Dr. Nancy Milliken is Honored with a Congressional Record

House of Representatives

IN RECOGNITION OF THE RETIREMENT OF NANCY MILLIKEN, MD

HON. NANCY PELOSI AND HON. JACKIE SPEIER

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 22, 2022

M. Speaker, I rise alongside Congresswoman Jackie Speier to recognize the outstanding service and trailblazing career of Dr. Nancy Milliken in celebration of her well-earned retirement.  As the Founding Director of the National Center of Excellence in Women's Health at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Milliken has touched the lives of women in San Francisco and across the nation.  Her long and storied career has been defined by selfless service and unwavering devotion to the dignity of every patient.

Educated at Harvard University and Duke University Medical School, Dr. Milliken began her career facing indifference toward and underinvestment in women's health - among those in the medical field and in society at large.  Equipped with a sharp intellect and a lifelong talent for speaking truth to power, she made it her mission to build a fairer, healthier future for women and girls.

In 1996, she helped UCSF establish one of the nation's first centers of excellence in women's health, spearheading efforts to strengthen medical training through clinical care, education, research, community engagement and leadership.  These efforts continue to have a daily impact on the health of local women, including through the coordinated care provided at two clinics in San Francisco.

Under Dr. Milliken's leadership, the Center has also worked with community organizations across the country to open doors to quality, affordable health care.  Partnering with a school district in Jackson, Mississippi, the Center helped provide education and physical activity programs to local students and residents.  And in Grand Forks, North Dakota, it worked with a local clinic to provide critical resources for survivors of intimate partner violence.

Among her peers, Dr. Milliken is renowned for her courage and resilience.  While organizing a conference with other centers of excellence, she led the charge to host practitioner workshops covering topics viewed by some as taboo, including abortion and lesbian health.  In the face of much resistance, she successfully fought to ensure that attendees could access comprehensive educational sessions on these important subjects.

Always looking to the future, she has also worked to prepare the next generation of women's health practitioners.  In partnership with Congresswoman Speier, Dr. Milliken has helped educate more that 10,000 high school students through the Young Women's Health and Leadership Summit - an annual event organized by and for the young women of San Francisco.

Rarely seeking the spotlight, Dr. Milliken is more interested in her long-term impact than accolades or titles.  She readily shares credit and eagerly mentors those seeking to follow in her footsteps.  Yet her remarkable achievements have been recognized by an array of professional and community organizations, including the Academy of Women's Health, the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Hunters Point Family.

Right now, women across our country are bracing for a Supreme Court decision that will dramatically restrict our constitutional rights and health freedoms.  As we confront this challenge, our nation is blessed by the warriors trained by Dr. Milliken, who are prepared to defend the health and welfare of American women.

Congress and the Country salute the committed service of this brilliant researcher, doctor, leader and friend, and we wish her all the best as she prepares for a deeply deserved retirement.