Congressman Burgess Receives Multiple Sclerosis Society's House Legislator Of The Year Award, USA

Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis
Article Date: 15 Mar 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Congressman Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), made the following remarks this morning after receiving the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society's House Legislator of the Year Award:

"I am honored to receive this award and vow to continue my efforts in the cause to find answers to the questions posed by this disease. Every hour in the United States, someone new is diagnosed with MS. This is a cruel disease, and one of the great unsolved mysteries of our day. Many Americans know a person living with multiple sclerosis, including myself, and as co-chair of the Congressional MS Caucus, I intend to bring the needs of those individuals into the larger discussion of quality health care.

"I have reintroduced bipartisan legislation again this Congress to create a national MS Registry to house information about Americans living with MS. A national registry would allow for future planning of health care needs, detect changes in health practices, promote advocacy, and support a wide range of research initiatives. We must work together to improve access to quality health services, to break down barriers, and to make MS therapies more affordable. Creating a national registry like this one will help achieve these critical goals and provide consistency and coordination in the care of those living with MS.

"Finally, we must always remember that behind every statistic is the face of a family member or friend. We have a shared responsibility to offer help and hope. There is no better time than now to begin offering it."

www.http://burgess.house.gov