CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E2101 HON
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October 28, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks E2101 Ridgewood and high school at the Delbarton WORLD POPULATION AWARENESS injuries from sharp products each year. Ac- School in Morristown. Peter went to Maryknoll WEEK cording to the Center for Disease Control and College, a liberal arts college and seminary in Prevention [CDC] there have been at least 52 Glen Ellen, IL. During college, Peter spent his HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN actual and 111 possible documented cases of summers doing community development work OF NEW YORK HIV seroconversions among U.S. health care in Chicago and Mexico. He graduated in 1967 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES workers resulting from occupational exposures since 1994. Needlestick injuries caused by and opted to continue his education by enroll- Tuesday, October 28, 1997 ing in Seton Hall's graduate school of busi- hollow-bore needles accounted for 86 percent ness. Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, this week is of all reported occupational HIV exposures. Of World Population Awareness Week. It calls at- the needles involved in the reported injuries, 2 The Vietnam war interrupted Peter's edu- tention to the growing population of mankind percent or roughly 16,000 are likely to be con- cation and he enlisted in the U.S. Army, re- and the pressures it puts on the planet. At the taminated by the HIV virus. ceiving a commission as second lieutenant. current rate, the world's population will double Imagine what someone must go through After his tour of duty, Peter entered the family from 5.8 to 11 billion people during our life- when accidentally pricked with a used needle business and has been active, first with his fa- time. Excluding China, 21 million women of device. Tests must be conducted to deter- ther Nevins and more recently his brother childbearing age in the developing world are mined if the blood on the device contained an David, leading McBride Enterprises as it de- added each yearÐequal to the total number of infectious agent. If so, the health care worker veloped into one of New Jersey's premier real women of childbearing age in California, must undergo tests to see if they have been estate development companies. Texas, New York, and Florida combined. infected. If the blood contained the HIV virus, McBride Enterprises has built a number of Population Awareness Week calls attention one could not be sure for up to 1 year whether industrial and office parks, including those in to our voluntary family planning program. an infection occurred. Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Wayne, Totowa, Oak- President Nixon launched the U.S. inter- While you can't put a dollar figure on the land and Mahwah. Fair Lawn Industrial Park, national family planning program in 1969. The psychological toll of a needlestick, if only one program improves the health of mothers and the first project, became a model for the employee becomes HIV positive, the direct their children by increasing the time between cost to treat a needlestick injury can average planned industrial park development. In addi- births while reducing unintended pregnancies $2,809 even if there is no infection. If an infec- tion to leading McBride Enterprises, Peter is and abortions. After 30 years, the program tion occurs, direct and indirect costs can total also president of Urban Farms, Inc., a residen- helped reduce the average number of children more than $500,000. tial development company which has devel- in the developing world from six to four. Mod- The Health Care Worker Protection Act of oped over 2,500 acres in Franklin Lakes and ern contraceptive use climbed from 10 to 35 1997 requires hospitals and hospital-owned fa- Wayne. percent. As contraceptive use in countries cilities to use safe and approved hollow-bore The McBride family roots are in Paterson, such as Russia rose from 19 to 24 percent, needle devices as a condition of participation established by patriarch John McBride who abortion rates fell from 109 per 1,000 women in the Medicare Program. Hospitals would be emigrated from Ireland in 1863. Peter's grand- to 76. It is clear that family planning reduces required to use safe needle devices as ap- father, Frank A. McBride, founded a plumbing unintended pregnancies and abortions in proved by the FDA in consultation with an ad- company in 1898, which, under the leadership many countries. In sum, the Population Coun- visory committee comprised of representatives of his sons Frank, Nevins, and Joseph, grew cil estimates that without family planning pro- from consumer groups, frontline health care to become the F.A. McBride Co., Mechanical grams, there would have been 500 million workers, industry representatives, and tech- Contractors. more people in the world todayÐalmost twice nical experts. To enhance compliance, the population of the United States. $5,000,000 would be provided for education The McBride family has continued to main- The single greatest way to reduce infant and training in the use of safety devices. tain an interest in their ancestors' adopted mortality is to increase the time between preg- Support for this bill has come from all quar- home of Paterson and Passaic County. Sev- nancies. Family planning also helps to reduce ters: the American Nurses Association, the eral family members have been board mem- abortion. Family planning saves lives and cre- American Association of Occupational Health bers and volunteers at St. Joseph's Hospital, ates greater opportunities for the health, edu- Nurses, the Service Employee International and Peter currently sits on the Board of the cation, and economic future of children. Union, American Federation of Teachers, Hospital Foundation. Peter is past president I want to commend the leaders behind Lynda Arnold's National Campaign for and a board member of the Passaic Valley World Population Awareness Week, especially Healthcare Worker Safety, Association of Op- Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He has Werner Fornos of the Population Institute. The erating Room Nurses, American Association of been one of the organizers of the scouts' an- institute is one of the leading forces in bringing Critical-Care Nurses, many product research- nual sports celebrity dinner, which for 15 years the attention of the Congress to key issues of ers and manufacturers, and most importantly, has been the major fundraising activity of the population, family planning, and the environ- health care workers. Supporters of the bill council. ment. share the opinion that this legislation will pro- Peter is also cochairman of the Annual J. f vide important protections for health care Nevins McBride Golf Outing for Scouting workers in the workplace. FRONT-LINE HEALTH CARE WORK- Better information and better devices are which benefits the youth of Passaic County. ERS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO RISK the key to reducing injuries from needlesticks. His involvement with scouting extends to his THEIR LIVES TO SAVE LIVES Hospitals must be encouraged to substitute family, where his son is a boy scout with existing needlestick products with products Troop 34 in Franklin Lakes. Peter also serves HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK proven to be safe. Nurses, doctors, and other on the Ramapo College Board of Trustees, OF CALIFORNIA frontline health workers care each day for Most Blessed Sacrament Parish Council, the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES those individuals we love. They shouldn't have Archdiocese of Newark Finance Council and Tuesday, October 28, 1997 to risk their lives to save lives. I urge my col- the Board of Directors of Hudson United Bank. leagues to support this bill. Peter lives in Franklin Lakes with his wife, Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, along with over f Pam, and children Meredith, Peter, and Annie. 20 original cosponsors, I am introducing the CONGRATULATING ST. JOSEPH'S Pam is the volunteer architect for ``Woman Health Care Worker Protection Act of 1997. This bill is designed to reduce the risk of WIC PROGRAM Raise the Roof,'' a Habitat for Humanity health care workers from accidental Project in Paterson. Pam and Peter are also needlesticks. The legislation would ensure that mentors for Operation Link-Up at Kennedy HON. MARGE ROUKEMA the necessary toolsÐbetter information and High School. OF NEW JERSEY better medical devicesÐare made available to IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our col- our frontline health care workers in order to re- leagues, Peter's family and friends, and the duce the injury and death which may result Tuesday, October 28, 1997 people of north Jersey in recognizing W. Peter from accidental needlesticks each year. Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to con- McBride's many outstanding and invaluable Although needlestick injuries are considered gratulate St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical contributions to the community and to the to be widely under reported, health care work- Center in Paterson, NJ, on its excellent sys- Boys and Girls Club of Paterson. ers report more than 800,000 needlesticks and tem of WIC clinics and the work the clinics E2102 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks October 28, 1997 have done on behalf of women and children in grams such as dental hygiene, child safety, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE my State. and parenting. The clinic is also a training site FLORIDA MARLINS WIC is a proven program that efficiently, ef- for student nutritionists from Montclair State fectively, and humanely helps children and University and other colleges. HON. PETER DEUTSCH families by providing food for pregnant Nationwide, more than 7 million women, in- OF FLORIDA women, breast-feeding women, and young fants, and children depend on WIC for nutri- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES children. Participants meet with a professional tion assistance. St. Joseph's is one of the Tuesday, October 28, 1997 nutritionist who assess their nutrition needs, most outstanding centers in that national net- then issues coupons that may be redeemed at work.