This is an archive page.  The links are no longer being updated.

REMARKS OF:   DONNA E. SHALALA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
                 SERVICES
PLACE:        Nomination of Henry W. Foster as Surgeon General
DATE:         February 2, 1995

Dr. Foster has worked to lift up the health status of women and children.

He has been tireless in his efforts to curb infant mortality and prevent teen-pregnancy.

And, he has dedicated his life to ensuring that health care is accessible for all -- not a privilege for the few.

I will be very pleased to have Dr. Foster join us at HHS, where he will report to Dr. Philip Lee, our Assistant Secretary for Health.

As we tackle America's greatest health challenges, we need his energy and his experience, his voice and his vision.

One of those challenges is teenage pregnancy. Every day in America, almost 2,800 teenagers get pregnant. That's a national tragedy -- and the President has insisted on a national campaign to end it. Henry Foster will help lead that charge.

This is a man who brought community members together to create the successful "I Have a Future" program at Meharry School of Medicine. This community-based program takes at- risk youths living in public housing and teaches them to say "no" to sex and pregnancy and "yes" to job skills and self- reliance. And, it works.

From 1988 to 1991, only one of the program's participants got pregnant. And, last year, of the 24 of them who graduated from high school, 16 went on to college.

The President wants to repeat this success story on a national scale. And, that is why I am so pleased to be here for this announcement.

Now, it is my distinct honor to introduce President Clinton, a man who has shown extraordinary leadership in promoting better health for all Americans. Mr. President ....