Updated as of 6:09 p.m. on March 20 to include more photos from the event.
First Lady Jill Biden made a brief stop March 20 at Durham’s Research Triangle Park, as part of an effort by the White House to promote the administration’s initiative on women’s health research. The event held roughly 50 attendees.
This comes after President Joe Biden passed an Executive Order on March 18 addressing women’s health as part of this initiative. According to the White House, the order will direct federal agencies and departments, such as the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institutes of Health to prioritize women’s health research.
“In November, Joe and I launched the first ever White House initiative on women's health research with a clear goal to fundamentally change how our nation approaches and funds research on women's health,” Jill said.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper introduced the first lady and touted North Carolina’s advances in women’s health as governor. Including the Medicaid expansion he oversaw in 2023.
“With the Biden administration, we have expanded Medicaid in North Carolina for 400,000 people and beyond it is going to be very exciting,” Cooper said.
Cooper also said he believes that more research and innovation around women’s health have wide-ranging impacts.
“The first lady's visit today shows that she cares deeply about health and women here in North Carolina, and all over the country,” Cooper said. “More research, more innovation, more attention to women's health will lead to better lives for women, their children and their whole families.”