Conyers Receives National Minority Health Month Award

Washington, D.C. - Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus received an award on April 20, 2004 for his outstanding leadership in health. The award was presented at the National Minority Health Month Leadership Summit on Health Disparities and Awards Dinner. This Annual Health Summit recognizes congressional members and other key health professionals who have made significant contributions in reducing health disparities affecting minority communities.

The Democratic House Representative from Detroit, Michigan, who celebrates his 40th year in Congress, was recognized for showing leadership in health and particularly for introducing HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act, a bill which would establish once and for all a universal health care system in America that is privately run, federally financed, and publicly administered, similar to the current Medicare program.

Among awardees were 16th Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, who received the National Minority Health Month Life Time Achievement Award, Congressman Waxman, (CA-30), who received the Booker T. Washington Award, John B. Sory, Vice President of Pfizer Health Solutions, who received the Mary Eliza Mahoney Award for promoting access to health care in minority communities, and Universal Sisters of Speaking of Women's Health, Susan LaFlesche, Picotte Award for Women's' Health and Aetna, received the Charles R. Drew Award for work in the area of Cardiovascular Disease in Minority Communities.

The purpose of the conference was to pull together government, public and private organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and representatives from Medicare/Medicaid, to discuss solutions to health disparities using data and data analysis to create programming in community based organizations. This dialogue was intended to begin to coordinate a health disparities movement to eliminate health disparities in vulnerable populations and communities of color.

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