Wilton Democratic Town Committee

An Update from State Representative Peggy Reeves

Peggy Reeves

As health care reform continues to be debated in Washington, I was proud to support legislation here at home that will improve outcomes for Connecticut residents afflicted with three diseases: breast cancer, Lyme disease, and cystic fibrosis.

Breast Cancer Screening Tests

New legislation (PA 09-41) will promote earlier detection of breast cancer.Breast cancer will strike approximately 3,000 Connecticut women this year. In fact, Connecticut has one of the highest rates of new breast cancer cases in the US. I’ve watched it affect my friends, my neighbors and my younger sister, who was diagnosed earlier this year. Women with dense breast tissue, such as my sister, are more at risk for cancer because it may be difficult for mammograms to detect small abnormalities. Other screening tests, however, can detect these small abnormalities.

This new legislation (PA 09-41) will promote earlier detection of breast cancer by ensuring that patients with dense breast tissue are notified of their risk and are advised of supplemental screening tests when they have their annual mammograms.

Lyme Disease

Informed by the experiences of my husband, my daughter, and many of my neighbors, I testified at a public hearing at the Capitol in February regarding the difficulty of being properly diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease.

I was proud to co-introduce An Act Concerning the Use of Long-Term Antibiotics for the Treatment of Lyme Disease (PA 09-128). Working with the Department of Public Health, we crafted a law that will give doctors the flexibility to prescribe long-term antibiotic therapy in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients who have been clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease. This bill has become a model for other states; Massachusetts and Minnesota are considering similar legislation.

Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis impacts one in every 3,500 newborns; about 30,000 children and adults in the US have cystic fibrosis. It is the most common inherited fatal disease among Caucasians. Because it is a genetic disease, millions more are carriers and may not even know it. That was the case in my own family when my aunt married a man who also carried the recessive gene and their daughter, my cousin, died before her first birthday.

We now know that early screening and detection saves lives and improves the length and quality of life for those with cystic fibrosis. Medical research has shown that waiting until symptoms appear significantly increases the rate of complications and morbidity. That’s why it is so important that we passed legislation this year to require all hospitals to test for cystic fibrosis in newborns (PA 09-20). Surprisingly, Connecticut was one of only two states in the nation (the other being Texas) that did not require newborn screening for cystic fibrosis. Thanks to this new legislation, babies born with cystic fibrosis today in Connecticut will have a better chance for a healthier future.

Many thanks to those who advocated for the passage of these laws. I am always interested to hear from my constituents about health issues, or any other concerns. Your views are valuable to me because they help me focus on what is important for the people of the district. It continues to be an honor and privilege to represent you in Hartford.

Peggy Reeves
State Representative
143^rd Assembly District