[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 155 (Friday, November 9, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S11658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S11658]]
      WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY MOBILE HEALTH AND WELLNESS UNIT

 Mr. McCONNELL, Mr. President, I rise this morning to pay 
tribute to the Western Kentucky University, WKU, Mobile Health and 
Wellness Program. I worked vigorously to secure funding for this 
important initiative which will provide needed health care services to 
the families of rural Kentucky. I am pleased to announce that the WKU 
Mobile Health and Wellness Unit will be dedicated this afternoon in a 
ceremony in Morgantown, KY.
  America has led the world in developing exciting medical advances and 
innovations during the last decade. New diagnostic tools, like PET 
Scans and MRI's, allow physicians to detect serious diseases in their 
earliest stages and treat patients before they become seriously ill. 
Advancements in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices 
also allow doctors to successfully cure illnesses that would have been 
fatal just a few years ago.
  Unfortunately, many of the miracles of modern medicine are not always 
available to the citizens of rural Kentucky. For far too many rural 
Kentuckians, economic and geographic barriers impede access to even the 
most basic medical and dental screenings. As a result, these men, 
women, and children frequently lag behind their peers in many accepted 
measures of general health.
  Western Kentucky University recognizes that limited access to health 
care services is a critical problem confronting the people of south-
central Kentucky. To address this problem, WKU decided that if families 
living in rural communities are not able to travel to receive adequate 
care, then WKU should bring health care services to rural communities 
through a Mobile Health Clinic.
  When Dr. Gary Ransdell, President of WKU, approached me with the idea 
for their mobile health program, I was immediately impressed by the 
potential of this vehicle to bring quality health care to the citizens 
of rural Kentucky. Our shared vision is that such a clinic can provide 
basic health care services such as physicals, well-child check-ups, 
PSA's, mammographies, and basic dental screenings. With that in mind, I 
was proud to use my position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to 
secure $700,000 for this important initiative in the Fiscal Year 2001 
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Bill.
  I believe that all Kentuckians, whether they live in the smallest 
hollows or the biggest cities, should have access to basic health care 
services and the most modern screening technologies. WKU's Mobile 
Health and Wellness Program, which will be dedicated today, is an 
important step in that direction. I look forward to working with 
Western Kentucky University on this and other successful programs 
designed to improve the lives of Kentucky's citizens.

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