[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 21 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 21

    Designating February 14, 2013, as ``National Solidarity Day for 
                     Compassionate Patient Care''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2013

 Mr. Lautenberg submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Designating February 14, 2013, as ``National Solidarity Day for 
                     Compassionate Patient Care''.

Whereas the National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care promotes 
        national awareness of the importance of compassionate and respectful 
        relationships between health care professionals and their patients as 
        reflected in attitudes that are sensitive to the values, autonomy, 
        cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of patients and families;
Whereas individuals and groups of medical professionals and students stand in 
        solidarity to support compassion in health care as expressed by Dr. 
        Randall Friese, triage physician at the University of Arizona Medical 
        Center who, when queried, stated that the most important treatment he 
        provided to Congress member Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot on 
        January 8, 2011, was to hold her hand and reassure her that she was in 
        the hospital and would be cared for;
Whereas physicians, nurses, all other health care professionals, and medical 
        facilities are charged with providing both the art and science of 
        medicine;
Whereas a greater awareness of the importance of compassion in health care 
        encourages health care professionals to be mindful of the need to treat 
        the patient rather than the disease;
Whereas scientific research illustrates that when health care professionals 
        practice humanistically; demonstrating the qualities of integrity, 
        excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy, and service, their 
        patients have better medical outcomes; and
Whereas February 14th would be an appropriate day to designate as National 
        Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care and to celebrate it by 
        health care students and professionals performing humanistic acts of 
        compassion and kindness toward patients, families of patients, and 
        health care colleagues: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates February 14, 2013, as ``National Solidarity 
        Day for Compassionate Patient Care'';
            (2) recognizes the importance and value of a respectful 
        relationship between health care professionals and their 
        patients as a means of promoting better health outcomes; and
            (3) encourages all health care professionals to be mindful 
        of the importance of both--
                    (A) being humanistic and compassionate; and
                    (B) providing technical expertise.
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