[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2000-E2001]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO MRS. JESSIE TRICE ON THE CELEBRATION OF HER RETIREMENT ON 
                            OCTOBER 17, 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 1998

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a distinct privilege 
to rise and pay tribute to one of my community's unsung heroines, Mrs. 
Jessie Trice, Director of Miami's Family Health Center. Her countless 
friends and admirers are honoring her on October 17, 1998 in 
recognition of the longevity of her legacy to the poor and underserved 
families.
  Mrs. Trice truly represents the noblest of my community. Having 
dedicated a major portion of her life to making the health care system 
work on behalf of the less fortunate in Miami-Dade, she was relentless 
in her development of innovative family health services program that 
responded to the crying needs of our community's poor. Hers was indeed 
a crusade of love and commitment that maximized understanding and 
compassion for countless destitute families who severely lack the 
financial wherewithal to have their health care move up through the 
labyrinth of the bureaucracy.
  Under her leadership many lives have been saved and countless 
families have been rendered whole because of her dedication to create 
accessibility to affordable health care services. She was virtually the 
lone voice in the wilderness in exposing her righteous indignation over 
the hopelessness of countless individuals who through the various 
crises of poverty rendered them helpless before obtaining affordable 
quality health care.
  Furthermore, she has been forthright and forceful in advocating the 
early recognition of the problems of HIV disease which causes AIDS. 
Under her tutelage the Family Health Center initiated the first 
screening and testing programs in the community and initiated organized 
educational programs for its patients long before the crisis was 
recognized and federal, state and local funding became available. Her 
sensitivity toward those who came to the Center for counseling knew no 
bounds, and she was likewise untiring in seeking the appropriate health 
care guidance for them.
  In a September 3, 1998 Miami Times write-up, Mrs. Trice was genuinely 
lauded as a health care provider par excellence who ``. . . has shown 
courageous leadership, insisting that high quality services must be 
provided in the community and be developed with constant community 
input and collaboration.''
  The consecration of her life serves as an example of how much 
difference a committed crusader can truly make in behalf of the less 
fortunate. Almost singlehandedly she has championed a career-long 
commitment to affordable quality health care services to poor families 
for nearly two decades.

[[Page E2001]]

  In her stint as Director of the Family Health Center, Mrs. Trice 
ensured the provision of high quality, accessible health care to more 
than 60,000 residents of Liberty City, Hialeah, Brownsville, Little 
Haiti and other areas northwest of Miami-Dade County. During those 
harrowing times of cutbacks in health and social services funding at 
the federal, state and local levels, the Miami Times recalled, ``. . . 
Mrs. Trice's innovative and uncompromising commitment enabled it to 
maintain its critical services, while leading efforts to ensure 
effectiveness and a caring approach were not compromised.''
  Mrs. Trice truly represents an exemplary community servant who abides 
by the dictum that those who have less in life through no fault of 
their own should somehow be lifted up by those who have been blessed 
with life's greater amenities. As a gadfly among Miami-Dade County's 
health care professionals, she is wont to prod her colleagues toward 
ensuring that both political and bureaucratic leadership find a way to 
develop programs in and of the community, despite the risks.
  As one of those hardy spirits who chose to reach out to those living 
in public housing projects, Mrs. Trice thoroughly understood the 
accouterments of power and leadership. She sagely exercised them, 
alongside the mandate of her conviction and the wisdom of her 
knowledge. The crucial role she played all these years in developing 
affordable quality family health care evokes a genuine humility as she 
is wont to say that ``. . . the accolades are not important. What is 
important is that my community receive the recognition of its strength, 
despite the adversity, and help for the disproportionate share of the 
problems it confronts everyday.''
  Her word is her bond to those who dealt with her, not only in moments 
of triumphal exuberance in helping many of the poor turn their lives 
around, but also in her resilient quest to transform Miami-Dade county 
into a veritable caring community.
  Tonight's tribute is genuinely deserved! I truly salute a very dear 
friend in behalf of a grateful community and I bid her Godspeed.

                          ____________________