[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 8, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6693-S6695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             WOMEN'S HEALTH

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I take this opportunity today to call my 
colleagues' attention to the importance of women's health care issues. 
I came to know the importance of women's health early in life. Some of 
you may know that my mother suffered from tuberculosis. Back in those 
days, patients with TB had to be isolated, so my mother was living in a 
sanatorium. I could not see her in person, only through the windows.
  In the past, women's health did not receive the attention it 
deserves. I believe it is time to change that. If we are to eliminate 
the diseases that especially afflict women today, we will need real 
dedication to the task of developing new treatments and prevention 
techniques.
  And because women make many of the health care decisions for 
families, their decisions touch the health of many people--children, 
spouses, elderly parents and relatives. In this great country of ours, 
where we emphasize personal responsibility, good health care decisions 
are fundamental to quality health.
  As medical science advances into new territory, expanded choices will 
give women unprecedented opportunities to live better and longer lives, 
and to affect the quality of health care in our country. Women will be 
called upon to take charge of their own health as well

[[Page S6694]]

as to demand medical excellence for their families. Only with the help 
of such informed decision makers will we be able to develop policies 
which assure all Americans access to affordable, quality health care.
  In an effort to highlight women's health care and to make women aware 
of the health care choices that are available to them, I recently co-
hosted a forum, Health Care: What Every Woman Should Know, with our 
former colleague in the Senate, Hank Brown, now President of the 
University of Northern Colorado. The conference featured a number of 
panelists who discussed the latest research and treatment of various 
kinds of cancer as well as depression and eating disorders. Legislative 
initiatives and solutions were also part of the forum agenda.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the forum 
agenda and an article from the Greeley Tribune newspaper highlighting 
remarks of the keynote speaker Assistant Surgeon General Susan 
Blumenthal be printed in the Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               Health Care: What Every Woman Should Know

  Sponsored by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and the University of 
                           Northern Colorado)


                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                     Washington, DC, June 3, 1999.
       Dear Friends: Thank you for attending today's forum, Health 
     Care: What Every Woman Should Know. I am honored to co-host 
     this event with the University of Northern Colorado, and I 
     hope today's forum provides you with knowledge to ensure a 
     healthier life for you and your families.
       I have always worked to ensure access to affordable, high 
     quality health care. Women's health has historically received 
     little attention and it is time that we correct that. Because 
     women are the primary care givers and make most of the health 
     care decisions for families, it is important to make women 
     aware of the advances that are taking place in the areas of 
     research, detection, treatment and prevention.
       Personal health choices are fundamental to quality health 
     care. Today's forum will highlight approaches that can lead 
     to early intervention, less invasive and less expensive 
     treatment and cost-saving strategies.
       I sincerely hope you will use what you learn today to make 
     positive health care choices.
           Sincerely,
                                          Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
                                                     U.S. Senator.


                                 agenda

       8:30 a.m.--Registration Confirmation: Coffee, fruit, 
     bagels.
       9:00 a.m.--Welcome: UNC President Hank Brown and Senator 
     Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
       9:15 a.m.--Panel I: Confronting the ``C'' Word--Moderator: 
     Kim Christiansen, Channel 9 News Anchor.
       Saving Your Skin: Skin Cancer--Jim Martin, PhD, GNP;
       The Capricious Cancer: Breast Cancer--Alison Merrill, RN, 
     MS;
       The Silent Cancer: Ovarian Cancer--Susan Carter, MD;
       Survival and Beyond: Cancer Rehabilitation--Susan Carter, 
     MD.
       10:20 a.m.--Break.
       10:35 a.m.--Panel II: Mind and Body Connections--Moderator: 
     Adele Arakawa, Channel 9 News Anchor--
       Your Mind and Moods: Dealing with Depression--Maria 
     deMontigny Korb, RN, PhD;
       The Fear of Being Fat: Eating Disorders--Judy Stauter Huse, 
     RD, MS;
       How to Change with the Change of Life--Meredith Mayer, RN, 
     MS, FNP.
       11:35 a.m.--Getting the Best Care: How You Can Be An 
     Advocate (Legislative Initiatives and Solutions)--Raissa 
     Geary, MA, Professional Staff, U.S. Senate Health, Education, 
     Labor and Pensions Committee.
       Noon--Lunch: Guest Speaker: Susan Blumenthal, MD, MPA, 
     Assistant Surgeon General--``Critical Public Health Issues 
     for Women in the 21st Century''.
       1:00 p.m.--Closing Remarks: Senator Ben Nighthorse 
     Campbell.


                              University of Northern Colorado,

                                           Greeley, CO, June 1999.
       Greetings: It is my pleasure to extend warm greetings and 
     welcome you to this forum on Health Care: What Every Woman 
     Should Know. The University is proud to co-sponsor this event 
     with Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and the College of 
     Health and Human Sciences. The College is dedicated to 
     improving the human condition through its educational 
     programs and fosters a desire of ``giving back'' to the 
     community.
       This is a special occasion for the University of Northern 
     Colorado and a sign of our commitment to be an educational 
     partner with other community. I would like to acknowledge the 
     North Colorado Medical Center, Inc. and the Western Plains 
     Health Network who serve as partners in this important forum. 
     We hope to expand our partnerships with other institutions 
     and communities to truly reflect our University mission in 
     teaching, research, and service throughout the State of 
     Colorado.
       The forum is designed to help you: recognize the warning 
     signs and be aware of factors that affect your well-being; 
     take responsibility for making wise decisions about your 
     treatment and recovery; and, how to be an active, well-
     informed partner in health care. Your attitude, knowledge and 
     involvement in the health care partnership can influence the 
     progress of treatment and rehabilitation. This forum can help 
     you make a difference.
       We hope you will find this forum a fine resource for the 
     knowledge necessary to dispel old myths, quiet new anxieties, 
     and provide information that all women need about their 
     health care.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Hank Brown,
                                                        President.


                               Moderators

       Adele Arakawa is an anchor for Channel 9 News, the Gannett-
     owned NBC affiliate. She attended Tennessee Tech University 
     and the University of Tennessee and has been in broadcasting 
     since the age of 16. She won best-anchor in 1997 for coverage 
     of the Oklahoma City Bombing Trial and has received a total 
     of 7 Emmy nominations.
       Kim Christiansen is an anchor and reporter for Channel 9 
     News, the Gannett-owned NBC affiliate. She received a degree 
     in Journalism from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Kim 
     is devoted to the fight against breast cancer and serves as 
     the spokesperson for the Buddy Check 9 program at 9 News, 
     which was nominated for a national community service Emmy 
     Award. She received three heartland region Emmy awards for 
     news writing and outstanding general news.


                                Speakers

       Susan J. Blumenthal, MD, MPA is a national expert in 
     women's health and mental illness. Dr. Blumenthal serves as 
     U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, Rear Admiral, and Senior 
     Science Advisor in the Department of Health and Human 
     Services. She is also a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at 
     Georgetown School of Medicine and Tufts University Medical 
     Center. For 12 years prior to her appointment as Assistant 
     Surgeon General, she directed major national research 
     programs at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Blumenthal 
     writes a monthly health column for Elle magazine.
       Raissa Geary is a professional staff member for the U.S. 
     Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. She 
     received a BA from the University of Connecticut and holds a 
     Master's Degree in Comparative Politics from American 
     University. Ms. Geary develops and drafts health legislation 
     and agency directives and advises the committee on all health 
     issues. Her work during the 106th Congress includes Managed 
     Care Reform and Medical Records Confidentiality.


                               Panelists

       Susan Carter is a gynecologic surgeon, specializing in 
     women's health issues. She received a BA from the University 
     of Texas, Austin and an MD from the University of Texas 
     Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Carter is Director of the 
     Regional Breast Center of North Colorado and Medical Director 
     of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation Institute.
       Jan Martin has worked with the University of Northern 
     Colorado School of Nursing for over 14 years. She received a 
     BS in nursing from Northwestern Louisiana University; an MS 
     in nursing and GNP from the University of Colorado Health 
     Sciences Center; and a PhD in Higher Education Administration 
     from the University of Denver.
       Alison S. Merrill teaches nursing at the University of 
     Northern Colorado and is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in 
     Oncology. She received a BS in Nursing from the University of 
     Rhode Island and an MS in Nursing from the University of 
     Michigan.
       Meredith Mayer is a nurse practitioner and faculty member 
     at the North Colorado Family Medicine Residency Training 
     program in Greeley, CO. She received a BS in psychology at 
     the University of Colorado in Boulder and an MS in Nursing at 
     Pace University in Briarcliff Manor, NY.
       Judy Stauter Huse is a Health Education and Nutrition 
     Consultant, specializing in wellness and eating disorders. 
     She received her BS and MS from Iowa State University and has 
     taught nutrition at the North Colorado Medical center and the 
     University of Northern Colorado.
       Maria deMontigny Korb is on faculty at the University of 
     Northern Colorado Department of Nursing. She studied for a 
     Master's Degree and PhD in Transcultural Nursing at the 
     University of Utah and has worked and taught in the clinical 
     area of psychiatric nursing.
                                  ____


Women's Health Gets More Attention--Assistant Surgeon General Speaks on 
                                Advances

                          (By Adam Silverman)

       Although mammograms are responsible for saving the lives of 
     thousands of women every year, the technology is 40 years old 
     and still misses crucial early warning signs of breast 
     cancer.
       That was the challenge facing Susan Blumenthal, assistant 
     surgeon general of the United States. Rather than waiting for 
     new technology to be developed, she called the CIA. Together 
     with NASA and the CIA, Blumenthal used spy-satellite 
     technology to improve the success of mammograms.
       ``Some of the same imaging technology used to find tanks 
     camouflaged behind trees can now be used to find cancer 
     cells,'' she

[[Page S6695]]

     said. Blumenthal was in Greeley on Thursday to deliver the 
     keynote address at a conference about women's health.
       The conference, held at the University of Northern 
     Colorado, featured a variety of panelists who discussed 
     everything from anorexia to breast cancer to political 
     action.
       Blumenthal delivered a ``report card'' on women's health in 
     the country today: The biggest problem facing women isn't any 
     one disease, but instead is a lack of focus on women's 
     health.
       ``We must address these issues if we want to safeguard 
     women's health,'' she said.
       The problem stems from the fact that women's health issues 
     also are political issues, said Raissa Geary, a member of the 
     U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions 
     Committee.
       ``This is more politically charged than almost anything we 
     do,'' she said. ``We're treated as a political issue when it 
     comes to health care. We have wonderful, pure approaches to 
     women's health care policy, but it's not in a vacuum.''
       Although women's health is not being discussed as often as 
     most women would like, awareness of health problems facing 
     women has increased in the past century, Blumenthal said.
       For many years, serious health problems such as heart 
     disease and lung cancer were thought only to occur in men. 
     But through increasing research in women's health issues, 
     Blumenthal said, concerns such as these are being discussed.
       Also, it's important to include women and minorities in all 
     research projects relating to health issues that affect women 
     as well as men, Blumenthal said. Programs that don't include 
     women will lose their federal funding.
       Marianne Dinges attended the conference Thursday and said 
     the experience was valuable. She said she was impressed with 
     the quality of the speakers and the topics they were 
     scheduled to discuss.
       ``It appeared we were going to see a full gamut of issues 
     and their political relevance,'' she said. ``A lot of us are 
     involved in women's issues and hear a lot about this, but we 
     all got new information.''
       The conference was sponsored by UNC and U.S. Sen. Ben 
     Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo. Campbell said his staff pitched 
     the idea to UNC after receiving many calls from women about 
     health issues.
       ``It came from the community activists who wanted me to do 
     it,'' he said.
       The issues addressed at the conference need to be at the 
     forefront of public debate, Campbell said.
       He said he will take the information back to Washington, 
     D.C., and enter it into the Congressional Record. He also 
     wants to start a series of forums like the one Thursday to 
     further address the issues.
       ``We just touched the surface of women's health,'' he said. 
     ``The time to endure is passed. It's time to fight back.''


                             healthy living

       Susan Blumenthal, assistant U.S. surgeon general, gave 
     these tips for healthy lives:
       Find a doctor who respects you.
       Know your family health history; many diseases are genetic 
     and run in families.
       If you smoke, stop. If you don't, never do. It's the No. 1 
     preventable cause of health problems among women.
       Exercise or do some other sort of physical activity at 
     least 30 minutes every day. This could be as simple as riding 
     a bike or walking up stairs rather than using the elevator.
       Eat smart.
       Get annual physical exams, and make sure to include routine 
     women's health tests such as pap smears.
       Know your health care plan and make sure to read the fine 
     print.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, information we received at the forum 
will be helpful in my work on the Appropriations Committee as we 
consider funding priorities in the women's health area.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

                          ____________________