[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 103 (Friday, July 10, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S7358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to 
congratulate and recognize a tremendous asset to the children of 
Philadelphia, PA, the United States, and really the world--the 
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The hospital, or CHOP as it is 
known, has been ranked first in children's cancer, diabetes and 
endocrine disorders, neonatal care, respiratory disorders and urology 
care by U.S. News & World Report. I congratulate the hospital's 
president and chief executive officer, Dr. Steven Altschuler, and his 
team of over 10,0000 employees for this tremendous accomplishment.
  CHOP was the Nation's first established children's hospital, growing 
from its original structure with 12 beds on Philadelphia's Watts Street 
to a sprawling campus in West Philadelphia with over 40 outpatient 
locations throughout southeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey, providing 
care to over 1 million patients last year.
  CHOP notably provides the highest level of pediatric care and 
conducts groundbreaking research through funding from the National 
Institutes of Health. When I came to the Senate in 1981, funding for 
the NIH totaled $3.6 billion. Since becoming LHHS Chairman in 1996, 
Senator Harkin and I have succesfully worked to more than double NIH 
funding, which was $12.7 billion at that time. In the fiscal year 2009 
Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee bill, we provided $30.2 billion 
for NIH funding, a $1 billion increase from fiscal year 2008. We also 
secured an additional $10 billion in funding through an amendment to 
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. I recently visited CHOP for 
a townhall meeting and was able to see firsthand some major discoveries 
that have occurred there as a result of NIH-funded research.
  In a conversation with Dr. Philip Johnson, the director of CHOP's 
Research Institute, I learned about an experimental therapy developed 
at CHOP using elements of the body's immune system to improve cure 
rates for children with neuroblastoma, a challenging cancer of the 
nervous system. This type of cancer is very aggressive, causing 15 
percent of all childhood cancer deaths. I am told that patients who 
received this therapy were 20 percent more likely to live disease-free 
two years after treatment. Shortly after visiting CHOP, I also learned 
of a study led by Dr. Johnson that could lead to an HIV vaccine, by 
inserting a gene into the muscle that can cause it to produce 
protective antibodies. AIDS is one of the most devastating pandemics, 
having killed more than 25 million people. Such a vaccine appears years 
away from realization; however, with continued investment from the NIH, 
it is possible that this work could save millions of lives.
  I have fought and will continue to fight for increased funding for 
the NIH because medical research saves and improves lives. The medical 
research at CHOP, through federally funded NIH support, provides 
children with a real chance to be cured so that they may continue to 
grow and prosper.
  As we continue the debate around health reform, it is important that 
we recognize the unique needs of children. As I stated, CHOP served 
over 1 million patients last year. When it opened in 1855, it treated 
just 63 patients in its first year. Clearly the demand for highly 
specialized, pediatric care is growing not only in Pennsylvania but 
throughout the United States; however, there are shortages in the 
number of pediatric specialists able to treat children with very 
particular needs. That is why it is important to support programs, such 
as the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Program, to help 
children's hospitals train future pediatricians. I have supported ample 
funding for this program because it helps address a national dilemma 
and provides children's hospitals with the resources they need to 
foster innovation and improve quality.
  Mr. President, the accomplishments seen at the Children's Hospital of 
Philadelphia are unique and revolutionary. I am proud of CHOP for their 
efforts to improve children's health care and promote health and 
wellness.

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