[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 40 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1307-H1308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. DEBRA PHILLIPS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Shimkus] is recognized for 5 minutes.

[[Page H1308]]

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Debra 
Phillips of Golden, IL. Last month, Dr. Phillips was named the Illinois 
Rural Health Practitioner of the year by the Illinois Rural Health 
Association. Dr. Phillips received this award in recognition of her 
outstanding care, involvement in the community and her lasting 
contribution to the rural health care system in Illinois.
  Raised in rural southeast Iowa, Dr. Phillips knows the benefit of 
rural health care providers. After finishing her undergraduate and 
medical education at the University of Iowa, Dr. Phillips did her 
residency in family practice. In the late 1980's, Dr. Phillips 
developed a model practice for a rural area. Working with Southern 
Illinois University and Blessing Hospital in Quincy, IL, which I 
visited last week, she helped to create the East Adams County Rural 
Health Clinic in May 1991. Today this clinic serves a rural population 
of 7,200 people. Since the nearest hospital is 30 miles away, this 
rural clinic is vital to the health and well-being of many people. I am 
very happy to report that Dr. Phillips still spends half her time 
caring for patients at this facility. In addition, she is the Associate 
Professor of Clinical Family Practice at the SIU School of Medicine, 
where she is also the Associate Director of the Quincy Family Practice 
Center residency program.
  There are 15 current physicians in this residency program. Dr. 
Phillips also spends a considerable amount of time teaching resident 
physicians and medical students in the area of rural health care. She 
has been influential in helping to promote rural health and encouraging 
physicians to practice in rural areas. Additionally, Dr. Phillips is a 
medical director of three nursing homes in rural Adams county and even 
practices medicine out of her farmhouse after hours.

                              {time}  1800

  As if that was not enough, Dr. Phillips is married to Duane Phillips, 
and the mother of two children, 9-year-old Katherine and 6-year-old 
Jacob.
  I would like to take this special opportunity to recognize Dr. 
Phillips for her tireless work and congratulate her for receiving this 
award. I look forward to her advice and counsel as we move forward in 
addressing rural health care issues. But most of all, I would like to 
thank Dr. Phillips for her dedication to the rural residents of 
Illinois.

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