[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3929-S3930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Mack):
  S. 2012. A bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
center in Gainesville, Florida, as the ``Malcolm Randall Department of 
Veterans Affairs Medical Center''; to the Committee on Veterans 
Affairs.


     malcolm randall department of veterans affairs medical center

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today, joined by my esteemed 
colleague Senator Mack, to introduce legislation to rename the 
Gainesville, Florida Veterans Affairs Medical Center after its 
distinguished and long-time Director: Malcolm Randall.
  After thirty-two years as Director of the Gainesville VAMC, and a 
total of fifty-nine years in federal service, Mr. Randall retires 
today. He leaves behind a long list of accomplishments and an even 
longer list of admirers--myself included.
  Mr. President, allow me to take a few minutes to highlight the career 
of this visionary person--a man who has redefined the term ``public 
servant'' over the last half-century.
  Malcolm Randall's accomplishments are far-reaching and are a 
testament to the loyalty and devotion he has shown the United States 
throughout his lifetime.
  His extensive service to our nation began when he enlisted in the 
Navy in July of 1942 and was sent off to the South Pacific in the midst 
of World War II. While courageously fighting on PT boats and 
battleships in the first battle of the Phillipine Sea, Mr. Randall was 
injured in the line-of-duty. After four years of valiant active 
military service, Mr. Randall continued serving his country through his 
dedicated work in the Veterans' Administration. His outstanding 
accomplishments and achievements during his tenure at the VA have been 
recognized with the two highest awards that the VA offers: the 
Meritorious Service Award, and the Exceptional Service Award, both of 
which recognize his outstanding performance and exceptional 
contributions to the improvement of health care for veterans.
  In 1984, President Reagan paid homage to Mr. Randall with the 
Presidential Rank Award for his extraordinary accomplishments in the 
administration of VA programs in Florida,

[[Page S3930]]

and for exemplifying the highest standards in leadership. Most 
flattering to Mr. Randall was that this award was recommended by 
dedicated public servants and local leadership from his own community. 
Indeed, it was this innovative and thoughtful style of leadership that 
allowed Mr. Randall to foresee the challenges and obstacles that the VA 
would face in the 21st Century.
  Mr. Randall's dogged determination to serve the veterans of Florida, 
coupled with his visionary leadership, led to his most significant 
contribution to our nation's veterans: VA restructuring. As Chairman of 
the Florida Network of VA Hospitals and Outpatient Clinics, Malcolm 
Randall realized that the VA had to undergo a major transformation to 
continue to serve veterans well. He understood that the VA health care 
system needed to modernize, become more efficient with its resources, 
and adapt to a new method for health care delivery.
  Mr. Randall saw the future--that the VA was moving towards a ``no-
new-starts'' policy for major hospital construction--and he became an 
early advocate for a new model of VA health care: a strong network of 
outpatient clinics and hospitals, designed to serve veterans in remote 
areas more effectively. As a result, 7 new outpatient clinics were 
built in Florida, a development which has allowed many thousands of 
Florida veterans to get the health care they deserve but were 
previously denied.
  Throughout his long and successful tenure as Director of the 
Gainesville VAMA, Malcolm Randall has also been a leader in introducing 
new medical technology to improve the quality of care for the heroes of 
our country. His responsibility for VA health planning throughout the 
entire state enabled Mr. Randall to initiate affiliations with three 
major teaching hospitals--the University of South Florida, the 
University of Florida, and the University of Miami--and several 
community colleges. These partnerships have allowed veterans to receive 
the finest care available from institutions renowned throughout the 
country.
  Mr. Randall's excellence has not been limited to his professional 
service. His community service throughout the state of Florida, and 
especially in his hometown of Gainesville, has resulted in several 
tributes and distinctions being bestowed upon him, including being 
named Gainesville's Citizen of the Year in 1977. The University of 
Florida also recognized his lifetime devotion to public service by 
awarding him an honorary doctorate of Public Service.
  Mr. President, it has been one of the great treasures of my life to 
have shared the friendship of Malcom Randall. As governor and now as a 
United States Senator from Florida, Malcom has allowed me to enter his 
classroom on health care policy and his heart, which is full of 
compassion for American veterans. All he has done has emanated from his 
depth of concern for American veterans, firmly attached to his rigorous 
mind and dedicated spirit to put ideas into action. Florida and America 
are fortunate to have had him as a fellow citizen.
  Mr. President, I salute Malcom Randall for all that he has done on 
behalf of all of our veterans. It is fitting that one of the best 
medical centers in the country bear his name.
  Mr. MACK. Mr. President, I am proud to support my friend and 
colleague from Florida, Mr. Graham, as we introduce legislation to 
commemorate the retirement and life's work of Mr. Malcom Randall. Mr. 
Randall has served his country for 59 years, 55 of which were spent 
with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, Mr. Randall graduated from St. 
Louis University with a master's degree in hospital administration. He 
was among a handful of medical leaders who began to transform the 
health care system for veterans at the end of World War II. Mr. Randall 
is the founding Director of the VA Medical Center in Gainesville, and 
he has served in that post for 32 years. During that time, he has also 
helped establish VA hospitals and outpatient clinics in other Florida 
cities. The VA Medical Center in Gainesville now serves 10,000 
inpatients and handles 250,000 outpatient visits per year.
  Mr. Randall is America's longest serving administrator of veterans' 
health care services. He has won numerous awards for his exceptional 
service, including recognition for ``most outstanding performance'' on 
two occasions. He is retiring today, and while I am pleased that he 
will be able to take some time off to enjoy his years, I am saddened 
that the Department and the Center will be losing one of its greatest 
champions, and one of its most dedicated public servants.
  In further recognition of Mr. Randall's dedication to serving the 
needs of America's veterans, Bob Graham and I are proposing legislation 
to rename the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida 
as the ``Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
Center''. Our legislation is identical to legislation offered by 
Representative Karen Thurman in the House of Representatives, which is 
supported by most of the Florida Congressional delegation. I look 
forward to working with my Senate colleagues to recognize and honor the 
work and service of Malcom Randall, and I wish Mr. Randall well in his 
future pursuits.
                                 ______