[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF THE DEDICATED SERVICE OF LARRY MATHIS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 1996

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Larry L. Mathis, the 
president and chief executive officer of Methodist Health Care System 
in Houston, TX, in my district. Mr. Mathis has faithfully served the 
Houston area as the head of one of our Nation's leading nonprofit 
health care organizations for more than 25 years.
  Later this year, Mr. Mathis will be retiring from Methodist Health 
Care System. Mr. Mathis began his career at Methodist Hospital in 1971 
as an administrative resident. He was quickly promoted and was 
appointed president and chief executive officer of the hospital in 
1983. During his leadership, Methodist grew from a single-site hospital 
in the Texas Medical Center to its emerging presence today as a 
community-based health care system. Methodist is now a leading provider 
of state-of-the-art medical care in the competitive managed care market 
in Houston. The Methodist Health Care System includes the Methodist 
Hospital, Diagnostic Center Hospital, San Jacinto Methodist Hospital, 
an international network of affiliated hospitals, a managed care 
organization, a health maintenance organization, home health services, 
skilled nursing, primary, and secondary physician groups, community 
health care centers, and hospice services.
  During Mr. Mathis' tenure, the Methodist Hospital won the Commitment 
to Quality Award, an important award for hospital quality, and was 
named one of America's Best Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. 
Methodist was also included in the 1993 edition of ``The 100 Best 
Companies To Work for in America'' and in the 1995 edition of the 
``Best Hospitals in America.'' Mr. Mathis was also named as one of the 
five best managers in nonprofit health services in Business Week.
  Mr. Mathis has been recognized by his peers as an expert in health 
care policy. He is chairman-elect of the American College of Healthcare 
Executives, a professional society of 30,000 members. He has served as 
chairman of the board of the American Hospital Association, the Texas 
Hospital Association, and the Greater Houston Council. In addition, Mr. 
Mathis served as a member of the Prospective Payment Assessment 
Commission and the Quality Task Force of the Joint Commission on 
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
  As Methodist Hospital searches for a replacement, Mr. Mathis will 
continue to serve as president and CEO of Methodist Health Care System. 
After this retirement, Mr. Mathis will continue to consult and work 
with Methodist Hospital on selected projects and programs. I applaud 
the dedicated leadership and hard work that Mr. Mathis has given to the 
Houston area and wish him the very best in his new career. Thank you, 
Mr. Mathis, for your service to the patients, the employees, and your 
community at the Methodist Health Care System. Your presence as a 
health care visionary will be missed.

                          ____________________