[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





         IN RECOGNITION OF THE RETIREMENT OF NANCY MILLIKEN, MD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2022

  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise, alongside Congresswoman Jackie 
Speier, to recognize the outstanding service and trailblazing career of 
Dr. Nancy Milliken in celebration of her well-earned retirement. As the 
Founding Director of the National Center of Excellence in Women's 
Health at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Milliken has 
touched the lives of women in San Francisco and across the nation. Her 
long and storied career has been defined by selfless service and 
unwavering devotion to the dignity of every patient.
  Educated at Harvard University and Duke University Medical School, 
Dr. Milliken began her career facing indifference toward and 
underinvestment in women's health--among those in the medical field and 
in society at large. Equipped with a sharp intellect and a lifelong 
talent for speaking truth to power, she made it her mission to build a 
fairer, healthier future for women and girls.
  In 1996, she helped UCSF establish one of the nation's first centers 
of excellence in women's health, spearheading efforts to strengthen 
medical training through clinical care, education, research, community 
engagement and leadership. These efforts continue to have a daily 
impact on the health of local women, including through the coordinated 
care provided at two clinics in San Francisco.
  Under Dr. Milliken's leadership, the Center has also worked with 
community organizations across the country to open doors to quality, 
affordable health care. Partnering with a school district in Jackson, 
Mississippi, the Center helped provide education and physical activity 
programs to local students and residents. And in Grand Forks, North 
Dakota, it worked with a local clinic to provide critical resources for 
survivors of intimate partner violence.
  Among her peers, Dr. Milliken is renowned for her courage and 
resilience. While organizing a conference with other centers of 
excellence, she led the charge to host practitioner workshops covering 
topics viewed by some as taboo, including abortion and lesbian health. 
In the face of much resistance, she successfully fought to ensure that 
attendees could access comprehensive educational sessions on these 
important subjects.
  Always looking to the future, she has also worked to prepare the next 
generation of women's health practitioners. In partnership with 
Congresswoman Speier, Dr. Milliken has helped educate more than 10,000 
high school students through the Young Women's Health and Leadership 
Summit--an annual event organized by and for the young women of San 
Francisco.
  Rarely seeking the spotlight, Dr. Milliken is more interested in her 
long-term impact than accolades or titles. She readily shares credit 
and eagerly mentors those seeking to follow in her footsteps. Yet her 
remarkable achievements have been recognized by an array of 
professional and community organizations, including the Academy of 
Women's Health, the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women 
and the Hunters Point Family.
  Right now, women across our country are bracing for a Supreme Court 
decision that will dramatically restrict our Constitutional rights and 
health freedoms. As we confront this challenge, our nation is blessed 
by the warriors trained by Dr. Milliken, who are prepared to defend the 
health and welfare of American women.
  Congress and the Country salute the committed service of this 
brilliant researcher, doctor, leader and friend, and we wish her all 
the best as she prepares for a deeply deserved retirement.

                          ____________________