[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1814-E1815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MATERNAL AND FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 27, 1996

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to have the 
opportunity to congratulate Maternal and Family Health Services Inc., 
on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. On October 3, 1996, the 
community will gather to commemorate this milestone and I am honored to 
have been asked to participate.
  Maternal and Family Health Services was established in 1971 to 
address the needs of healthcare for the women of northeastern 
Pennsylvania. In the beginning the focus of the Maternal Health 
Services was to provide subsidized family planning services to women in 
need in northeastern Pennsylvania. In June of that year, the agency 
received its first funding from title X of the United States Department 
of Health, Education and Welfare.
  Since 1971 the scope of the agency has progressed to encompass a 
variety of women's healthcare issues. Addressing the need of quality 
prenatal care for economically disadvantaged women, the agency began 
its Maternity Services Program. Adequate prenatal

[[Page E1815]]

care has been proven to minimize health care complications in 
pregnancies and later on in the life of the infant.
  Located at Mercy Hospital Wilkes-Barre and Mercy Hospital Scranton, 
the program works with expectant mothers by providing prenatal 
healthcare and ensuring healthier pregnancies and births.
  Maternal and Family Health Services also administers the important 
WIC [Women, Infants and Children] grant for the largest geographic area 
in Pennsylvania. Over 54,000 people depend on this program for 
supplemental nutrition at forty clinic sites.
  Mr. Speaker, the list of programs of this important health service is 
lengthy. Another important service offered is the Healthy Women 50+ 
Program. This project is a breast and cervical cancer screening program 
funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The program provides 
important preventive cancer screening to economically disadvantaged 
women over the age of 50.
  Today, the workers of MFHS are challenged to provide more services to 
more clients with less funding. Considering the mission statement of 
the agency, ``To provide quality health and social services including, 
but not limited to, general health care, technical assistance and 
educational services provided primarily in the areas of reproduction, 
obstetrics and nutrition, delivered in sixteen northeastern 
Pennsylvania counties to persons in need,'' this has not been an easy 
task. In light of this mission statement it is easy to see that the 
agency has met and surpassed all of those challenges put forth by its 
original founders.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the northeastern Pennsylvania 
community in recognizing the important work done by the dedicated staff 
of the Maternal and Family Health Services. The agency is under the 
capable leadership of my good friends Executive Director Mary Lou 
Schaefer, as well as Public Relations Director Rose Tucker. Both of 
these women have committed their lives and careers to improving the 
lives of women and bringing issues of women's health to the attention 
of our community. I congratulate these hardworking, dedicated 
professionals on a job well done.

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