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[Pages H4434-H4435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DELAYED DIAGNOSIS DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, during the coronavirus
pandemic, American doctors, nurses, technicians, and first responders
have cared for patients day in and day out. On the front lines, medical
teams have worked tirelessly to care for the coronavirus patients under
extraordinary circumstances.
Across the country, we formed a united front against an invisible
enemy as medical professions of all stripes pitched in to help, from
volunteering their time to donating valuable personal protective
equipment to the emergency rooms, the hospitals, and the organizations
that needed it the most.
As Americans were asked to stay at home, teams quickly transitioned
to telemedicine to provide vital care to vulnerable populations. They
took the initiative and developed creative solutions to ensure that
patients could receive the care that they so much need.
During this crisis, America's medical community has stepped up during
and throughout to provide care and save lives. They truly, too, are
heroes.
Now, the work continues. We must acknowledge a secondary healthcare
crisis that is occurring in our Nation.
Beginning in March, many hospitals, under the direction of national,
State, and local authorities, postponed elective procedures with the
goal of slowing the spread of the virus and saving the precious PPE and
supplies for those who needed it the most.
Americans, following stay-at-home orders, delayed important medical
care, and subsequently, too many have suffered negative healthcare
outcomes that could have been prevented.
Earlier this spring, I wrote a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Tom
Wolf, urging him and his administration to prioritize the comprehensive
health needs of all Pennsylvanians during this crisis.
In my experience alone, I have heard tragic stories from colleagues
whose patients have died from cardiac emergencies, from drug overdoses,
and from other negative outcomes that could have been prevented.
Six months into this crisis, we are facing an imminent need to
restore America's full access to care, including preventive screenings.
My good friend and colleague, Dr. Bruce Waldholtz, is a
gastroenterologist and also a longtime volunteer leader of the American
Cancer Society. Dr. Waldholtz, as a cancer survivor himself,
understands firsthand that a doctor, a patient, needs preventative
healthcare.
As he told me this week: ``Due to the COVID restrictions, all
nonemergency colonoscopies were canceled for several months. Literally,
hundreds of patients in our practice had their colonoscopies canceled.
This delay, compounded nationally, will result in less screening and an
increase in colon cancer cases right now and in years ahead.''
Colonoscopies and other preventative screenings save lives. Elective
procedures are not unnecessary, and in
[[Page H4435]]
many cases, they find disease early before they can become metastatic
and cancerous and spread.
Today, many doctors are playing catch-up as they seek to safely
provide care to their patients. As I said, the work continues.
I urge Americans: Talk to your doctors and schedule the lifesaving
screenings that can definitely make a difference in your healthcare.
As we continue to combat the coronavirus crisis and its many
ramifications, I thank our medical teams for their unwavering
dedication to American patients. Despite the obstacles we face,
together, we can improve Americans' access to the quality healthcare
and, together, we can save lives.
____________________