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REMARKS BY: DONNA E. SHALALA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PLACE: Eastern High School, Washington, D.C. DATE: February 2, 2000
We also owe Dr. Courtney Fletcher a debt of gratitude for his no-nonsense, involved leadership as school principal. He is a gifted educator and today's event could not happen without his support. Let me also express my appreciation to Ms. Bernadette White for the great interest that she has shown in this school and its students. Because of Dr. Fletcher and Ms. White, today will be one of the most important -and enriching - opportunities of your high school careers.
I am pleased that Mayor Anthony Williams and Superintendent Arlene Ackerman have joined us. After leading two universities, I know how hard it is to strike a balance between the needs of the students and the realities of a limited budget. Their presence here today says a great deal about their priorities.
Let's pause for a moment and take a look around the auditorium together. What do each of you see? Perhaps you're sitting next to your best friend or a classmate. Maybe you're noticing what your neighbor's wearing.
Let me tell you what I see. I see the faces of America's future heath care system. I see students who will someday be our doctors, nurses, administrators, and other public health professionals. And before each of you boards the bus at 11 a.m. to begin Job Shadow Day, I want you know something very important.
I like to remind people that children and young people are 26% of our population, but 100% of our future - so we need your help - and your participation - as never before.
At a time when our economy is creating unprecedented prosperity, there are still too many Americans who are suffering and dying from illnesses, which can be prevented.
Let me ask you few a questions, . . . How many of you know someone with asthma? What about high blood pressure? Heart disease? How many of you know of someone who is living with HIV/AIDS? Heart disease and stroke? African Americans are hit twice as hard. Tuberculosis? Three times as hard. African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other group of American women.
And it's not just a problem for African Americans - it's a crisis facing all Americans of color. For example, Hispanics suffer from stomach cancer at two to three times the rate of whites. Chinese Americans are four to five times more likely to have liver cancer. And Vietnamese American women are more likely to suffer cervical cancer.
Nearly all of these problems are made worse because more than 43 million Americans have no health insurance. And far too many of them are minorities.
That's why we need your help. The State Children's Health Insurance Program - or SCHIP - and Medicaid are guaranteeing medical care for millions of children who otherwise wouldn't have it. But not enough people know they can get this health care for their children and families. We haven't gotten the word out to everyone who needs to know.
Last March, some of you participated in the "Train the Trainer" CHIP Teen Summit. Thirty-one students from health academies and schools with health curriculums from California, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the District were trained to do SCHIP outreach. And then they learned how to train other teens.
Unity Health Care, a health center in the District, even conducted a CHIP Poster Contest at Eastern to promote awareness of the CHIP Program. Now here's how you can help. We need you to sign up as ambassadors for the SCHIP program, and get the word out. Take it back to the streets.
And while you're there, we need you to learn as much as you can about your community's health, right where you live. That's why your shadow experiences today are so important. Because when today is over, you'll begin to see your community with new eyes.
Being America's future health care providers is a heavy responsibility. It means hard work and plenty of sweat. Speaking of sweat, consider that we all enjoy watching our favorite sports teams or recording artists.
But we don't see the determination, the long hours of practice put in alone, in the gym, in an empty recording studio, with no one around to watch. No cheering fans, no media, no one to notice.
I'm reminded of what hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill said when she was asked how she won five Grammy awards for her first solo album. She said, "Every time I got hurt, every time I was disappointed, every time I learned, I just wrote a song."
The same holds true for any important goal worth pursuing. And today is a great way to begin. Thank you and have a wonderful day with your mentors and hosts in the health and human services.