[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 11, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H6120-H6121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF EUGENE ROSSITCH, JR., M.D.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Burr] is recognized 
during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURR. Mr. Speaker, this Sunday is Father's Day, a day when 
millions of Americans will thank their fathers for the special role 
they play in all our lives--for being a protector and a provider, for 
being a counselor, a mentor and a friend. On this morning, I would like 
to take a few moments to share with my colleagues the story of a gifted 
doctor, a trusted teacher and most importantly a wonderful father, the 
story of Dr. Eugene Rossitch, Jr.
  On November 18, 1994, Gene Rossitch drowned off a Florida beach while 
successfully saving his young son. I would like to focus this morning, 
however, on the inspirational life of Gene Rossitch, who accomplished 
so much in his 35 years with us.
  On February 18, 1959, in Guines, Cuba, Eugene and Carmen Rossitch 
were blessed by the birth of their first child, Gene Rossitch, Jr. In 
1962, when little Gene was 3 years old, his parents left Cuba with only 
one suitcase and their wedding picture and moved the family to the 
United States. The Rossitches settled in my hometown of Winston-Salem, 
NC, where they raised Gene and his four younger brothers.
  With the support and guidance of a loving and successful family, Gene 
began to compile a record of extraordinary academic achievement that 
marked his entire life. While in high school, Gene was the State 
president of the North Carolina National Honor Society before 
graduating first in his class from Bishop McGuiness High School in 
Winston-Salem.
  Gene then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as 
a Morehead Scholar. He graduated from UNC Phi Beta Kappa and then 
pursued his medical studies at the Duke University School of Medicine. 
While at Duke, Gene was awarded the John H. Watson, Jr., Medical 
Fellowship and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor 
Society.
  Following his internship at the Duke University Medical Center, Gene 
began his residency in neurological surgery at Duke, which included 2 
years as a research fellow in neurosurgery at Brigham and Women's and 
Children's Hospitals. During that time, Gene became the first recipient 
of the Cushing History of Medicine Fellowship. And shortly thereafter, 
he completed a clinical fellowship in spinal surgery at Duke.
  Gene's remarkable career then led him back to Massachusetts, where he 
was appointed assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School 
and attending neurosurgeon at the Brigham and Women's and Children's 
Hospitals in 1992. Gene was the spinal surgery specialist at both 
hospitals.
  Dr. Gene Rossitch's service was not limited to the operating room. 
Gene served on the premedical advisory board of the Currier House at 
Harvard University, on the Greater Boston Spinal Cord Injury Planning 
Counsel, and on the emergency medical services task force on spinal 
cord injury. Gene was also very active in national neurosurgery 
organizations. For example, he was chairman of the program evaluation 
committee for the 1994 Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting 
and he had major roles in several other national meetings.
  Dr. Gene Rossitch's commitment to finding new ways to treat spinal 
injury patients can be found in the 61 original scientific journal 
publications he either authored or coauthored. Gene was also the 
coeditor of three books. Two dealt with the history of neurosurgery and 
the third, ``A Handbook of Neurosurgery for House Officers and Medical 
Students.'' demonstrates Gene's desire to share his vast knowledge with 
his fellow surgeons of how to treat spinal cord injuries.
  While at the Brigham and Women's and Children's Hospitals, Dr. 
Rossitch supervised the research work of a number of medical students, 
residents and visiting research fellows. Gene also served as a 
preceptor for the Introduction to Clinical Medicine Course at the 
Harvard Medical School.
  I have never encountered a more impressive record of service and 
achievement than that of Dr. Gene Rossitch, Jr. He was recognized by 
his patients and by those in his field as a gifted and gentle surgeon 
and caregiver, as an innovative researcher, and as a trusted mentor and 
teacher of spinal cord injury medicine.
  Dr. Gene Rossitch's career is a testament to this young man's 
dedication to his studies, his sincere concern for his fellow man, and 
to a willingness to fully utilize the gifts that God bestowed upon him. 
But as a friend of the Rossitches, I know that the true center of 
Gene's remarkable life was his family. Gene met his wife Cindy while 
attending the Duke University School of Medicine and was blessed with 
three children: Eugene III, Katharine, and Elizabeth. And despite the 
demands of his clinical schedule, Gene always found time to spend with 
his family and could be seen on weekends at Chuck E. Cheese, art 
galleries, and ice cream parlors with his wife and children.
  Perhaps the best way to look at how special a person Gene was is to 
see him through the eyes of the mother of one of his patients. The day 
before Gene left for Florida with his family for their vacation, he 
performed a 7-hour operation repairing a congenital abnormality in the 
neck of Michael O'Loughlin, a 12-year-old boy.
  The night before Mike's surgery, the boy was in terrible pain and 
Mrs. O'Loughlin asked Gene whether they were doing the right thing by 
operating. Mrs. O'Loughlin remembers asking Dr. Rossitch whether he 
would perform the operation if Mike were his own son. Gene told here, 
``Absolutely, without question.'' Mrs. O'Loughlin tells how Gene 
insisted that the operation be

[[Page H6121]]

done at Brigham and Women's Hospital because he preferred their 
operating room. And when the hospital refused to take Mike because he 
was underage and underweight, Gene went before the hospital board to 
get permission.
  The day of the operation, the procedure took much longer than the 
family expected. But at 7 o'clock, Gene Rossitch came out to tell them 
everything had gone perfectly. Gene also told the family that the x 
rays had not shown how serious the problem had been and how glad he was 
that he had performed the operation before leaving on vacation. Mrs. 
O'Loughlin says, ``I absolutely believe Gene Rossitch saved Mike's 
life.''
  A few days later, Gene's last heroic act was to save his own son from 
drowning in choppy ocean waters near Ft. Lauderdale. I find Gene's 
last, heroic act a fitting one because Gene Rossitch's lifwork had been 
saving the lives of others.
  And since his death, his colleagues have seen fit to honor the life 
and work of Gene Rossitch. The Humane Society of the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts has honored Gene with their silver medal and has donated 
$2,500 toward a children's fund named in honor of Dr. Rossitch that has 
been established at Brigham and Children's Hospital. On June 27, there 
will be a dedication of the Eugene Rossitch, Jr., M.D. Residents' 
Library at the Brigham and Children's Hospital in Boston, MA. And 
finally, on November 22, the Duke Medical Alumni Association will honor 
Gene Rossitch by posthumously awarding him its Humanitarian Award.
  Literally thousands of people enjoy more fulfilling lives because 
they were touched by the life of Gene Rossitch. And on this Father's 
Day, I will join Gene's family, his colleagues, his patients, and his 
community in thanking God that I was fortunate enough to come into 
contact with the remarkable life of Dr. Gene Rossitch, Jr.

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