[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 154 (Thursday, December 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DR. HOWARD D. CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 14, 2000

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, today I honor Dr. Howard D. Clark, a 
constituent of mine from Morton, Mississippi, for receiving the 
``National Country Doctor of the Year'' award for the year 2000. This 
award is sponsored by Safe Care, Inc., a national physician association 
based in Irving, Texas. Dr. Clark was selected for this award from 501 
nominees submitted from 41 states. Safe Care defines a ``country 
doctor'' as one who serves a community with a population of 25,000 or 
less. Morton's population is approximately 3,000 people. Dr. Clark, who 
has been practicing in Morton since 1965, is truly an ``old time family 
doctor'' who still makes house calls and knows his patients as people 
and friends, not strangers.
  Dr. Clark's philosophy has always been that if he was going to be 
someone's doctor, he was going to be it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
In the early days of his practice, he would make rounds at the 
hospital, work at his clinic all day, and then pick up his house calls 
for the nights, working as late as 10 p.m. each night.
  Dr. Clark, at the age of 73 shows no signs of slowing down his 
service as a physician. He sees an average of 60 patients a day, cares 
for about 20 more in the hospital, and 110 in the local nursing home. 
Twice a week he works the 12 hour night shift at the Scott Regional 
Hospital emergency room. Twice a month, he handles the 36 hour weekend 
shift at the emergency room.
  The commitment of Dr. Clark to the town of Morton, Scott County, and 
the surrounding area is legendary. In a letter to the ``Country Doctor 
of the Year'' nomination committee, Morton's Mayor Charles Steadman 
wrote that ``Dr. Clark has served the local high school as the Doc on 
the sidelines at all ball games at no charge, having missed only one 
game in 48 years because he was delivering a baby. In the past few 
years, he had heart surgery on a Tuesday and was at the game with the 
team the following Friday night.'' Michael Edwards, Administrator at 
Scott Regional Hospital wrote that in 1994, ``Dr. Clark had cervical 
surgery one Monday morning after making his morning hospital calls. He 
checked out of the hospital Tuesday morning and saw patients in his 
clinic on the way home. He saw patients daily in his clinic and in the 
hospital during his postoperative days. Not once, did I ever hear Dr. 
Clark complain.''
  Dr. Clark's undergraduate degree is from Mississippi State University 
and his medical degree is from Tulane University. He and his wife, 
Jackie, together have 13 children, 22 grandchildren, and 12 great-
grandchildren. Six of the children were born to Dr. Clark and his first 
wife, Mildred, who passed away 33 years ago. In the Morton area, Dr. 
Clark has delivered more than 4,500 babies.
  Sid Salter, Editor of the Scott County Times newspaper stated that 
``Dr. Clark is most deserving of this award because of his generosity, 
stamina, bedside manner, dedication to community, and his medical 
ability.'' Further, he said that Dr. Clark has been the complete 
package in his county--serving his patients, his town, his country, his 
state and nation, and his fellow man faithfully and true for decades.
  Thus, it is an honor indeed for me to recognize and bring to the 
attention of Congress a fine Christian gentleman, my constituent from 
Morton, Mississippi, Dr. Howard D. Clark, the National Country Doctor 
of the Year. Congratulations Dr. Clark.

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