[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO THOMAS E. HOBBINS, M.D.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 3, 2001

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, September 23, 2001, the City of 
Baltimore, the State of Maryland, and our nation's health care 
comnunity lost a valiant pioneer. Dr. Thomas Hobbins was a physician by 
training, but he made an indelible mark as a health care and human 
rights activist.
  Tom Hobbins harbored a deep and abiding commitment to health care for 
all. He taught at the University Medical School and served as medical 
director of the Maryland Sleep Disorders Center in Towson. A board 
member of the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative, he fought 
tirelessly for universal health care coverage for Marylanders. He also 
served on the front lines against handgun violence, teen smoking, and 
environmental degradation. He was a member of my health advisory group 
and I greatly valued his guidance.
  Dr. Hobbins' curriculum vitae is filled with memberships, awards, and 
accolades. But I and my colleagues whom he visited here in Washington 
will remember him best for his generous spirit, his calm demeanor, and 
his altruistic approach to public policy matters. Whenever he called my 
office for an appointment, I could be assured that the subject of his 
visit would involve his patients' welfare and the common good. Tom 
Hobbins never once disappointed me. He combined a rare selflessness 
with a level of grace and serenity that most can only aspire to. It is 
with a sense of gratitude that I remember Dr. Thomas Hobbins. There are 
many who have been touched by his good will, and I am proud to count 
myself among them.

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