[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 19, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H3370-H3371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DR. LOIS MOORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.


Expressing Support for H.R. 664, Legislation Providing for Discounts on 
                 Prescription Drugs to Senior Citizens

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Maine (Mr. Allen) for his kindness in reaching out to me for time.
  I am going to take just a moment, Mr. Speaker, before I begin a 
tribute to Dr. Lois Moore, because it is absolutely appropriate to 
acknowledge my support for H.R. 664, the legislation that deals with a 
discount of prescription drugs for senior citizens.
  It is interesting that we find it difficult to get such legislation 
to the floor of the House. I am very pleased that I am engaging in a 
study in my district with pharmacies, and I was very glad to hear the 
gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen) say that this is not an issue dealing 
with pharmacies. In fact, it is with our large pharmaceutical 
companies.
  In fact, there will be processes under H.R. 664 where the burden 
would not be heavily on the pharmacies, but it is important that just 
like they give big discounts to hospitals and HMOs, that they give 
discounts on prescription drugs as well to our senior citizens.
  When I traveled in my district and visited five senior citizen sites, 
every one of them said, I have to choose between eating, paying light 
bills, heat bills, and getting my prescription drugs, as we well know, 
hearing from my mother that there is an enormous amount of prescription 
drugs, because we are living longer, that many seniors have to take.
  It keeps them healthy. It keeps them happy. It keeps them able to do 
the things that they would like to do. Why should we penalize them? I 
hope that we can move H.R. 664 to the floor very quickly.
  Mr. Speaker, let me acknowledge the purpose of my special order this 
evening is a tribute to Dr. Lois Moore, a selfless leader in our 
community who has served the Harris County Hospital District, and we 
will be losing her expertise.
  She is known in our community in Harris County, in Houston, Texas, as 
one of its greatest leaders in the health care community. Her 
leadership, expertise, commitment, and presence will be truly missed at 
the hospital district. However, we know that she will continue on to 
service.
  Under her leadership as the President and Chief Executive Officer of 
the Harris County Hospital District, the hospital district was named 
among the top 100 hospitals in the United States in 1994 and again in 
1995 by Modern Health Care Magazine.
  After graduation from Prairie View A&M School of Nursing 35 years 
ago, Moore began her public health care service in the Jefferson Davis 
Hospital emergency room. She soon became the emergency center charge 
nurse.
  Through the 1960s and 1970s she moved from evening shift nursing 
supervisor to assistant director of nursing at Ben Taub hospital. In 
1977 she was named administrator at Jefferson Davis Hospital. During 
this time she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and a 
Master of Education degree.
  Moore was appointed chief operating officer for the Harris County 
Hospital District in 1987, and on February 28, 1999, the Board of 
Managers of the Hospital District appointed her president and CEO. She 
has, therefore, served us for 10 years in that capacity.
  As president and CEO of the Harris County Hospital District, the 6th 
largest inpatient health care system in the United States, Moore 
oversaw three hospitals, 11 community health centers, one freestanding 
HIV-AIDS treatment center, and eight school-based clinics, two very 
important things.
  School-based clinics, they have been proven to be successful in 
preventative health care, and 11 community health centers, they also 
have been proven to be successful in preventing disease, in helping 
people to understand health care.
  With the recent statistics that have suggested to us that it has been 
very difficult for minorities, Hispanics, African Americans, and 
Asians, as well, to access health care in America, Lois Moore has been 
a shining star to ensure that her community gets good health care. She 
has worked with a very good board. We are looking forward to the fact 
that the board will continue her leadership and her message, and that 
they will select a person of quality like Lois Moore.

[[Page H3371]]

  The district has had an annual budget of approximately $528 million 
with more than 50,000 employees. Ben Taub General Hospital and Lyndon 
B. Johnson General Hospital treat 77 percent of Houston's serious 
trauma, and I found it very, very exciting to see Ben Taub on one of 
our major news network shows, I believe Nightline, citing it as one of 
the best trauma care hospitals in the Nation, maybe the world.
  I would simply say, Mr. Speaker, that Lois Moore has served her 
community as a stellar leader. I am so proud to call Lois Moore my 
friend. Ms. Moore has testified before national committees on health 
care reform, served with Governor Ann Richard's Task Force on Health 
Care, and is a frequent speaker on public health issues and health care 
reform.
  She has a husband by the name of Hard, a daughter Yolanda, son-in-law 
Mike Williams, and two granddaughters Kendra and Jasmine.
  Let me simply close, Mr. Speaker, by saying that all of the 
Eighteenth Congressional District and I believe all of the State of 
Texas salutes Lois Moore, our past president of the Harris County 
Hospital District, a great humanitarian, a great Houstonian, Texan, and 
great American.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to speak on behalf of Lois Jean Moore, a 
person who exemplifies what the true meaning of commitment, dedication, 
strength, service and selflessness is. Not only has the Harris County 
Hospital District lost one of its greatest leaders but also our entire 
health care community. Her leadership, expertise, commitment and 
presence will truly be missed.
  Under her leadership as the President and Chief Executive Officer of 
the Harris County Hospital District, the Hospital District was named 
among the Top 100 Hospitals in the United States in 1994 and again in 
1995 by Modern Healthcare magazine.
  After graduation from Prairie View A&M School of Nursing 35 years 
ago, Moore began her public health care service in the Jefferson Davis 
Hospital emergency room; she soon became the emergency center charge 
nurse. Through the 1960's and 1970's, she moved from evening shift 
nursing supervisor to assistant director of nursing at Ben Taub 
Hospital. In 1977, she was named administrator of Jefferson Davis 
Hospital. During this time, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 
Nursing and a Master of Education degree. Moore was appointed Chief 
Operating Officer for the Harris County Hospital District in 1987. On 
February 28, 1989, the Board of Managers of the Hospital District 
appointed her President and CEO.
  As President and CEO of the Harris County Hospital District, the 
sixth largest inpatient health care system in the U.S., Moore oversaw 
three hospitals, 11 community health centers, one free-standing HIV/
AIDS treatment center, and eight school-based clinics. The District has 
an annual budget of approximately $528 million with more than 50,000 
employees. Ben Taub General Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General 
Hospital treat 77% of Houston's serious trauma. Under Moore's 
leadership the Hospital District's programs in outpatient care and 
disease prevention and health promotion have been enhanced and 
expanded. New outreach programs in the community health centers now 
provide mammography, diabetes screening, immunizations, early disease 
detection, and health care for the homeless.
  As one of the nation's top public health care administrators, Mrs. 
Moore never loses sight of the Hospital District's mission-quality 
health care for the underserved. In a changing health care environment, 
she has managed, year after year, to balance compassion with fiscal 
prudence. Under Moore's leadership, the district, which has the lowest 
per capita tax rate of all Texas hospital districts, has nearly doubled 
its non-tax revenue.
  In addition to her responsibilities at the Hospital District, Lois 
Moore also serves her community selflessly. She serves on numerous 
boards including the American Red Cross, March of Dimes, United Way, 
Texas Association of Public and Non-Profit Hospitals, and the National 
Association of Public Hospitals. She is a Fellow of the American 
College of Health Care Executives and is included in Who's Who in 
America. Mrs. Moore was awarded in 1994 Tree of Life Award from the 
Jewish National Fund. In February, 1995, she was named co-recipient of 
the Houston Area Healthcare Coalition's Healthcare Provider Award. In 
April of 1996 she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters 
degree from Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio, Texas.
  Mrs. Moore has testified before national committees on healthcare 
reform, served on Governor Ann Richard's Task Force on Health Care, and 
is a frequent speaker on public health issues and health care reform.
  With all of this on her plate, Mrs. Moore also found the time to care 
for her loving family which consists of her husband Hard, daughter 
Yolonda, son-in-law Mike Williams and two granddaughters, Kendra and 
Jasmine.
  I am stating these things so that they will be inscribed into the 
Congressional Record but her deeds will forever be remembered by those 
who will try to fill the shoes of this great woman. Congress and the 
18th District of Texas is proud to honor Mrs. Lois Moore and we will 
truly miss her great service.

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