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1st appeared
13
December
2000
Legislator Hailed as Champion for Women's Health State Sen. Jackie Speier’s work as a champion of women’s health concerns and a supporter of UCSF was recognized during a special gathering at the recent opening of a women’s health exhibit at the Exploratorium.
Chancellor Mike Bishop cited an array of legislative initiatives on which Speier has worked, including funding for breast cancer research, prevention of child abuse, reimbursement for contraception, smoking bans in state buildings, early intervention in AIDS, and HMO reform. "But there is a clear unifying theme to all of this: a humanitarian spirit that we could only hope might permeate all of government," the Chancellor told a gathering of faculty and staff at the event hosted by UCSF Community and Government Relations and the UCSF Center for Gender Equity. The event was organized by Assistant Vice Chancellor Irene Agnos. Speier responded with gratitude and modesty – telling the gathering that she views these efforts to improve the health of women and the rest of the community as "just doing my job." "I rely heavily on your research and your advocacy when I introduce legislation," Speier said. "Without all of you, we truly would not be in the position of improving the health of women in California and across the country. I thank UCSF for being the remarkable institution it is." Bishop noted that UCSF considers Speier "one of our own," noting that she grew up one block from the Parnassus Heights campus, now represents the campus district in the Senate, and always has served as a "strong supporter and helpful critic" of the campus. The tribute to Speier took place at the opening of an exhibit devoted to recent advances in providing health care for women. Four UCSF faculty members are among those honored in the exhibit’s "wall of fame" for their leadership and accomplishments – Carroll Estes, Nancy Milliken, Dorothy Rice, and Patricia Robertson. (See previous Daybreak article.) "Through my collaboration with Senator Speier, I have learned that she is a visionary thinker with a compassionate heart," Nancy Milliken told the gathering. Milliken noted that Speier served as keynote speaker at Women’s Health 2000 and the Older Women’s Health Summit, both sponsored by the UCSF National Center for Excellence in Women’s Health. More recently, Speier worked closely with Milliken on a teen conference called Healthy Hearts, Healthy Lives: Young Women on the Rise. Milliken cited examples of Speier’s advocacy for women, including: Speier has been at the forefront of efforts to provide adequate funding for treatment of low-income women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through the state’s early detection screening program, Milliken said. Speier was the successful sponsor of the Contraceptive Equity Act that requires insurers to pay for medically prescribed contraception. Links: Campus Hosts Sen. Speier, Evening at Exploratorium Women's Health Exhibit, Dec. 4 |
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