[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING ROSALINA FREEMAN FOR IMPROVING COMMUNITY HEALTH IN EAST 
                               TENNESSEE

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                           HON. VAN HILLEARY

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 1999

  Mr. HILLEARY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Rosalina 
Freeman, who was recently named one of ten outstanding individuals from 
around the country to receive a $100,000 award from the Robert Wood 
Johnson Foundation's Community Health Leadership Program (CHLP).
  Ms. Freeman is the founder and executive director of Reachout, Inc., 
which provides rural health education and services for East Tennessee's 
Hispanic factory and farm workers. Reachout works with other rural 
health care providers to offer mammograms, cancer prevention education, 
HIV/AIDS prevention, lead and pesticide education and post-natal 
education. In additional to these rural health services, Ms. Freeman's 
Reachout also offers GED programs and translation services.
  Thanks to Ms. Freeman's leadership, dedication and caring spirit, the 
translation and referral services have reached more than 3,000 people 
in eight rural East Tennessee counties. More than 2,000 high school 
students have received Reachout's AIDS/HIV education program.
  Ms. Freeman herself overcame great odds before helping improve rural 
health care for others in East Tennessee. Born in Puerto Rico, she has 
lived in Cocke County for the past 29 years. She earned an 
undergraduate degree in sociology in 1990, then went back to earn a 
Masters in health education in 1996. She even had to overcome her own 
illnesses stemming from a rare muscle condition.
  Mr. Speaker, at a time when rural health care has been under direct 
assault from Washington, it is refreshing to see a private citizen take 
it upon herself to try to solve the problems she sees in her community. 
Ms. Freeman probably said it best when she said, ``We believe in 
letting communities be the biggest part of the solution to addressing 
and solving their problems * * * I am committed to helping provide the 
tools to my community so it can help itself.''
  I agree completely, and I want to once again thank and congratulate 
Rosie Freeman for everything she has done to improve rural health care 
in East Tennessee. There is still much to do before rural health care 
receives the kind of attention it deserves, but with caring people like 
Ms. Freeman on the job, the situation looks a little brighter.

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