[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   TRIBUTE TO REAR ADM. ROBERT C.J. KRASNER, ATTENDING PHYSICIAN TO 
                                CONGRESS

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to pay tribute to 
Rear Adm. Robert C.J. Krasner, who has served Congress tirelessly as 
its attending physician. Unfortunately, Admiral Krasner will be leaving 
his position after this session of Congress ends.
  Robert Krasner was born in New Jersey, where he graduated from 
Lafayette College with a degree in history and literature. He attended 
medical school at the University of Maryland. In the early 1970's, 
after completing his medical degree, Dr. Krasner was commissioned under 
the Berry plan as a lieutenant in the medical corps of the U.S. Naval 
Reserves. He went on active duty in 1973.
  By the end of a tour in London, he had become Lieutenant Commander 
Krasner. He transferred to the Bethesda Naval Hospital for training in 
internal medicine, eventually earning a diploma in tropical medicine 
from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. While on a tour in 
Indonesia, he was selected for promotion to commander.
  Commander Krasner then served as staff physician in the Office of the 
Attending Physician. In 1982, he was assigned to be a staff internist 
at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA, serving there for 4 years.
  In 1986, by-then Captain Krasner was sent back to the Office of the 
Attending Physician as director of clinical services. In May 1990, he 
was appointed the attending physician and promoted to the rank of rear 
admiral.
  Admiral Krasner's decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal, 
the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit. He is a fellow 
of the American College of Physicians, a member of the Academy of 
Medicine of Washington, and a member of the International Society of 
Travel Medicine.
  Dr. Krasner took great personal interest in each of his patients. 
Every time a blood test was performed, he personally got back to the 
Member and let him or her know the results. Any time a Senator or 
Congressman was referred to a specialist, he always followed-up and 
impressed everyone with his detailed, personal approach to every 
problem. I particularly remember while a patient at Bethesda Naval 
Hospital when he came by to check on me on a Saturday night around 1 
a.m. after having attended a Navy function in Annapolis. Early the next 
morning, he was back at Bethesda Naval Hospital checking on my 
condition again. He was a tireless worker.
  He took every step possible to guarantee the privacy of each Member's 
medical condition. Realizing that medical conditions demand complete 
privacy and that the Halls of Congress are full of a wide and large 
array of gossipers, he took great steps to guarantee that there were no 
leaks out of his office and that the right of privacy was fully and 
constantly protected.
  Members of Congress have been very fortunate to have had the 
outstanding services of Admiral Robert Krasner over the last 8 
consecutive years, particularly his last four as attending physician. 
we will miss him, we wish him well, and we offer our congratulations 
and thanks for a job well done.

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