First Lady Pool Reports of February 7, 2024

FLOTUS pool report 1 - background

Good morning all. I will be your pooler for the First Lady's event today in Atlanta highlighting the White House initiative on women's health research.

The First Lady's team shares the below information about the event on background:

REPORTABLE BACKGROUND FROM THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY?

On Wednesday, February 7th, as part of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Atlanta, Georgia to highlight the importance of women's health research and private and public sector efforts to accelerate progress on women's health. ?The First Lady will first deliver remarks at the Morehouse School of Medicine's 2024 Women's Heart Healthy Luncheon, where she will spotlight women's heart health. Dr. Biden will later participate in a listening session on women's health research at Coda at Tech Square with local leaders from the private and public sectors.

Airport Arrival
At 11:45 AM, the First Lady and Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. They will be greeted by:

• Mayor Andre Dickens, City of Atlanta
• Jeffrey Turner, Chairman, Clayton County Board of Commissioners

Morehouse School of Medicine's 2024 Women's Heart Healthy Luncheon
At 12:30 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at the 13th annual Women's Heart Healthy Luncheon, hosted by the Morehouse School of Medicine's Women with Heart initiative at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. The annual luncheon raises funds for Women with Heart, a volunteer organization established in 2009 by former first lady of Morehouse School of Medicine, Eilene Maupin, to provide student scholarship funds, promote healthy lifestyles, and increase community awareness of heart health and cardiovascular disease. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Women with Heart initiative.

The remarks program will include the following speakers:

• Karyn Greer, Emcee and News Anchor, WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News
• Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President, Morehouse School of Medicine
• First Lady Jill Biden

Atlanta Listening Session on Women's Health Research
At 1:15 PM, the First Lady will participate in a listening session on women's health research at Coda at Tech Square in Atlanta, Georgia with local leaders from the private and public sectors who are working to accelerate progress on women's health. These leaders include women's health investors, researchers, and advocates, as well as the city's leading economic development official.

The listening session will include the following participants:

• First Lady Jill Biden
• Dr. Carolyn Mazure, Moderator and Chair of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research
• Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, Director of the National Institutes of Health
• Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President, Morehouse School of Medicine
• Maria Toler, Founding Partner, SteelSky Ventures
• Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO, Invest Atlanta
• Stefanie Diaz, Manager, Industry Discovery and Research, Catalyst by Wellstar
• Dr. Tene Lewis, Epidemiology professor and women's health researcher, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
• Linda Goler Blount, President and Chief Executive Officer, Black Women's Health Imperative
• Dr. April Spencer, a breast cancer surgeon

Background?on the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research:
Launched by the President and the First Lady in November 2023, the?White House Initiative on Women's Health Research [whitehouse.gov]?aims to?fundamentally change how we approach and fund women's health research. The effort?will galvanize the Federal government as well as the private and philanthropic sectors to spur innovation, unleash transformative investment to close research gaps, and improve women's health.
This first-of-its-kind effort is led by First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council. The Initiative is chaired by Dr. Carolyn Mazure, an esteemed leader in the field of women's health research.

As a first step, through a Presidential Memorandum, the President directed his Administration to:

• Establish an Initiative consisting of executive departments and agencies across the Federal government.?Initiative members include Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, and White House offices, such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. ?
• Deliver concrete recommendations to advance women's health research.?Initiative members are recommending concrete actions that the Biden-Harris Administration can take to improve how research on women's health is conducted and maximize the Administration's investments in women's health research, including to address health disparities and inequities.
• Take a targeted, high-impact approach.?To deliver results quickly, Initiative members will set priority areas of focus where additional investments could be transformative—in areas of research ranging from heart attacks in women to menopause.
• Engage the scientific, private sector, and philanthropic communities.?The Initiative will explore new public-private partnerships and engage private and philanthropic leaders to drive innovation and ensure the combined power of public, private, and philanthropic sectors advances research on women's health.

The motorcade departed the White House at 9:35am. Your pooler did not see FLOTUS before departure.

It was an uneventful ride to JBA. FLOTUS boarded the plane at 9:57am wearing a bright red coat and matching high heels. We were wheels up at 10:11am.

We touched down at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta at 11:28am. FLOTUS de-planes at 11:39 was greeted by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Jeffrey Turner, Chairman, Clayton County Board of Commissioners. FLOTUS chatted with them for a few minutes and took a photo. Your pooler could not hear their conversation.

Your pool was loaded into a press van and departed the airport at 11:41 en route to the luncheon.

FLOTUS pool report #3 - luncheon

Your pool pulled up to Georgia Aquarium at 11:54. There were a few groups of bystanders along the motorcade route cheering and waving.

We entered the ballroom at 11:59 to a sea of women dressed in red, seated at round tables with a view of the aquarium's famous whale shark tank opposite the stage. Some beluga whales were swimming in another tank to the left of the stage.

The First Lady walked onstage at 12:31pm with Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President of Morehouse School of Medicine.

She began her remarks at 12:35.
She acknowledged the whales in their tank saying "I love this venue. Where else could you see these whales?"

She called out the differences women and men face when seeking medical care, and particularly women of color.
"We have to turn our knowledge in to action and to do that we need to understand heart disease in women and study it more."

She noted that "too many medical studies have focused on men and left women out" and added that gaps in research are even greater for communities of color and women with disabilities.

The First Lady highlighted the White House initiative on women's health research announced in November and applauded Morehouse's work and said "I am here because Joe and I want to be your partners in this and we are proud to join you in this fight."

Remarks concluded at 12:43 and your pool was loaded into the press van at 12:46 headed to the listening session.

FLOTUS pool report #4 - listening session

Your pool arrived at Coda at Tech Square at 12:51.

FLOTUS participated in a photo line while press were escorted into the room for the listening session. There were about 30 people seated in the audience.

The First Lady took her seat at the table at 1:03pm.

She began her opening remarks at 1:05. She again noted how women are often left out of research studies and said too many studies are focused on men and their bodies.
"My husband Joe understands that," she said, adding "We have a clear goal: to fundamentally change how we approach and fund women's health."

FLOTUS noted that Atlanta has been working on women's health research for decades and said "I know this city will remain at the forefront of this work."

She concluded saying "together we will build a future where women - all women - aren't just an after-thought, but a first thought. Where health care meets the needs of everyone."

She finished her opening remarks at 1:08pm

After listening to opening remarks from the other panelists, there was a discussion about a lack of women's health research stemming from a lack of female representation among venture capitalist firms investing in scientific studies.

The First Lady highlighted the Biden administration's commitment to equity in its funding projects "We are giving a lot more money to women of color to start businesses, to get access to capital."

The panel concluded at 1:51. Pool was escorted out at 1:54. FLOTUS was still in the room when we left. Your pooler saw FLOTUS' vehicle join the motorcade at 2:01pm and full motorcade rolled to back to the airport.

FLOTUS pool report #5 - Departure

The motorcade arrived back at Hartsfield-Jackson airport at 2:15 and your pooler was escorted on to the plane before FLOTUS boarded.

Your pool watched from the plane as FLOTUS participated in a photo line with Atlanta Police Department officers who escorted the motorcade.

Wheels up at 2:35.

FLOTUS pool report #6 - return to WH

We touched down at JBA at 3:55pm. Pool de-planed at 4:05 and loaded into an SUV.

FLOTUS de-planed at 4:06 and got straight into her SUV.

We were rolling back to the White House at 4:07.

The motorcade pulled up at the south portico at 4:30. While being escorted out, your pooler saw FLOTUS exit her vehicle and walk into the White House.

That's all from me today. Good night!