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2016 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 208
Commending the Virginia Urological Society.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, March 10, 2016
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2016
 

WHEREAS, for 28 years, the Virginia Urological Society has promoted the highest standards of urological clinical care through education and research and informed patients through its established public awareness campaigns; and

WHEREAS, thousands of Virginians are affected by bladder diseases and conditions, including urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, underactive bladder, interstitial cystitis, nocturia, urinary tract infections, bladder cancer, urotrauma, and neurogenic bladder; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Urological Society works tirelessly to treat patients throughout the Commonwealth who suffer from these bladder diseases and conditions; bladder diseases and conditions result in costs estimated at over $70 billion annually in the United States; and

WHEREAS, bladder diseases and conditions have a significant impact on health and quality of life, contributing to depression, social isolation, falls, loss of self-esteem, hospitalizations, nursing home admissions, and even death; and

WHEREAS, bladder problems are highly stigmatized, and open dialogue generated by awareness and education can reduce the stigma and empower providers and patients to have much-needed conversations about bladder health; and

WHEREAS, the need for increased medical and behavioral research to understand better and maintain bladder health and treat bladder diseases is critical, yet poorly recognized; and

WHEREAS, bladder diseases and conditions are common in military veterans; one in three young women veterans report overactive bladder, stress urinary incontinence, or other painful bladder symptoms; and

WHEREAS, more than three-quarters of veterans with spinal cord injuries suffer from neurogenic bladder, and bladder cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among Veterans Health Administration patients; and

WHEREAS, more than one in 10 military service members injured in Afghanistan and Iraq have urotrauma injuries (damage to the urinary tract or reproductive organs), and while urotrauma may not be as visible as amputations or as widely discussed as post-traumatic stress disorder, it is no less physically and psychologically debilitating; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Urological Society is celebrating its 28th anniversary as the leading voice on bladder health in the Commonwealth and is working to educate and treat patients and collaborate with other providers to emphasize the importance of early identification and the availability of treatment options; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Virginia Urological Society on the occasion of its 28th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Virginia Urological Society as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the organization’s work for the last 28 years to help raise awareness and educate patients throughout the Commonwealth on the importance of bladder health.