On December 11, 2019, the Black Maternal Health Caucus hosted a special roundtable to discuss NIH’s efforts to address the rising rates of women, especially African American women, dying in the U. S. from preventable, pregnancy-related complications. The Black Maternal Health Caucus was launched this year to raise awareness within Congress about this important women’s health issue. Before the roundtable, I gathered with some of the participants. Standing next to me (from l-r) are: Diana Bianchi, director of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina, a co-founder of the Caucus; Eliseo Pérez-Stable, director of NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Congresswoman Lauren Underwood of Illinois, also a co-founder of the Caucus; and Gary Gibbons, director of NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The roundtable was held in the Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. Credit: Lauren Underwood’s Office.
I enjoyed spending time with Congressman Bill Flores of Texas (left) during his tour of NIH on September 17, 2019. Here, we talk in the lobby of the NIH Clinical Center with Jim Gilman (right), chief executive officer of the NIH Clinical Center. Credit: NIH.
I enjoyed meeting with seven members of the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction, a bipartisan group of newly elected members of the House of Representatives. They toured NIH on September 9, 2019 and sat down with me and other staff to discuss the HEAL Initiative and other efforts to defeat the opioid crisis. Among those visiting were Congresswoman Donna Shalala of Florida (left), former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Congressman Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania (middle). Also visiting were Congressman David Trone of Michigan, Congressman David Joyce of Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Susie Lee of Nevada, Congressman T.J. Cox of California, and Congresswoman Katie Hill of California. Credit: NIH
On July 18, 2019, I had the pleasure to meet with some of the esteemed members of the Congressional Cancer Survivors Caucus during their visit to NIH. Here, I paused for a photo with (l-r) Congressman Earl “Buddy” Carter of Georgia, caucus co-chair; Jennie Lucca, chief executive officer of The Children’s Inn at NIH; Laura King, senior director of community engagement at The Children’s Inn; and Congressman Mark DeSaulner of California, a caucus co-founder and a leukemia survivor. The Congressional Cancer Survivors Caucus is a bipartisan group for members of Congress to discuss issues related to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship with a variety of stakeholders and experts. Credit: NIH.
On April 2, 2019, I testified before the House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee on NIH’s budget for Fiscal Year 2020. Here I am waiting for the hearing to start with my colleagues (left to right) Gary Gibbons, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Diana Bianchi, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Credit: NIH
