[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16145]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOTHER BACHMANN MATERNITY CENTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. There's much debate on the floor of this House about 
the plight of the uninsured. We need more discussion about health care 
solutions, and we need more praise for those health care professionals 
in our communities who do the hard work of providing health care for 
the poor and the uninsured without government mandate and without 
government involvement.
  I rise today to honor the 20th anniversary of the Mother Bachmann 
Maternity Center, part of St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Bucks 
County.
  For over two decades, the Mother Bachmann Center has been providing 
women of Bucks County with the health care they need, regardless of 
their ability to pay. Certified nurse midwives provide obstetrical care 
to women who are uninsured and are underinsured. Women who would 
otherwise go without quality medical care during their pregnancy have 
access to a wide range of services, including nutrition education, 
financial counseling, and prenatal and delivery care.
  The Mother Bachmann Center is also able to partner with Catholic 
Social Services in order to identify patients at risk for postpartum 
depression and to offer them social support and important counseling 
services.
  This Center aims to provide a continuum of care to new mothers and 
their families who are in need. St. Mary and its partners offer 
emergency housing in 10 local apartments, where families receive 
financial counseling, parenting skills instruction, and computer 
education to help them in their search for employment. The Mother 
Bachmann Center also offers confidential domestic violence evaluations 
and resource referrals in partnership with a local nonprofit agency 
that helps women and helps families in crisis.
  This Center is just one part of a larger group of community programs, 
including the Children's Health Center and the Family Resource Center, 
that serve expecting and new mothers of Bucks County through St. Mary 
Medical Center.
  The Mother Bachmann Center is a prime example of charitable 
organizations and community groups coming together to address an 
important issue with effective local solutions. St. Mary Medical 
Center, with this center, has provided the community of Bucks County 
with an alternative to handouts from the State, local, or Federal 
Government. These types of programs not only provide quality health 
care services, but they also empower women to take charge of their 
pregnancies and navigate their first trials as a new mother.
  As this Congress continues to debate issues of health care and the 
proper role of the government in the industry, I urge my colleagues to 
look at this center as a model for efficient community-based solutions.
  Thomas Jefferson once said that ``Health is worth more than 
learning.'' It is true. But we can all learn from projects like the 
Mother Bachmann Maternity Center about what it takes and how to provide 
health and health care for our most at-risk constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to rise today to honor the Mother Bachmann 
Maternity Center as it celebrates 20 years of providing families in 
need with important health and human services.

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