[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING ROSANN WISMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 1998

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, the District of Columbia is fortunate to 
have many good people who dedicate their lives to improving the common 
good. One such person is Ms. Rosann Wisman who, for the past 14 years 
has served as president and chief executive officer of Planned 
Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington. During Ms. Wisman's 23 years of 
experience in family planning management, she has built a local and 
national reputation for her commitment to the highest standards in 
reproductive health care.
  Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington grew significantly 
during Ms. Wisman's tenure--both in number of people served and 
programs offered. Today, over 20,000 women, men, adolescents--more than 
three-quarters of whom are very poor with little or no access to other 
medical care--rely on this non-profit's seven family planning clinics. 
The three Planned Parenthood clinics in the District are located at 
2811 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; 2513 Alabama Avenue, SE; and 1108 16th 
Street, NW.
  Ms. Wisman expanded clinical services to include abortion, the 
diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV 
testing and counseling, and primary care. Today, Planned Parenthood, 
now in its 62 year, is the largest provider of family services to 
Washington area low-income women and the District's largest provider of 
first-trimester abortion services.
  Since 1990, as a result of a bilingual outreach program spearheaded 
by Ms. Wisman, Planned Parenthood has also become a major provider of 
bilingual, culturally-sensitive family planning services to Latino 
women and families in Washington and the surrounding area. And, in 1992 
under her leadership, Planned Parenthood established a partnership with 
African-American churches in the District to help reduce unplanned teen 
pregnancies. This partnership effort led to the opening of a Planned 
Parenthood family planning clinic at the Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church in 
Southeast Washington.
  Rosann Wisman's commitment to access to reproductive health care 
services springs from her belief that every child should be a wanted 
child. Toward that goal, Ms. Wisman advocates freedom of choice--that 
no woman should be pressured to continue a pregnancy against her will 
by the government, religion or society. Ms. Wisman has testified 
frequently on allowing the District of Columbia the freedom to use its 
local revenue to fund abortions for the city's poor women, and on other 
birth control and reproductive rights issues before Congressional and 
local legislative committees.
  Throughout Ms. Wisman's 14 years of leadership at Planned Parenthood 
of Metropolitan Washington, she has helped demonstrate that access to 
family planing medical services and birth control education reduces the 
need for abortion, lower infant and maternal deaths, and combats the 
cycle of poverty and teen childbearing.
  Rosann is leaving Washington to move with her family to Japan. It is 
with special pride that I salute Rosann Wisman and wish her farewell. 
She will be missed.

                          ____________________