Program Support, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mail/Stop C-04, 
Atlanta, GA 30333, Telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with OMB A-130 circular, Section 
8.a.(6)(j), Federal agencies are required to: ``Provide adequate notice 
when initiating, substantially modifying, or terminating significant 
information dissemination products * * *.''
    The CDC Voice/Fax Information Service (VIS) allows any caller 
access to the most current health related information using a touch-
tone telephone. The CDC VIS has been in operation for approximately 9 
years and in the most recent 12 month period, it has received nearly 1 
million telephone

[[Page 44476]]

calls, provided automated voice-response information to those callers, 
and provided 1.5 million pages of automated fax information. 
Information is provided in several levels of detail and complexity in 
order to reach a broad audience more effectively including the general 
public and health care professionals.
    During August 1997, the Voice/Fax Information Service (VIS) will be 
converting to toll-free access for callers to ensure health and 
prevention information availability to all audiences. Callers will 
continue to be able to access information via voice-response and fax-
on-demand. The new number for information via voice response is 1-888-
CDC-FACTS (1-888-232-3228) and 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299) for 
information via fax. In the future, CDC will be offering all of the 
information on health topics via TDD services for the hearing-impaired 
and several languages. In addition, much of this same information is 
available through the Internet on CDC's web site at: http://
www.cdc.gov.

    Dated: August 15, 1997.
Joseph R. Carter
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-22150 Filed 8-20-97; 8:45 am]
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