On the recordMarch 17, 2021
So many of the leaders we hear about are public figures, elected officials, people with loud voices in the community, but there are so many other kinds of leaders. In particular, in connection with this month's Women's History Month, I rise to pay tribute to some who are not often noticed, the extraordinary women who have battled the COVID pandemic on its front lines in my community and across our Nation. This historic crisis has devastated my community and communities in every corner of our country. More than 530,000 of our fellow Americans have died. Millions have lost their jobs. Unprecedented numbers of children and families have faced hunger. Women have experienced a disproportionate share of these converging crises. As a larger share of frontline workers, they have risen to the occasion, putting the health and safety of their neighbors ahead of their own. One woman in my community, the Greater Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, has done everything she can to make sure these heroes and our most vulnerable neighbors are not forgotten. Dr. Rajika Reed has served the people of our community for more than 20 years as a counselor, children's therapist, teacher, public health researcher, and epidemiologist. Most recently, Dr. Reed has served in one of the hospital systems in my community, St. Luke's University Health Network, first as senior director of epidemiology and strategy and now as vice president of community health. Dr.…





