Schwartz to Receive Health Care Award

from the inbox:

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz will receive the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s C. Everett Koop Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of being a leading voice in Washington for children, working tirelessly to ensure coverage and access to quality, affordable health care. She will receive the award at the Kids Come First Gala Dinner: The Children’s Hospitals of the Future on October 14th at 7 p.m.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award from CHOP and I am very proud of our long partnership striving to ensure that all children have access to high-quality health care,” Schwartz said. “As one of the leading health care providers for children in the country, CHOP has played a tremendous role in pioneering pediatric research, advocating for insurance coverage for their patients, training the next generation of pediatricians, and giving every family the best possible care. It is truly rewarding to be recognized by this institution and for work that I care so passionately about and I will continue to fight for children and families in Pennsylvania and across the country.”

“Throughout her career, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz has sought to improve the lives of children through advocacy and public health policy,” said Steven M. Altschuler, M.D., chief executive officer of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “She introduced and advocated for the Children’s Health Protection Act, which prohibits employers and insurers from imposing pre-existing condition limitations on children, a policy that is now law. She has also championed the issues of healthy lunches in public schools, affordable high-quality child care for working parents, free preventive health care, and training America’s health care workforce—all of which contribute to the health and well-being of children and their families”

As a state Senator, Schwartz spearheaded Pennsylvania’s legislative efforts to provide health care coverage to children of middle-class families. Her leadership led to the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in 1992, which served as the model for the federal plan that now provides health insurance to millions of children.

For her continued work to improve the lives of children and families, Schwartz has also recently received the Best of Congress Award by Corporate Voices for Working Families and Working Mother Media and was named “Defender of Children” by First Focus Campaign for Children.

The C. Everett Koop Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2007 by the board of trustees of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to be given to a health care professional or advocate for substantial and lifetime national or international achievements in the field of child health and wellness that positively affects the lives of children and their families.