[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF NATIONAL VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATIONS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN E. PETERSON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2002

  Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to 
introduce to my colleagues a resolution establishing a National 
Visiting Nurse Associations Week. Serving communities around the 
country for over 120 years, congressional recognition and gratitude for 
these nonprofit home health agencies is long over due. Currently, they 
are composed of 500 different associations and care for over 4,000,000 
patients each year, many of whom are chronically ill and unable to pay 
medical expenses.
  In a country crippled with staggering health care and medical costs, 
the Visiting Nurse Association continually and successfully works to 
achieve its mission of cost-effective and compassionate home and 
community-based health care to individuals, regardless of the 
individuals' condition or ability to pay for services. They are a 
leading provider of mass immunizations in the Medicare program and 
constitute over 50 percent of all Medicaid home health admissions. The 
association relies heavily upon volunteer nurses and reinvests any 
budget surplus into charity care, adult day care centers, wellness 
clinics, Meals-on-Wheels, and immunization programs.
  This resolution would establish an annual National Visiting Nurse 
Associations Week in order to increase public awareness of the charity-
based organization. They unquestionably deserve recognition for their 
noble services and by establishing this resolution Congress would 
support the continuation of their mission.
  I am proud to recognize these invaluable contributions of our VNAs by 
cosponsoring this legislation.

                          ____________________