By Delisi H.C.R. No. 235
77R10510 MKS-D
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, The State of Texas recognizes that there are serious
1-2 inequities in the health prevention and treatment of women and
1-3 fully supports all efforts to improve the health status of women in
1-4 this state; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Women are metabolically, hormonally, and
1-6 physiologically different from men, have different patterns of
1-7 health, and suffer from certain diseases at higher rates than men;
1-8 and
1-9 WHEREAS, More than one in five women have some form of
1-10 cardiovascular disease, and one in two women will have an
1-11 osteoporosis-related fracture in her lifetime; and
1-12 WHEREAS, Women are three times more likely to develop
1-13 rheumatoid arthritis and two to three times more likely to suffer
1-14 from depression; and
1-15 WHEREAS, Women are less often referred for diagnostic tests
1-16 and less often treated for heart disease compared to men; and
1-17 WHEREAS, Women who smoke are 20 to 70 percent more likely to
1-18 develop lung cancer and 10 times more likely than men to contract
1-19 HIV during unprotected sex; and
1-20 WHEREAS, Women outnumber men three to one in long-term care
1-21 facilities, are more likely to provide health care to family
1-22 members and make health care decisions, and spend two of every
1-23 three health care dollars; and
1-24 WHEREAS, There is abundant evidence that women are
2-1 undertreated compared to men and underrepresented in health
2-2 research; and
2-3 WHEREAS, There has been some national attention on women's
2-4 health care issues and some legislative activity by the U.S.
2-5 Congress on access issues, but there has been little change in
2-6 vitally important preventive care and treatment issues; and
2-7 WHEREAS, In a recent survey of voters, almost 80 percent of
2-8 women and 60 percent of men favored a women's health care platform
2-9 that supports appropriate care and relevant research and education
2-10 for women; and
2-11 WHEREAS, Nine out of ten people agree that women have the
2-12 right to access quality treatment and the latest technologies and
2-13 appropriate diagnostic tests; and
2-14 WHEREAS, The State of Texas supports equal access to quality
2-15 health care for women, as set out in the women's health platform of
2-16 the Women in Government organization, including efforts to:
2-17 * Provide women equal access to quality health care,
2-18 including state-of-the-art medical advances and
2-19 technology;
2-20 * Increase the number of women covered by comprehensive
2-21 health insurance, including primary and preventive health
2-22 care;
2-23 * Prevent serious health problems by timely diagnosis and
2-24 treatment programs;
2-25 * Promote strategies to increase patient access to
2-26 recommended diagnostic and screening tests, preventive
2-27 health regimens, and recommended treatments;
3-1 * Encourage unimpeded access to women's specialty health
3-2 care providers;
3-3 * Create and promote public/private partnership programs
3-4 designed to improve the scope and quality of women's
3-5 health care;
3-6 * Improve communications between providers and patients;
3-7 * Continue to expand participation of women in clinical
3-8 research trials;
3-9 * Increase government and private research on women's health
3-10 care issues and the differences between men and women and
3-11 how the differences impact quality health care;
3-12 * Conduct more health outcomes research to demonstrate the
3-13 value of women's health care interventions and preventive
3-14 health measures in both the long and short term;
3-15 * Expand medical and nursing school curricula in the area of
3-16 women's health and education on gender biology;
3-17 * Support public education campaigns to increase women's
3-18 awareness about their unique health risks, how to
3-19 negotiate the complexities of today's health care system,
3-20 and how to demand and obtain the best health care
3-21 available;
3-22 * Conduct public health campaigns via state and local
3-23 departments of public health with private sector partners
3-24 to focus on key issues relating to women's preventive
3-25 health concerns;
3-26 * Urge the establishment of permanent offices of women's
3-27 health within state government to raise awareness of
4-1 women's special health care needs and advocate initiatives
4-2 to address them;
4-3 * Foster development and dissemination of publicly available
4-4 information on the quality of health care and health
4-5 outcomes that improves women's ability to choose the best
4-6 women's health care plan; and
4-7 * Expand state screening programs targeted at lower-income
4-8 women to include a full range of known risk factors; now,
4-9 therefore, be it
4-10 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
4-11 hereby encourage every state agency, state chartered institution of
4-12 learning, and any recipient of state grants or funding to take
4-13 appropriate action to achieve improved and equal access for women
4-14 to quality health care; and, be it further
4-15 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
4-16 hereby commend the Women in Government organization for its
4-17 leadership and dedication in raising awareness of women's health
4-18 issues and advocating improved access to health care for all women.