[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 107 (Friday, August 5, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     TRIBUTE TO DR. VICTOR DePRATTI

                                 ______


                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 5, 1994

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I rise today to pay 
tribute to a hero in my district who helps his community day after day, 
week after week, year after year. This man is Dr. Victor DePratti, 
chief executive officer and medical director of the San Diego Blood 
Bank.
  Under Dr. DePratti's leadership, the San Diego Blood Bank has grown 
from a small and crowded operation in a 50-year-old home into a major 
regional blood center, serving 33 hospitals in San Diego, Imperial, and 
southern Riverside counties.
  But Dr. DePratti's leadership and the reach of the blood bank have 
gone beyond the local level. The blood bank has participated in many 
national studies, including one that helped to develop the screening 
test for Hepatitis B.
  Under his direction, the San Diego Blood Bank continues to be at the 
forefront of blood banking technology. It was one of the first blood 
centers in the Nation to establish an apherisis department, for the 
donation of platelets to burn victims and leukemia patients.
  We all know the importance of blood banks in America. I myself have 
been a blood donor for many years. It is one of the ways that I can 
keep giving something of myself to help others.
  I salute Dr. DePratti for his hard work, dedication, and tenacity. He 
is an excellent example of the impact that one person can make in their 
community. I thank him for his efforts in making certain that the San 
Diego area has a safe and reliable blood supply.

                          ____________________