Lisa Murkowski: “I am pleased to rise to introduce legislation relative to the benefits of community health aides. This particular…”

“I am pleased to rise to introduce legislation relative to the benefits of community health aides. This particular legislation would be titled the Alaskan Community Health Aide Program Expansion Act of 1997. The purpose of the act would be to provide a link to health care for rural communities, primarily in my State. The Alaskan Community Health Aide Program Expansion Act would enable the health aides to have access to rural, non-Native communities throughout Alaska. The act will authorize training and continuing education of Alaskans as community health aides to small communities that do not currently qualify for the Indian Health Services' Community Health Aide Program. Mr. President, some 50 years ago, this unique system of community health aides was formed in my State. In the early 1940's, due to an extreme outbreak of tuberculosis across Alaska, volunteers were selected by local communities and trained as community health aides. These communities, of course, suffered from distance, extreme isolation. They were often located hundreds of miles from the nearest physician. And the community health aides, through radio contact to a distant hospital in the region, became the eyes, the ears and hands of a physician and administered life-saving medications to remote patients throughout the State.”