Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Visiting Patients in the Second District


Photo of the Week

 Photo by Tyler Douglas | The Daily Record

This week, I toured Angier Dialysis in Harnett County where I was able to talk with health care providers and patients about the work they are doing. Scroll down to hear more about my visit to this Center.

 

Weekly Update:
The August District work period provides the perfect opportunity to visit with constituents and swing in local businesses and facilities. This week, I had the opportunity to visit the Fresenius Medical Care Dialysis facility in Angier, North Carolina. I received a brief tour and attended a round-table discussion on treatments for kidney disease in the U.S. We discussed legislation in Congress, H.R. 1130, which would open up funding for chronic kidney disease research. It was wonderful to speak directly to patients and hear how their treatment is going. The staff at the facility was fantastic! Click here to read more about my visit to the Angier Dialysis Center.

The other week I had the opportunity to interview with The Sanford Herald on my efforts to delay deactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing located at Pope Army Airfield. This misguided decision, stemming from the Air Force, will mean thousands of lost jobs and result in families moving away from our community – the impact on the local economy would be devastating. I have worked tirelessly with my colleagues in the House and Senate to prevent deactivation of this Wing, and we were pleased when the Air Force announced a one year delay.

I was honored to see the Editorial Board at The Sanford Herald write a positive review on my efforts to save this Wing. In their article, they detail why the community outside of Fayetteville should be concerned with the proposal for deactivation. I hope you’ll take a moment to read this piece here.

I am grateful for the continued opportunity to serve you. Please contact my offices if we can ever do anything to assist you.

 

My Visit to Angier Dialysis Center
 


On Wednesday I toured Angier Dialysis in Harnett County. As a nurse, it was great to speak directly to patients about how their treatments were going and hear of any hiccups they had experienced along the way. Visits like these take me back to the days when I was working in a hospital setting with patients one-on-one.

I enjoyed meeting with David Wells, Director of Operations, Jeffrey Perritano, Regional Vice President and Perry Buchalter, Vice President of Strategic Development, at Fresenius’ Angier facility. Together we discussed kidney disease treatment and legislation related to chronic kidney disease research.

 

Sanford Herald: 440th Airlift Wing has friend in Ellmers
The following is an excerpt from the August 14, 2015 editorial in the Sanford Herald:

“Sitting down recently with The Herald, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers had a pressing matter on her mind.

The second-term congresswoman is waging dozens of battles on many fronts — ranging from Medicare to human trafficking. But lately, she’s directed a fair amount of grit to preserving the 440th Airlift Wing based at Fort Bragg.

Ellmers’s camp reached out to us specifically on the issue of the 440th, recognizing that the implications of its deactivation — announced in March 2014 — would extend far beyond Fayetteville and the behemoth base. Indeed, as she has told the media and testified before Congress, the impending closure is a threat to national security and military readiness.

The 440th’s C-130s are the 82nd Airborne Division’s main mode of transport. If the 440th shut down, Ellmers said C-130s would have to be flown in from other bases for training and other purposes as required. We’re not the first to note the irony — and abject stupidity — of removing every plane from the home of the 82nd Airborne.”

Click here to read the full editorial.

 

More Snapshots from the District

On Monday, a representative from my office attended a XVIII Airborne Corps Change of Responsibility ceremony in which Command Sergeant Major Isaia Vimoto relinquished responsibility to Command Sergeant Major Benjamin Jones.


Habitat for Humanity of the NC Sandhills held a breakfast in Southern Pines this week in which Executive Director Amie Fraley and Habitat Haiti National Director Claude Jeudy talked about what they are doing to provide affordable housing solutions to our community and beyond.


The above picture is also from the Change of Command ceremony. This ceremony took place Monday morning on Ft. Bragg in which General Mark A. Milley, Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command, relinquished command to LTG(P) Robert B. Abrams. We are blessed to have such courageous men and women serving our country in these leadership positions.