[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 24, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 24, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                MINORITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1994

                                 ______


                               speech of

                           HON. MARILYN LLOYD

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 23, 1994

  Mrs. LLOYD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3869, the 
Minority Health Improvement Act of 1994 and urge my colleagues to do 
the same.
  This legislation is important because its main truss is to strengthen 
Federal programs that are designed to improve the health status of 
minorities not only through the delivery of health care services, but 
through training of health professionals.
  As a strong proponent of women's health care, I am pleased to note 
that H.R. 3869 includes language which I introduced that addresses the 
inconsistent policies at the Federal level for coordinating health 
information resources. Many women and Americans have begun to 
understand the importance of taking care of their health. And I feel it 
is important that the Government do its best in providing informational 
resources to promote better health awareness.
  It has been found that Public Health Service Agencies are not 
coordinated in their efforts, have separate goals, budgets, and levels 
of interest in public information. Each does not necessarily know what 
the others are doing. Consequently, consumers must be motivated, 
patient, and persistent in order to make the required number of phone 
calls to separate agencies to locate information on a desired topic.
  In general, the average woman relies on her health professional and 
the media to obtain health information. Because there are so many 
different agencies and institutes within the Federal Government, the 
average woman finds it difficult to know where and whom to call for 
information. I think we can all agree that health promotion can change 
behavior and prevent disease, disability, and premature 
institutionalization in later life.
  Language in H.R. 3869 would monitor the programs and activities of 
agencies within the Public Health Service in order to determine the 
extent to which the purposes of the programs and activities are being 
carried out with respect to women's health conditions. And this 
legislation would coordinate programs and activities of specified 
agencies.
  It is bad enough that women's health is threatened by an epidemic of 
breast cancer, a crippling invasion of osteoporosis, or the silent 
assault of ovarian cancer. Without a coordinated strategy of the 
dissemination of information as an integral part of the communications 
programs like the Public Health Service, access to important services 
won't happen.
  I want to thank Chairman Waxman and Chairman Dingell for their fine 
work in getting a strong bill to the floor that addresses the 
shortcomings that are still apparent after the Minority Health 
Improvement Act of 1990.

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