[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 350 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 350

     Designating February 14, 2014, as National Solidarity Day for 
                      Compassionate Patient Care.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

   Mr. Booker (for himself and Mr. Menendez) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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                               RESOLUTION


 
     Designating February 14, 2014, as National Solidarity Day for 
                      Compassionate Patient Care.

Whereas 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, and 
        cultural and ethnic backgrounds of patients and their families;
Whereas on February 14 of each year, 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 stated that the most important treatment he provided to 
        Congresswoman 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, and all other health care professionals are charged 
        with practicing medicine as both an art and a science;
Whereas an 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 reveals that when health care professionals practice 
        humanistically and demonstrate the qualities of integrity, 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 for health care 
        students and professionals to celebrate by 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, 2014, 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 important roles in medicine of humanism and compassion, 
        as well as technical expertise.
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