I know that it isn't just violence against women it's how do we support ourselves and our families how do we deal with health care for ourselves and our families? It's a bigger picture.

I want to thank the efforts of the American Public Health Association and its 200-plus partners who have organized events around the Nation that serve to raise everyone's awareness of the need to improve public health.

Research clearly shows us that the earlier women think about maintaining their bone mass and take the steps to do so the better their health will be in the long run.

Unfortunately we are still in an age where individuals may be discriminated against because of health conditions.

Therefore in medicine we ought to know the causes of sickness and health.

As grateful as we are for all the work the community health centers do it is also important that we recognize that they cannot solve the health care crisis facing our Nation by themselves.

Community health centers do a great deal with limited resources. They provide critical medical care services to many who would otherwise have no other place to go or would end up in an emergency room.

Each and every day health centers provide high-quality primary and preventive care to our constituents.

In Illinois community migrant homeless and public housing health centers operate 268 primary care sites and serve close to 1 million patients every year.

We need a vibrant Medicaid program and strategies to expand affordable access to health care for all especially for the specialty care services that community health centers do not provide.