[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE CENTRAL APPALACHIA HEALTH WAGON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 24, 2019

  Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Central 
Appalachia Health Wagon's 20th annual Remote Area Medical Wise 
Expedition clinic, taking place from June 28 to June 30. Since 1980, 
the Health Wagon has provided a wide range of free mobile health 
services to medically underserved areas in Southwest Virginia.
  Central Appalachia Health Wagon has partnered extensively with the 
Remote Area Medical since 1998, which was founded by the late Stan 
Brock. Today, it continues to serve as the largest health outreach of 
its kind in the United States and has been providing care to Southwest 
Virginia and the surrounding region for over 19 years.
  In 2017 alone, the Remote Area Medical Wise Expedition provided free 
dental, medical, and eye care to over 3,000 patients, administering 
$1.4 million in value of medical care to uninsured and underinsured 
Southwest Virginians. The poverty rate among the population served by 
the Health Wagon is 70 percent to 140 percent higher than in the rest 
of Virginia; by delivering health care services to those most in need; 
the Health Wagon has played a vital role in addressing the substantial 
health care disparities in the region.
  I am proud to honor the Central Appalachia Health Wagon and its 
Remote Area Medical Wise Expedition clinic in its 20th year of service, 
and to recognize the doctors, nurses, dentists, and volunteers who have 
dedicated their time and energy to serving the people of Southwest 
Virginia.

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