[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 22, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1353-E1354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             ACCLAMATION OF THE CHARETTE HEALTH CARE CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. OWEN B. PICKETT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 1999

  Mr. PICKETT. Mr. Speaker, I offer for inclusion into the 
Congressional Record this statement describing the extraordinary 
capabilities of the Charette Health Care Center at Naval Medical Center 
Portsmouth and the favorable impact this military treatment facility 
will have on members of the Armed Services in the Hampton Roads Area of 
Virginia.
  Since its opening on March 15, 1999, the Charette Health Care Center 
at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth has proved to be an invaluable asset 
and a visible quality of life improvement for active duty service 
members and other beneficiaries in and around Tidewater, VA.
  The Navy's newest, largest and most modern hospital includes over one 
million square feet of floor space, housing over 300 clinical/exam 
rooms and over 140 special treatment rooms. The technology incorporated 
in this new facility is state-of-the-art, and includes two MRIs, two CT 
scanners, two angiography suites, two linear accelerators, two 
mammography rooms, three dedicated ultrasound rooms, radiographic head 
and chest units, and twenty-two dental exam rooms. Two hyperbaric 
chambers, used in the treatment of wounds and compression illnesses are 
scheduled to be installed in January of 2000. The additional services 
being made available to our uniformed men and women are of the highest 
quality and the latest state-of-the-art technology.
  Other advanced technology that will enhance the quality of care and 
improve the efficiency of service includes a digital imaging picture 
archive system which replaces conventional x-rays; a computerized tube 
system to transfer prescriptions, samples, and test results; and a high 
speed data transfer system which powers the hospital's integrated 
computer network system and training data base.
  The most significant and dramatic technology improvements can be 
found in the hospital's OB/GYN and Labor and Delivery departments. To 
meet the evolving needs of a military force comprised of a growing 
number of women, as well as continue to meet the requirements of female 
family members, the Charette Health Care Center offers a comprehensive 
in-hospital birthing center. Ten birthing rooms allow patients to 
progress from the onset of labor to delivery and recovery in the same 
room. If complications arise during labor, four critical care labor 
rooms are easily accessible, as well as a state-of-the-art neonatal 
intensive care unit that is second to none anywhere either in the 
military or civilian medical community. Moving the labor and delivery 
service from the historic 1830 hospital building to the new Charette 
Health Care Center has allowed the Navy to increase capacity and easily 
accommodate a significant number of additional patients who previously 
received care elsewhere due to facility restrictions.
  Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is one of the Navy's premier 
locations for graduate medical education. The opening of the Charette 
Health Care Center will help make an outstanding Graduate Medical 
Education even better, by providing fellows, residents and interns a 
hands-on milieu where state-of-the-art technology can be paired with a 
world class teaching experience. More specifically, there are 11 
Medical and Surgical Residencies and 1 Fellowship which account for 137 
Residents and Fellows. Also, there are 5 Categorical Internships and 1 
Transitional Internship which account for 72 Interns. Additionally, 
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is a medical

[[Page E1354]]

education partner on both a regional and national level as evidenced by 
the numerous training Memoranda of Understanding that are established 
and maintained with a myriad of other health care facilities.
  The most impressive feature of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is the 
caring environment provided by an outstanding team of military and 
civilian medical professionals. This fantastic staff accounts for the 
seamless transition into the Charette Health Care Center, in just five 
months, when the industry standard to relocate a hospital of this 
magnitude is typically longer than twelve months. The staff at Naval 
Medical Center Portsmouth continue to find innovative ways to make 
quality patient care accessible and have developed numerous patient-
friendly amenities in the Charette Health Care Center. The opening of 
the Charette Health Care Center provides this dedicated team of medical 
professionals with the tools required to set a new and superior 
standard for healthcare delivery to the over 400,000 military 
beneficiaries in the Hampton Roads Area.

                          ____________________