The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different. —Aldous Huxley
Looking at the lineup in the 2011 Compendium of Federal Medicine, I’m struck by how much medicine, especially federal medicine, has embraced the challenges and benefits of the 21st century while grappling with some of the same issues that plagued healers in the 19th century—and long before.

HOUSTON—For many veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan deployments, psychologist Ashley Clinton, PhD, is the first mental health professional they see and their entry-point to VA mental health care.

WASHINGTON—VA’s 10-year capital construction plan calls for an investment of $53 billion to $65 billion over that timeframe; however, this year the agency is asking for only $2.8 billion.

JEREMY M. BERG, PHD, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES (NIGMS), is a recipient of the 2011 Public Service Award from the American Chemical Society (ACS). The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to public service or to the development of public policy that benefits the chemical sciences.

BETHESDA, MD—Five years ago, NIH started promoting a paradigm of medicine—one that was predictive, personalized, preemptive and always with the participation of the patient. That paradigm began with the ability to predict who was at risk for certain diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

WASHINGTON—Recent months have seen a reinvigorated commitment to research targeted at curbing the obesity epidemic in the United States, including a number of completed studies from VA and DoD and the release of a new strategic plan from NIH.