[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        INTRODUCTION OF NATIONAL VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 2003

  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, today Representative John Peterson and I are 
introducing a bill to establish an annual National Visiting Nurse 
Association Week during the second week of May in honor of the army of 
health care heroes who, every day, comfort, care for, and assist our 
loved ones. Modern society takes for granted the need for nursing as an 
indispensable component of our public health system, but this was not 
always the case. The very concept of a visiting nurse can be traced to 
the pioneering work of Florence Nightingale. She reformed British 
military hospitals in the Crimean War through an expose in the British 
press, she professionalized nursing and made it an acceptable 
profession for educated women, devoted the rest of her life to building 
on her experiences, setting standards and writing books, until the 
mission of nursing had gained the respect of the world.
  When Henry Wadsworth Longfellow read of the work of Florence 
Nightingale, he penned a poem, Santa Filomena, that spoke of the deep 
appreciation owed by all of us to those dedicated to service in the 
ultimate caring profession. He wrote:

     Whene'er a noble deed is wrought,
     Whene'er is spoken a noble thought,
     Our hearts, in glad surprise,
     To higher levels rise.

     The tidal wave of deeper souls
     Into our inmost being rolls,
     And lifts us unawares
     Out of all meaner cares.

  The Visiting Nurse Associations of today are founded on the principle 
that the sick, the disabled, and the elderly benefit most from 
healthcare when it is offered in their own homes. They are non-profit 
home health agencies that provide cost-effective and compassionate home 
and community-based health care to individuals, regardless of their 
condition or ability to pay for services. Through these exceptional 
organizations, 90,000 clinicians dedicate their lives to bringing 
healthcare into the homes of over 4 million Americans every year. In 
the face of rising costs and drastic changes in our health care system, 
visiting nurse associations have continue to deliver high quality 
health services for over 120 years.
  It is time for Congress to recognize the vital services that visiting 
nurses provide their patients. Moreover, visiting nurses also are an 
indispensable lifeline for families. The comfort and quality care that 
visiting nurses provide can help family members cope with the 
difficulties of a loved one's illness.
  I am proud to be introducing this important legislation with my 
colleague Representative Peterson and urge my colleagues to join us in 
supporting National Visiting Nurse Association Week.

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