[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO ARMY COL. BARBARA SCHERB

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, as the 104th Congress draws to a 
close, I stand to pay tribute to a distinguished Army officer who 
served as a congressional science fellow on my staff during this 
Congress. Col. Barbara Scherb, U.S. Army, was selected for this highly 
coveted fellowship as a result of her outstanding training, experience, 
and accomplishments. She is the prototype of what nursing leadership 
should be. Her impeccable credentials and superb performance earned her 
the respect and admiration of the Senate staff. She distinguished 
herself rapidly as a professional who possessed an infectious demeanor, 
tremendous integrity, decisive leadership style, political savvy, and 
unending energy. The ultimate Army officer, Colonel Scherb is a 
visionary thinker who has the innate ability to implement these 
visions. Colonel Scherb is the consummate professional; nursing never 
had a better ambassador nor patients a more devoted advocate.
  Colonel Scherb forged strong alliances and affiliations with a myriad 
of congressional offices, committees, and Federal and civilian agencies 
to present a cohesive approach to legislative proposals. She worked 
closely with staff members on the Senate Armed Services and Labor and 
Human Resources Committees and Defense and Labor, Health and Human 
Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittees in support of 
military health issues and national nursing and health care agendas.
  As a champion of tri-service nursing and military health issues, 
Colonel Scherb was instrumental in the clarification of the board 
certification pay statutes to include certain military nurse 
specialists; establishment of equitable disbursement of incentive 
special pay for nurse anesthetists; authorization to establish a 
graduate school of nursing at the Uniformed Services University of the 
Health Sciences [USUHS]; and authorization to establish a tri-service 
nursing research program at USUHS.
  Her dynamic leadership provided the driving force behind legislation 
that enabled any qualified officer in the military health system to be 
appointed as Surgeon General, and promoted the development of 
leadership opportunities for nurses and other nonphysicians to include 
command and general officer promotion. Colonel Scherb wrote legislative 
language enabling the Services to distribute their field grade end-
strength equitably ushering in a new era of equality for military 
medicine. Colonel Scherb actively pursued codification of Army and Air 
Force chief nurse appointments as general officers. She championed 
telemedicine initiatives including advanced medical technologies, 
digitized radiography, computerized patient records, teleconsultation, 
and remote distance learning.
  As a recognized authority on health care, Colonel Scherb's expertise 
was in constant demand as a speaker and writer. At significant personal 
sacrifice, she eagerly sought each and every opportunity to advance 
nursing, and the health care goals and vision of America.
  Colonel Scherb is now attending the Army War College. Based on her 
splendid performance and exceptional leadership while in my office, I 
am confident that she will excel in this new endeavor.
  Colonel Scherb is an officer of whom the military and our Nation can 
and should be justifiably proud; a unique combination of talent and 
devotion to duty. I want to personally and publicly acknowledge my 
sincere appreciation to Colonel Scherb for her dedicated months of 
exemplary service and to bid her a fond aloha and heartfelt 
mahalo.

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