Pallone Participates in Roundtable with Nation’s Top Public Health Leaders in Lancaster, PA

LANCASTER, PA – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) participated in a roundtable discussion at Lancaster Farm and Home Center in Lancaster, PA. The roundtable’s discussion is part of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s 21st Century Cures initiative, which seeks to examine the steps Congress can take to accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices that treat or cure diseases in the United States.

“As we search for better ways to bring treatments to patients, our committee is in a unique position to help move our country’s health care system into the 21st century,” said Congressman Pallone. “We must continue working together to improve the delivery of health care in the United States and ensure that innovative treatments and cures are getting to patients quickly. I appreciate Jennifer Westdyke joining us today to share her invaluable insights as both a parent and an advocate, and I thank Chairman Pitts for bringing us together for this bipartisan discussion.”

Congressman Pallone, a senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, joined other leading national, regional and local public health officials in the public and private sector, including Congressman Fred Upton, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Congressman Joe Pitts, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and others.

Congressman Pallone was joined at the roundtable by Jennifer Westdyke of Edison, NJ, whose son suffers from a medical condition called hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a lifelong condition that is characterized by the buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling. The causes of hydrocephalus are still not well understood. Ms. Westdyke is also the Treasurer of the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation, which a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness, finding a cure for hydrocephalus and ensuring that those who suffer from this condition are able to lead normal, productive lives.