[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 33 (Thursday, February 27, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN RECOGNITION OF DR. JEANNE A. CONRY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 2014

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. Jeanne A. Conry, 
President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 
who made major contributions to the betterment of women's health 
throughout her long and successful career.
  The initiatives she has undertaken guarantee profound improvements in 
women's health.
  Dr. Conry began her tenure as ACOG President by applauding the 
Affordable Care Act's priority on women's health, asserting that, ``By 
investing in this generation, we have invested in the next.'' She 
called on America's 58,000 ob-gyns and partners in women's health to 
``lead the changes that are before us, because we are truly the leaders 
in women's healthcare.''
  Dr. Conry's theme during her Presidency has been ``Every Woman, Every 
Time,'' a reminder to her profession and to us all that at every 
contact in our health care system, reproductive health choices and 
well-woman care are a necessity.
  Her work urges recognition that socioeconomic, demographic, biologic 
and behavioral differences among women can impact reproductive outcomes 
greatly.
  As part of her leadership, Dr. Conry developed the National Maternal 
Health Initiative, a partnership to bring together leaders in public 
and private health policy to improve maternal health outcomes. It 
includes ACOG; the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM); the 
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; the 
American College of Nurse-Midwives; Merck for Mothers; and the Maternal 
Child Health Branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.
  Dr. Conry has pointed to the successful focus on newborn outcomes 
that show fetal and infant mortality have decreased by almost 30 
percent in the past three decades. Her research shows that maternal 
mortality has actually increased, however, and in some states by almost 
50 percent. Her conclusions reveal African-American women have a 
maternal mortality rate up to four times higher than white women. These 
significant findings will improve pregnancy outcomes for generations to 
come.
  Dr. Conry's efforts emphasize the reduction of maternal morbidity and 
mortality through access to contraception planning, and ensuring safety 
in maternity care. Her initiatives have led to better outcomes through 
life-course planning, obesity and exercise awareness, and redesigning 
the postpartum visit to optimize future health and pregnancy outcomes.
  She has established a process to regionalize care so that women at 
high risk deliver at hospitals that can meet their needs. The 
initiative has gone toward identifying and implementing protocols for 
maternity risk conditions such as hemorrhaging, hypertension, 
thromboembolism, cardiac disease, and sepsis.
  Dr. Corny has called on all leaders in maternity care to guide this 
change in women's health care. Her career has also been dedicated to 
better understanding and investigating how the environment impacts 
reproductive health by proposing a broader analysis of the health 
effects that pharmaceuticals, diet, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, radiation 
and chemicals in the environment have on women.
  Her leadership and legacy extend to improving women's health by 
initiating partnerships to facilitate coordination and harmonization of 
clinical guidelines in Great Britain, Canada, the United States and 
other ob-gyn societies. These guidelines now provide direction for 
maternal health programs as well as the practice of obstetrics and 
gynecology around the world.
  And of course, Dr. Conry's advocacy for women's health here in 
Washington, D.C. is truly exceptional. From stopping legislative 
interference in medical practice, to ensuring and protecting ACA 
coverage of contraceptives, to leading ob-gyns as they visit the Hill 
in March for improved care of gestational diabetes, Dr. Conry's 
advocacy knows no bounds.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to 
honor Dr. Jeanne Conry, whose devotion and leadership has advanced the 
improvement of women's health by leaps and bounds here in the United 
States and abroad.

                          ____________________