[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE AMERICAN MEDICAL WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION ON THEIR 90TH 
          BIRTHDAY--THE VISION AND VOICE OF WOMEN IN MEDICINE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NEIL ABERCROMBIE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 1, 2005

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my deepest 
congratulations to the American Medical Women's Association, AMWA, on 
the occasion of its 90th birthday year celebration.
  Throughout this century, AMWA has been indefatigable in its efforts 
to advance women in medicine and to promote women's health. As the 
leading multidisciplinary association of women in medicine in our 
country, AMWA has encouraged and honored excellence in the fields of 
medicine, healthcare and science through a wide array of scholarships, 
grants, and awards, as well as diverse educational programs for 
physicians, medical students and the general public.
  AMWA's Local Legends program is a partnership with the National 
Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine and the NIH Office 
of Women's Health Research. This past year, I was fortunate enough to 
nominate Dr. Marian E. Melish and Dr. Cynthia Goto, two outstanding 
physicians from the state of Hawaii. Dr. Melish is a Professor of 
Pediatrics, Tropical Medicine and Medical Microbiology at the John A 
Burns School of Medicine of the University of Hawaii. She is also Chief 
of the Infectious Disease Division of the Department of Pediatrics and 
Medical Director of Infection Control at the Kapiolani Medical Center. 
Dr. Goto is a second generation OB-GYN practitioner. Her father, Dr. 
George Goto, was the champion of women's reproductive rights in the 
nation and in Hawaii in the 1960s. Dr. Cynthia Goto continues that 
tradition through her work to connect Hawaii's public health services 
with clinical care for women and infants. Her efforts have resulted in 
an ongoing collaboration between Hawaii's OB-GYNs, the Healthy Mothers 
Healthy Babies Coalition and the March of Dimes.
  AMWA has distinguished itself through support of numerous charitable 
programs, particularly focusing on the needs of disproportionately 
disadvantaged women and their families. For 75 years, AMWA's American 
Women's Hospitals Service, AWHS, clinics in the U.S. and abroad have 
provided desperately needed care to the medically underserved. In 
addition, hundreds of medical students and residents have received 
remarkable healthcare training in these and other remote clinics 
worldwide through AMWA's AWHS travel stipends.
  AMWA's advocacy on behalf of women's health and research, especially 
bringing underaddressed concerns to the national agenda, has made AMWA 
a leading voice for the care of women and their children. Again, I wish 
to commend and congratulate AMWA for making a positive and enduring 
contribution to the healthcare of the communities and our country.

                          ____________________