SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) has been named Legislator of the Year by the Neuropathy Action Foundation (NAF) for outstanding contributions to health care issues.   NAF will present her with the award at its “Neuropathy Action Awareness Day” dinner at 7:00 PM at the University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, on Tuesday, June 26.

 “Assemblymember Hayashi has the essence of a true leader – one who has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others,” stated NAF President Dominick Spatafora.  “She has been a great champion of health care issues, inspiring others with the quality of her actions and the integrity of her intent.  NAF is proud to call her our Legislator of the Year.”

The NAF is a nonprofit foundation committed to educating the public on neuropathy and to helping neuropathy patients obtain access to medications and treatments.  The organization raises awareness among the general public that neuropathy, or nerve disease, is a serious, widespread and disabling condition, and that with the appropriate medical care it is treatable. 

In the area of neuropathy, Assemblymember Hayashi has taken the lead on helping secure access to IVIG (intravenous immune globulin), a human plasma product that prevents complications in certain chronic diseases in neuropathy patients.  Although thousands of patients throughout the country depend on it to prevent life-threatening infections and paralysis, IVIG receives low and sometimes no reimbursement by Medicare and private insurance. Eight people nationwide recently died because of lack of access to the product. Assemblymember Hayashi has teamed up with other legislators to call upon the U.S. Congress to restore access to this important drug.

Assemblymember Hayashi represents District 18, which includes the cities of Hayward, San Leandro, Dublin, most of Castro Valley and Pleasanton, and a portion of Oakland, as well as the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland, Sunol and San Lorenzo.