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Congressional Testimony
April 12, 2000, Wednesday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 1654 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY April 12, 2000 BILLY TAUZIN REPRESENTATIVE HOUSE
APPROPRIATIONS LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION LABOR HHS
APPROPRIATIONS
BODY:
TESTIMONY OF CONGRESSMAN BILLY
TAUZIN APRIL 11, 2000 HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR,
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION Thank you Mr. Chairman
for the opportunity to address the Subcommittee. Again this year, I am
accompanied by Keith Andrus, an 8th grade student who is afflicted with
Friedreich's ataxia, a life- shortening neurodegenerative disorder that occurs
in the rural medically underserved Cajun population of Louisiana at rates 2.5
times the national average. I would like to thank you for your stewardship and
support in the FY 1999 and FY 2000 funding cycles for the Center for Acadiana
Genetics and Hereditary Health Care. For FY'99, Louisiana State
University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) was awarded a Rural
Health Outreach grant of $ 1,000,000 under the
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and again
awarded $1,200,000 under the same grant program in FY 2000. I, along with the
Louisiana Congressional Delegation, respectfully request federal funding in the
amount of $1.5 million in FY 2001 and subsequent years through a Rural
Health Outreach grant from HRSA to continue and expand the
development of the Center for Acadiana Genetics and Hereditary
Health Care. The Center links a school of medicine, a
biomedical research center, hospitals, rural clinics and a strong
telecommunications network to provide urgently needed health
services and health education regarding genetic diseases. It
also conducts vital research into hereditary neurodegenerative disorders such as
Friedreich's ataxia and Usher syndrome, as well as more common diseases such as
cancer, diabetes and heart disease which also occur in Louisiana at a rate much
higher than the national average. State support for the Center includes the
Governor Mike Foster, as well as the Chancellor and Dean of the LSU medical
school. The state has committed 20,000 square feet in the new LSUHSC Clinical
Sciences Building as well as three new faculty positions and support personnel
for the Center. The Center's projected budget for FY 2001 proposes 40% funding
from the state of Louisiana and private funding sources. The Center brings
clinical services and education regarding genetic diseases to the medically
underserved Acadian population living in rural parishes of Louisiana by
providing: -Specialty clinics on genetic disorders -Public symposia on genetics.
-Continuing education for health care providers. -Genetic
counselors for existing community programs. -Patient education materials on
genetic disorders. Continuing education for science teachers at elementary and
high schools. Speaker's Bureau to talk on topics in genetics. A newsletter-,
"Linkage", as an educational tool. The establishment of the Center meets the
congressional objectives stated in the Appropriations Act for FY'99 and the HRSA
objective of building the nation's health system by delivering
health services to the Americans who need them most--
particularly those who are vulnerable and have special health
conditions. The FY 2001 funds will provide education in genetics and state-of-
the-art diagnostic services that will lead to more comprehensive
health care and a significantly better quality of life, both
within and beyond south Louisiana; and, advance the understanding and
development of new therapies for genetic diseases including Friedreich's ataxia,
Usher syndrome and other neurological, visual and auditory disorders as well as
other diseases with genetic components, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease
and psychiatric disorders. Mr. Chairman, last summer the Center for Acadiana
Genetics hosted a conference entitled "Genetics of the Acadian People". This was
truly a collaborative effort that brought together the rural population of
Louisiana with health science professionals, clinicians,
educators, community health center personnel and regional
college faculty. The media coverage further increased awareness to thousands of
rural citizens in Louisiana. It is truly gratifying to see the results of the
work we do in Washington translated into vital programs and services. Our Cajun
population provides an opportunity for America's medical and scientific research
communities to study an important spectrum of genetic diseases in a unique,
multi-generational setting where they occur up to 2 1/2 times the national
average. This investment in federal funding will help reduce the immense social
and fiscal costs of hereditary health problems as well as the
enormous personal tragedy of genetic disease, both in south Louisiana and
elsewhere. Mr. Chairman, I also want to discuss another matter of vital
importance. In my predominantly rural district, community
health centers serve 80,000 uninsured, low
income patients. Without these facilities many of my constituents would have no
other way to meet their health care needs.
Health centers are effective, efficient providers of primary
and preventative care and with the rising number of uninsured
people seeking their care, I urge you to increase health center
funding by $150 million in Fiscal Year 2001. In this final year of your
chairmanship, I would like to personally thank you for your outstanding
leadership of this subcommittee. Your efforts have truly made a difference to
many patients like Keith and families coping with devastating diseases. Thank
you for your consideration and assistance in this important matter.
LOAD-DATE: April 25, 2000, Tuesday
