Bill > H7470

This resolution celebrates February 3, 2026, as "National Women Physicians Day" in Rhode Island, honoring the significant achievements and ongoing contributions of female physicians. The day commemorates the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States in 1849, who advocated for women's participation in medicine and established a medical college for women. The resolution also highlights the accomplishments of Dr. Velma Scantlebury-White, the first Black woman transplant surgeon in the U.S., and acknowledges the growing presence of women in the medical field, noting that they now constitute a significant portion of physicians and are the majority of medical school applicants, while also recognizing the persistent pay gap between male and female physicians. The resolution further directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy to the President of the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Medical Women's Association (RIMWA), a professional organization for women physicians.

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