[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO AND THE RWJF CENTER FOR 
          HEALTH POLICY ON THEIR DEDICATION TO HEALTH JUSTICE

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 11, 2013

  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 
to recognize the University of New Mexico and the Robert Wood Johnson 
Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico for 
their dedication to achieving health justice. This September, the 
University of New Mexico hosted the Congressional Tri-Caucus Health 
Disparities conference titled ``Practices and Policies That Promote 
Health Justice''. The summit brought together local and national 
experts, leaders, policymakers, and advocates for a comprehensive 
discussion on the status of health justice.
  The Tri-Caucus health summit grew out of the need to move forward the 
discussion on health disparities in Washington and around the nation. 
The 2013 Health Disparities Summit has set a new standard for this 
discussion. Thanks to the efforts of the conference planning committee, 
this summit was the first to include Native American speakers and 
perspectives, a contribution that sets an important precedent for 
future summits.
  Hosted by the University of New Mexico, under the leadership of 
President Robert G. Frank and Chancellor for Health Sciences Paul B. 
Roth, and coordinated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for 
Health Policy at UNM, led by Director Gabriel Sanchez, the summit 
provided my Tri-Caucus colleagues and myself with the most relevant and 
groundbreaking research on health disparities, including in-depth 
discussions on the serious reality of racial and ethnic health 
disparities.
  The RWJF Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico is 
a research and training institute whose mission is to increase the 
diversity of health policy leaders who are trained in the social and 
behavioral sciences and nursing. One of the ways they accomplish this 
is through their doctoral fellow program, which nurtures promising 
researchers who are dedicated to social justice and the elimination of 
health disparities.
  Over the course of the conference, I had the distinct pleasure of 
meeting with several RWJF doctoral fellows whose dedication and passion 
for achieving health equity helped me return to Washington reenergized 
to continue working toward health equity. It is meeting people like the 
RWJF research faculty and their doctoral fellows that gives me hope 
that we will continue to gain traction in the movement to eliminate 
health inequalities and achieve health justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have the privilege of representing my alma 
mater in Congress. As the only Hispanic-Serving Institution in the 
United States that is classified as a Carnegie Research University with 
Very High Activity, UNM is at the forefront of education and 
groundbreaking research, which contributes to a more just and equitable 
society. The University of New Mexico has taken an active role in 
working to eliminate health disparities and the RWJF Center for Health 
Policy is leading this charge. I would like to congratulate the 
University of New Mexico on their successful conference and for their 
dedication to achieving health justice.

                          ____________________