PRINTER'S NO. 1908
No. 317 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, MELLOW, BRIGHTBILL, WAGNER, MUSTO, KITCHEN, THOMPSON, STOUT, COSTA, EARLL, SCHWARTZ, TARTAGLIONE, RAFFERTY, KASUNIC, WENGER, PIPPY, DENT, ARMSTRONG, BOSCOLA, LOGAN, CONTI, ERICKSON, WONDERLING, GREENLEAF, FERLO, STACK AND LAVALLE, NOVEMBER 8, 2004
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, NOVEMBER 8, 2004
A RESOLUTION 1 Recognizing the week of October 12 through 20, 2004, as 2 "National Bone and Joint Decade Awareness Week" in 3 Pennsylvania. 4 WHEREAS, Musculoskeletal (bone and joint) disorders such as 5 arthritis, back pain, childhood musculoskeletal conditions, 6 osteoporosis and major limb trauma pose a significant and 7 increasing burden on American citizens; and 8 WHEREAS, Patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions, 9 health care professionals who care for those patients, including 10 orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists and physical therapists, 11 and medical and patient health associations are joining together 12 to advance the understanding and treatment of musculoskeletal 13 disorders through prevention, education and research; and 14 WHEREAS, Musculoskeletal conditions adversely affect the 15 occupational and social lives of millions of people throughout 16 this Commonwealth and one in every seven Americans, costing 17 billions of dollars in treatments and lost productivity; and
1 WHEREAS, The more the public and patients learn about 2 prevention activities, the better able they are to prevent a 3 musculoskeletal disorder; and 4 WHEREAS, The more patients with a musculoskeletal disorder 5 learn about treatment options, the better able they are to work 6 with their health care professional in determining the best 7 course of action; and 8 WHEREAS, The United Nations, the World Health Organization 9 and 37 countries have proclaimed the time period 2000 through 10 2010 as the Bone and Joint Decade; and 11 WHEREAS, This global initiative is intended to improve the 12 lives of people with musculoskeletal disorders and to advance 13 understanding and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders through 14 prevention, education and research; and 15 WHEREAS, The ten-year global initiative launched by United 16 Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan urges governments around 17 the world to start taking action to draw attention to the 18 growing pervasiveness and impact of musculoskeletal diseases and 19 to reduce the social and financial burdens to society; and 20 WHEREAS, On March 21, 2002, the President of the United 21 States proclaimed the years 2002 through 2011 the National Bone 22 and Joint Decade, recognizing the importance of promoting a 23 healthy musculoskeletal structure for all people from childhood 24 through adulthood; therefore be it 25 RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the week of October 12 26 through 20, 2004, as "National Bone and Joint Decade Awareness 27 Week" in Pennsylvania; and be it further 28 RESOLVED, That during this week the communities and citizens 29 of this Commonwealth be encouraged to organize activities to 30 promote awareness of musculoskeletal conditions, prevention 20040S0317R1908 - 2 -
1 strategies and treatment options. I30L82DMS/20040S0317R1908 - 3 -