[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E695-E696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE FIRST HISPANIC WOMEN'S HEALTH CONFERENCE

                                 ______


                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 1, 1996

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, in an effort to help the Nation's 
health care system better serve the Hispanic population, the First 
Hispanic Women's Health Conference will be held in the Knight Center on 
May 9 and 10.
  It is sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 
collaboration with the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers 
of Dade County and the University of Miami School of Medicine.
  Hispanic women have a number of health problems that are complicated 
by the cultural differences. A doctor who is unaware of the culture 
framework of her patients will find her job that much harder.
  For example, cancer carries a greater stigma in Hispanic populations, 
which results in a lack of early detection and the complications that 
then follow.

[[Page E696]]

  The conference will hear from a number of individuals with practical 
experience in the delivery of health care to the Hispanic population. 
Among the topics they will address are diabetes, breast cancer, mental 
health, heart disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease.
  The objectives of this conference include helping the health care 
system to reach out to the Hispanic population in general and to 
Hispanic women in particular.
  The conference will provide a forum for the mutual exchange of 
information about the health needs and concerns of Hispanic women and 
to develop plans that will work in harmony with the cultural traditions 
of 27 million Americans.
  I congratulate all who are involved in this project for their work on 
this important conference and wish them success in this effort to 
improve the quality of life for so many.

                          ____________________