North Egypt News

Senator Terri Bryant shared her visit to Chicago for the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL) 2024 Healthcare Summit, saying, "Gleaned a lot of important new information on pressing healthcare issues." She made the statement in an Aug. 2 Facebook post.

"Spending a few days in Chicago at the National Foundation of Women Legislators 2024 Healthcare Summit," said Bryant, Illinois State Senator (R-Murphysboro), according to Facebook. "Gleaned a lot of important new information on pressing healthcare issues. Proud of my friend Senator Sue Rezin, the 2024 NFWL President. In attendance from the Illinois Legislature were Sen. Sue Rezin, Sen. Christina Castro, Rep. Jackie Haas and yours truly."

The Healthcare Summit was held in Chicago over two days, Aug. 1 and 2. It included speakers such as Mary Bartlett, a patient advocate for Teva Pharmaceuticals; Jamie Belsito, founder of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance; Sara D. Brown, MPA, Director of Government Affairs at Prevent Blindness; and 23 others, including Sen. Sue Rezin, who is a past president of the NFWL organization.

Screenshot of Sen. Terri Bryant's Aug. 2 Facebook post | Senator Terri Bryant's Facebook page

During the two-day event, there were podcast recordings and a leadership academy focused on CliftonStrengths and how participants can use their strengths as identified with CliftonStrengths’ assessment. There were also opportunities for networking and talks on the Essential Healthcare Impact of Caregiving, patient assistance programs, maternal mental health, healthier pregnancies with diabetes education and innovation, and various round tables on Day 1.

According to the draft agenda on the event website, Day 2 included a networking breakfast, five rotating round tables, and discussions on topics such as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and pricing transparency, adult vaccines and their importance, obesity policy options for better health goals, rare diseases and kidney health.

The National Foundation of Women Legislators was founded in 1938 and has served as a forum for elected women across the country at city, county, and state levels. The NFWL does not have dues and is a non-partisan nonprofit organization. It is the oldest organization for elected women in the country and the only one to include women at city, county ,and state levels while encouraging members to form connections across party lines.

Bryant has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2014; in 2020 she was elected to the state senate. Outside of state government, Bryant has two decades of experience with the Illinois Department of Corrections and was politically active before her election to the House of Representatives. According to her official biography, she served as a precinct committee woman, vice president of the Jackson County Republican Women’s Club, and as Second Vice-Chair of the Jackson County Republican Central Committee.