[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 28, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. DeLOIS WEEKES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ROY BLUNT

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 28, 2004

  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the efforts of 
Dr. DeLois Weekes in ensuring quality cancer care in southwest Missouri 
and our Nation. Her unflagging commitment to improving cancer treatment 
should serve as a model, worthy of our admiration and appreciation.
  Cancer is a complex, multifaceted disease that can often best be 
treated by a multidisciplinary health care team specialized in oncology 
care, including nurses who are certified in that specialty. As a two-
time cancer survivor, I have firsthand knowledge of the clinical, 
psychosocial, and supportive care oncology nurses provide to patients 
and their families. For the past three years, Dr. Weekes has served as 
President of the Cox College of Nursing and Health Sciences in 
Springfield, Missouri. In the course of her work in pediatric oncology 
nursing, she has been a teacher, administrator, speaker, advocate, 
researcher and author. Dr. Weekes' role as an educator and 
administrator has provided her with a unique opportunity to train these 
intelligent, highly skilled individuals, like the ones who helped me 
wage my own battle with cancer.
  The impact of Dr. Weekes' work, however, is not limited to southwest 
Missouri. She has helped advance the nursing profession by serving on 
the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Board of Directors and developing 
grassroots programs that educate elementary school students about the 
meaningful and rewarding nursing profession. Her leadership within ONS, 
the largest organization of oncology health professionals in the world, 
has allowed her to help cancer patients around the globe. Since 1975, 
ONS has been dedicated to excellence in patient care, teaching, 
research, administration and education in the field of oncology. Dr. 
Weekes' position as a Director-at-Large on the ONS Board of Directors 
has enabled her to advance programs and policies that help ensure that 
America is has a well trained oncology nursing workforce. In Missouri 
alone, ONS has four chapters that serve the oncology nurses in the 
state and help them provide quality care to cancer patients and their 
families.
  Dr. Weekes' service and the ONS mission have never been more 
essential. This year alone, 1.3 million Americans will be diagnosed 
with cancer. An additional 556,000 will lose their battle with this 
terrible disease. Today, more than two-thirds of cancer victims are 
over the age of 65, and the number of cancer cases diagnosed among 
senior citizens is projected to double by 2030. At the same time, many 
of our community-based cancer centers are facing significant barriers 
to hiring the specialized oncology nurses they need to treat their 
patients. It is estimated that there will be a shortage of 1.1 million 
nurses by the year 2015. As this date steadily approaches, Dr. Weekes' 
efforts to educate and prepare America's caregivers for positions in 
nursing, both in her work at Cox College and ONS, are ever more 
important.
  I commend Dr. DeLois Weekes for her commitment to providing and 
improving cancer care, and I urge all of my colleagues to support 
oncology nurses across the country.

                          ____________________