Houlahan Joins Bi-Partisan Effort for Better Breast Cancer Screenings for U.S. Servicemembers

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the office of U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan.

Local U.S. Rep Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th Dist. has joined a bipartisan and bicameral effort to improve breast cancer screenings for U.S. servicemembers.

She joined and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY, and Senators Martha McSally, R-AZ, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, in introducing the  Better and Robust Screening Today (BRST) Act.

The Better and Robust Screening Today Act requires the Department of Defense to cover the most effective breast cancer screening option: Digital Breast Tomosynthesis, also known as DBT or 3D mammography. DBT is already covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and almost all other traditional health care plans. Currently, the defense department only covers DBT as a secondary option, after there is an issue with the first, traditional scan.

“Our active duty servicemembers, military family members, and veterans should have access to quality health care,” said Houlahan. “The BRST Act marks an important step in addressing the gaps in TRICARE, which covers millions in our military community. DBT Mammography is the best screening for breast cancer we have for women with dense breast tissue. TRICARE should include coverage for this service so that both those who’ve served and their families have the best chance at early detection. I’m proud of this bipartisan and bicameral legislation borne from the minds of women veterans in Congress.”

The number of women in the Armed Forces continues to grow at a rapid pace. In 1973, at the end of the draft, women represented a mere two percent of the enlisted forces and eight percent of the officer corps. Today, those numbers have significantly increased to 16 percent and 18 percent respectively.

Click here to read the Better and Robust Screening Today Act.

On July 19th, Houlahan led a letter that was signed by 50 bipartisan Members of Congress to the Honorable Thomas McCaffery, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs urging the Military Health System (MHS) to address the disparity in breast cancer screening coverage that is putting the lives of our nation’s servicemembers, military family members, and veterans at risk.

The Sixth District includes all of Chester County and a portion of southeast Berks County.

Computer scientists, jewelers and counterintelligence officers, Pottstown graduates all

From left, honorees and their student presenters: Miranda Somich with Ann Shaner accepting for her husband; Andrew Gazzillo with John Gibsion; Cathy Calhoun with Jasheel Brown; Aram Ecker President of Alumni Honor Roll Committee accepting for Robert Davidheiser with Megan Schmidt.

Four more Pottstown High School graduates were added to the Alumni Honor Roll Friday morning.
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They are, the late David Shaner, class of 1952; Robert B. Davidheiser Sr., Ph.D, class of 1969; Cathy Calhoun, class of 1970 and John R. Gibson, class of 1975.

As always, the honorees who could attend were recognized in an assembly in the high school auditorium which was attended by the entire student body.

Following are the bios provided in the assembly program:

David Shaner

Shaner received a Bachelor of Science degree from Kutztown University and a Master of Fine Arts in ceramic design from Alfred University.

He served as an assistant professor of art at the University of Illinois before moving his family west to Montana, where he director the Archie Bray Foundation, steering it to financial stability, maintaining the facility and continuing its vision to provide serious ceramic artists a place to perfect their craft.

For more than three decades, he made ceramic pottery in his studio and shared his expertise through workshops at numerous universities and art centers across the country.

He leaves a legacy of artwork gracing may homes and art museums. His love and commitment to art, music, gardening and nature and his stewardship of the environment touched and enriched the lives of many friends and colleagues.

His wife Ann accepted the award for Shaner.

Robert B. Davidheiser Sr., Ph.D.

Davidheiser received his bachelor and master of science degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California and in 1994, a Ph.D. in both engineering and computer science from LsSalle University.

He designed and installed the background music at Disney World, EPCOT Center.

Davidhsieser also represented the United States in Geneva, Switzerland for his research and inventions in the field of audio and speech pathology.

While working at AT&T, he invented, designed and implemented satellite, land global telecommunications and computer achitectures.

He developed the standardized computer operating system UNIX and Network Protocols for tyhe Department of Defense, US Customs and the US Postal Service systems.

Davidheiser also supervised the design, system assurance and installation of Air Force One's Global Telecommunications System under the Reagan administration.

In 1994, he was instrument in the development and launching of the IBM Worldwide Internet Divisions and coordinated the customer technology launch of the Disney IntroVentions Center in Orlando.

In 2005, Davidheiser retired from IBM where he directed the Division of Strategies for Emerging Technologies and the use of intelligence agents for voice, security and encryption.

In 20120, he accepted a position with Hewlett Packard as director of enterprise architectures, where he works today as a worldwide solutions architect

A family emergency prevented him from attending the ceremony.

Cathy Calhoun

Calhoun graduating from the Gemological Institute of America as a certified gemologist appraiser.

She is the president of the American Gem Society and in 2009, was selected as the Pennsylvania Jewler of the Year.

In addition to owning Calhoun's Jewelry in Royersford, she owns Avanti Development, a commercial land development company, Main Street Cafe and Spring City Elderly Housing.

She is a board member of the Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, Jewelers for Children and the Women's Jewelry Association.

Calhoun has appeared on numerous television programs including PBS' Antique Road Show, Good Morning America and World News Tonight.

Aside from her passion for jewelry, Calhoun is a first degree black belt in karate, a license private pilot, scuba diver, gem hunter and road rally driver.

John R. Gibson

In 1995, almost 20 years to the day after graduating from Pottstown High School, Gibson received his BS from the University of Maryland in police science.

Four years later, he was awarded an MS degree in administration from Central Michigan University.

Gibson is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College, Air War College and the Executive Development Leadership Program.

Gibson has also received training as a Spanish linguist, having graduated from the Presidio of Montery, Calif.

He began his Air Force career as a security policeman and, in 1984, was accepted into the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Program as a special agent.

His years of service have included tours in Japan, Honduras, Kuwait, Iraq, Germany and Italy.

As a senior County Intelligence Resource Manager for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, he has been involved with conducting felony level criminal, fraud and counter-intelligence investigations and operations for the Air Force.

As a senior manager, Gibson was responsible for the direct supervision and effective management of extensive classified counter intelligence budget and manpower information.

Following his service in the military, he was hired as a civilian special agent serving in the Pentagon.










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