[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 160 (Wednesday, September 16, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4434-H4435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               DELAYED DIAGNOSIS DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, during the coronavirus 
pandemic, American doctors, nurses, technicians, and first responders 
have cared for patients day in and day out. On the front lines, medical 
teams have worked tirelessly to care for the coronavirus patients under 
extraordinary circumstances.
  Across the country, we formed a united front against an invisible 
enemy as medical professions of all stripes pitched in to help, from 
volunteering their time to donating valuable personal protective 
equipment to the emergency rooms, the hospitals, and the organizations 
that needed it the most.
  As Americans were asked to stay at home, teams quickly transitioned 
to telemedicine to provide vital care to vulnerable populations. They 
took the initiative and developed creative solutions to ensure that 
patients could receive the care that they so much need.
  During this crisis, America's medical community has stepped up during 
and throughout to provide care and save lives. They truly, too, are 
heroes.
  Now, the work continues. We must acknowledge a secondary healthcare 
crisis that is occurring in our Nation.
  Beginning in March, many hospitals, under the direction of national, 
State, and local authorities, postponed elective procedures with the 
goal of slowing the spread of the virus and saving the precious PPE and 
supplies for those who needed it the most.
  Americans, following stay-at-home orders, delayed important medical 
care, and subsequently, too many have suffered negative healthcare 
outcomes that could have been prevented.
  Earlier this spring, I wrote a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Tom 
Wolf, urging him and his administration to prioritize the comprehensive 
health needs of all Pennsylvanians during this crisis.
  In my experience alone, I have heard tragic stories from colleagues 
whose patients have died from cardiac emergencies, from drug overdoses, 
and from other negative outcomes that could have been prevented.
  Six months into this crisis, we are facing an imminent need to 
restore America's full access to care, including preventive screenings.
  My good friend and colleague, Dr. Bruce Waldholtz, is a 
gastroenterologist and also a longtime volunteer leader of the American 
Cancer Society. Dr. Waldholtz, as a cancer survivor himself, 
understands firsthand that a doctor, a patient, needs preventative 
healthcare.
  As he told me this week: ``Due to the COVID restrictions, all 
nonemergency colonoscopies were canceled for several months. Literally, 
hundreds of patients in our practice had their colonoscopies canceled. 
This delay, compounded nationally, will result in less screening and an 
increase in colon cancer cases right now and in years ahead.''
  Colonoscopies and other preventative screenings save lives. Elective 
procedures are not unnecessary, and in

[[Page H4435]]

many cases, they find disease early before they can become metastatic 
and cancerous and spread.
  Today, many doctors are playing catch-up as they seek to safely 
provide care to their patients. As I said, the work continues.
  I urge Americans: Talk to your doctors and schedule the lifesaving 
screenings that can definitely make a difference in your healthcare.
  As we continue to combat the coronavirus crisis and its many 
ramifications, I thank our medical teams for their unwavering 
dedication to American patients. Despite the obstacles we face, 
together, we can improve Americans' access to the quality healthcare 
and, together, we can save lives.

                          ____________________