[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 15 (Wednesday, February 16, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DR. LEONEL VELA IMPROVES HEALTH CARE IN TEXAS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LARRY COMBEST

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 16, 2000

  Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Leonel Vela, 
an individual who has contributed tremendously to the improvement of 
public health and wellness throughout Texas. Dr. Vela has served in 
many capacities at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 
Lubbock and has significantly advanced health education and research. 
On March 1, he will complete his work at Texas Tech and begin working 
with the University of Texas Health Science Center in Harlingen. Dr. 
Vela will be greatly missed, but his investments at Texas Tech and 
throughout the state will continue for years to come.
  Dr. Vela has dedicated his career to public health in order to 
improve the lives of individuals who do not have access to proper care. 
He grew up in Texas; his parents were migrant farm workers. Dr. Vela 
earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology and a bachelor's degree in 
psychology from Standford University. At the Baylor College of 
Medicine, he earned his doctorate of medicine and later received his 
master's in public health from Harvard University. Dr. Vela is married 
to Alicia and has four children.
  Through his accomplishments and research, Dr. Vela has proven to be 
an expert in many areas such as diabetes prevention and treatment, 
migrant health and wellness, border health care, telemedicine, and 
women's health issues. He has written a variety of medical publications 
and made presentations throughout the state on various health topics. 
In addition, Dr. Vela has actively led in significant public health 
activities and initiatives. He directed the public health response to 
the Ebola Reston outbreak in Texas, co-founded the Rio Grande Valley 
Diabetes Task Force, developed Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) 
in South Texas, and enacted the response to the Dengue Fever outbreak 
in South Texas. Dr. Vela also supervised the first regional birth 
defects registry program in Texas, founded the telemedicine mobile unit 
project to take health care services to rural communities in South 
Texas, and spearheaded the establishment of the ``Women`s Center`` and 
the ``Diabetes Center of Excellence'' at South Texas Hospital.
  Dr. Vela has been recognized for his achievements through various 
awards, fellowships, and appointments. He was one of only three 
individuals presented with the prestigious Plate of Bounty Award in 
1999 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for 
his work in migrant health care. Dr. Vela was named the Selected 
National Institutes of Mental Health/APA Minority Fellow in 1989, and 
in 1986, he earned the Kellogg Fellowship in Health Policy and 
Management from Harvard University. Some of Dr. Vela's state and 
national appointments include the Texas Medical Association, the 
Governor's Border Working Group Health Subcommittee, the South Texas 
Health Education Committee, the National Advisory Council on Migrant 
Health, the TeleHealth Steering Committee for the Telecommunications 
Infrastructure Fund Board, and the Good Neighbors National 
Environmental Board established by Congress.
  Dr. Vela has displayed dedication to improving public health 
throughout Texas and has advanced the Texas Tech University Health 
Sciences Center. I would like to thank him for his commitment to 
providing access to health care for thousands of individuals, and I 
extend my best wishes to him in all of his future endeavors.

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