First lady visits Phila. hospital

Hillary Rodham Clinton continued her crusade for health care reform yesterday when she and Tipper Gore visited St. Agnes Medical Center in South Philadelphia. The first lady arrived at the hospital at 10 a.m. and greeted hospital workers. She then attended a fact-finding meeting with the hospital's administration and some of the staff. St. Agnes spokesperson Connie Hofman said that she felt the first lady's philosophy was very similar to the "universal access" ideal pursued by St. Agnes herself. The medical center attempts to provide "universal access" to medical care for all people regardless of cost. "Universal access is a major tenent of health care reform which we are focusing on," said Hofmann. "[Clinton and her task force are] in a real fact finding stage of the game at this point, and that's why she wanted to come out to the hospital." Clinton, who is the head of a presidential task force on the nation's health insurance system, came to gain insight into issues facing health care reform in urban centers. Hoffman said she was excited that the first lady chose to visit St. Agnes. "We are really honored and very pleased to have been a part of the visit," Hofmann said. Hoffman said that Clinton showed real care for the patients at the hospital. "Following that meeting, she did go down to physical therapy and talk to the patients," she said. The nation currently has a $940-billion health care industry in which many, especially the poor and those without insurance, do not receive adequate medical coverage. President Clinton assigned his wife and her task force the chore of drafting legislation by May that will stabilize the costs of health care, and make adequate medical attention attainable for all Americans. In Pennsylvania, health care reform was the hallmark of Sen. Harris Wofford's campaign. Following their visit to St. Agnes, Clinton and Gore attended a health care conference Wofford organized at Pennsylvania State University's Harrisburg campus. The Associated Press contributed to this story.