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REMARKS BY: TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PLACE: Society For Women's Health Research, Washington, D.C. DATE: MAY 1, 2001
It's a special pleasure to see Joe and Hadassah Lieberman. Hadassah's advocacy of better health for women has been tremendous. Joe, I think it's pretty clear we both married "up."
Representatives of major donors in the business community are here. Their firms have contributed tremendously to the work of the Society. I applaud their generous efforts. With us are also some of the leading health professionals in the world. Then there are folk from think tanks, the academic world, leading philanthropic foundations. And many of my friends from congress are here.
I'm reminded of what President Kennedy said when he hosted a group of Nobel Laureates at the White House - that there hasn't been so much talent assembled together since Thomas Jefferson dined alone.
But as much as I appreciate all of you, I'm particularly pleased to be joined by my wife Sue Ann. She has been active in women's health issues for many years. As first lady of Wisconsin, Sue Ann founded the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, which many health problems faced by women and girls in our state.
And one more thing about Sue Ann: She is a breast cancer survivor and personifies the courage and grace we're here to celebrate.
This celebration highlights what can be done to advance research on issues vital to the well being of women throughout the country and the world. It's timely that we're meeting. National Women's Health Week begins May 13 and will be headlined by events throughout the country. I'm sure many of you will have an active role in the races, forums and other events that are being held.
Women are the major consumers of health care in this country. They are a growing majority of the population of our elderly citizens.
Women are also present in growing numbers in the health professions. Thankfully, there's no longer anything unique about seeing women in every sphere of medicine, health management or biotech research.
Any effort to improve the health and well being of our families must have women's health as a vital component. As my wife and daughters often remind me, women are the primary caregivers in our society. More often than not, it's women who choose the family health care plan and select the family doctor. Women pick up the medications, make appointments with the doctor, make sure the family has had immunization shots and buy the groceries to provide proper nutrition.
That's why the society's work is so important. The Society has been a vital partner with HHS over the past decade as we have become more aware of the many facets of women's health. In the research area alone, HHS, the Society and many other groups have succeeded in helping the nation - and women everywhere - understand that in order to fully deal with any health problem, we have to look at how it affects everyone who suffers from it - not just one gender, race or ethnic group, but all of us.
Recently, the Institute of Medicine report issued a report titled, "Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?" The conclusion? Quite simply, "yes!" The biological differences between men and women demand differences in the kind of treatment they receive.
The Society's help with this report is another reminder of why the Society is such a valuable asset to the Health and Human Services department. Groups like the Society and the health care providers, corporate executives, biomedical and behavioral researchers and other health experts gathered here tonight play a vital role in helping me fulfill the charge the President has given me: to work to provide quality health care for everyone.
The Health and Human Services budget for the next fiscal year reflects those values and priorities and moves us toward better and more accessible care for women and for everyone.
Quality health care depends on solid research. The Society's active role in working with the NIH's Office of Research on Women's Health and some 1,500 experts across America to formulate our research agenda is a critical step in ensuring that we are asking the right questions.
Not only do we have to answer the key biomedical questions, but we must also grasp the causes and consequences of our personal behavior patterns.
President Bush and I are deeply committed to quality health care, health research and health services for women. The President's budget for fiscal year 2002 increases that commitment by $4.8 billion, a dramatic increase over the previous year.
Included in this is a $10.5 million increase for the Office on Women's Health in my immediate office. That's a 62 percent increase from the current fiscal year - 62 percent. This renewed emphasis on the Office on Women's Health highlights the health needs of women in a very visible way.
The Office handles many issues also addressed by the Society and its mission encompasses the entire Department of Health and Human Services. The Office coordinates women's health efforts throughout HHS and includes the social services side of the department in the aging and violence against women initiatives. Let me urge you to visit the office's website, www.4woman.gov. It's a treasure trove of information about women's health issues.
The President's budget commits an additional $23.5 million to NIH research on women's aging issues. We've designated $25 million more in the NIH budget for HIV/AIDS programs for women than what's provided in the current fiscal year. And we've increased funding for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health by $55 million.
When research yields effective treatments, people should have access to them. That's why, since I've been Secretary, I've approved proposals from Maryland, New Hampshire and West Virginia to expand Medicaid benefits to uninsured women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a federal screening program. As a result, states can take advantage of the federal Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act that became law last year.
We're seeing some real payoffs in other areas, as well. For example, we're getting a better handle on the genetic basis of many forms of breast cancer. This is a true breakthrough that offers great promise.
I started with a quote from one Democrat, John Kennedy. Now I'm going to leave you with a quote from another - a legendary aide to Franklin Roosevelt, Barnard Baruch. Two Democratic quotes in one speech - now, that's bipartisan.
Baruch said that there are no incurable diseases. In his words, "There are only things for which man has not found a cure." Today, with men and women doing the research together, we can truly advance at a faster pace.
On behalf of the President and on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, thank you for all you're doing. I look forward to partnering with you. I'm glad to take some questions.