[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S3879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S3879]]
             COMMENDING THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION

 Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President, today I recognize The Robert Wood 
Johnson Foundation in Princeton, NJ, which recently awarded its five 
billionth grant dollar to improve the health and health care of all 
Americans.
  Established in 1972, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the 
Nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health 
care. It concentrates its grantmaking in four goal areas: to assure 
that all Americans have access to quality health care at reasonable 
cost; to improve the quality of care and support for people with 
chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and 
lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused 
by substance abuse.
  Since its inception, the Foundation has spearheaded a number of 
important advances in Nation's health. Currently, 97 percent of all 
emergency management systems, EMS, use 911 as the universal access 
number for emergencies. This is the result of a program RWJF launched 
in the early 1970s to start multi-community emergency medical networks 
in 32 States. Today, Americans benefit from professional, organized, 
and effective emergency medical care as a result of this program
  The foundation has also made significant contributions to the nursing 
and dental professions. It helped to create the fields of nurse 
practitioners and physician assistants during the early 1970s as part 
of its effort to increase health care access in the inner cities and 
rural areas.
  All dental students are now trained to treat patients with 
disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or seizure disorders, building on 
a foundation-funded training program. The project, Health Care for the 
Homeless, became a model that was cited when the federal government 
passed the McKinney Act in 1987, providing Federal funds to improve 
access to health care for homeless people throughout the country.
  The creation of school based health clinics represents another area 
where RWJF has had a major impact. The foundation's interest was 
sparked by reports that American teenagers suffered from deteriorating 
health. Approximately six million adolescents during the mid-1980s 
suffered from at least one serious health problem. Five million 
teenagers did not have health insurance. This was an especially 
alarming figure considering the increase in drug and alcohol abuse and 
rise in sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents. During the 
past 12 years, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has helped to 
establish more than 1,100 health centers in schools.
  More recently, the foundation has recognized the need to focus 
increased attention on promoting healthy communities and lifestyles. 
For example, the recent grant to push the Foundation over the $5 
billion threshold went to the Church Health Center in Memphis, TN, 
which will use its funds to test a model program designed to help 
people age 50 and older become more physically active. Physical 
inactivity is one of the greatest health risks for mid-life and older 
adults, contributing to illnesses and disabilities such as arthritis, 
cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
  There are obviously a number of other noteworthy examples of efforts 
the Foundation has undertaken--from pediatrics to care at the end of 
life--which continue to result in important positive health outcomes 
for our citizens.
  It is with great pride that I commend The Robert Wood Johnson 
Foundation for its ongoing commitment to improving health and health 
care for all Americans. As we in the Congress face the daunting 
challenge of addressing a number of health care problems in this 
country, we must continue to draw on the experience and lessons learned 
from foundations and their grantees, which truly serve as the 
guideposts for experimentation and innovation.

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