[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1973]]



                   75TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUTTER HEALTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 1998

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th 
Anniversary of one of the nation's leading medical institutions, Sutter 
Health. As the Sacramento community celebrates this milestone, I ask 
all of my colleagues to join me in saluting the excellent work of the 
Sutter network of medical facilities.
  Seventy-five years ago, a group of Sacramento physicians joined 
together to plant the seeds of what has grown into one of the region's 
leading medical centers, Sutter Community Hospitals. The founders' 
passion for their community was matched only by their commitment to 
providing unparalleled medial service.
  From the founding of Sutter Hospital, the sophistication of medical 
services provided has grown with the needs of the Sacramento community. 
For example, in delivering more than 260,000 births since its founding, 
more than 8,000 annually, Sutter has become the leading Women's and 
Children's Services center in the Central Valley of California.
  Sutter opened Sacramento's first Cancer Center in the 1940s. This 
facility has flourished into a national leader in critical trials for 
treatments of prostate, ovarian, and breast cancer. Its pediatrics 
hematology/oncology program is one of the busiest in the world. Much of 
this research is in conjunction with the Sutter Institute for Medical 
Research--the largest non-university medical research center in 
Northern California.
  The Sacramento area's only heart transplantation center is housed at 
Sutter. In 1959, the region's first open heart transplant occurred 
there. Recently Sutter's Heart Institute was recognized as having the 
second highest survival rate in the United States.
  Sutter Health's tradition of providing leading medical care continues 
to this day. Its use of advanced services and medical devices not only 
provide the Sacramento area with outstanding care, but has also 
established Sacramento as one of the leading centers of medical 
excellence in the world.
  The quality of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals is 
superior at Sutter. For the past 75 years, its reputation for 
excellence has consistently attracted the highest quality medical 
personnel.
  Northern California has also been the fortunate recipient of Sutter's 
outstanding community service endeavors. In the last year alone, Sutter 
spent more than $51 million on community services, in addition to the 
nearly $100,000 it gave to our community's non-profit organizations, 
such as the American Heart Association and the Sacramento Food Bank.
  Over the years, Sutter's staff has worked to provide quality 
pediatric care to poor families in some of Sacramento's most neglected 
neighborhoods. Through its Keeping Families Safe and Healthy program, 
Sutter has helped to prevent child abuse and neglect, strengthen 
families, and improve child immunization rates.
  The Sutter SeniorCare program, an innovative way to care for the 
frail elderly in our community, helps older people with multiple heart 
problems live as independently as possible. In the last year, Sutter 
SeniorCare assisted 238 elderly residents in Northern California.
  Since its founding, Sutter Health has grown from a modest community 
hospital into a world-renowned medical center. This remarkable 
accomplishment deserves recognition throughout Sacramento and the 
nation's medical community. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me 
in acknowledging the achievements of Sutter Health and proudly 
recognizing its 75th Anniversary.

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