[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 9 (Thursday, February 7, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. DAVID SATCHER

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a public 
servant who will soon complete his tenure as the 16th Surgeon General 
of the United States. Dr. David Satcher has served this Nation with 
distinction and performed the duties of the position of Surgeon General 
in an exemplary manner.
  Dr. Satcher was born in Anniston, AL on March 2, 1941. He and his 
wife Nola have raised four children. Dr. Satcher graduated from 
Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1963 and received his M.D. and Ph.D. 
from Case Western Reserve University in 1970. He has completed numerous 
fellowships and holds many honorary degrees and distinguished honors. 
He has taught students, chaired Departments, and served as President of 
the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. As a public 
servant, he served as the Director for the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry before assuming his current position as Surgeon 
General. During the period February 1998 through January 2001, Dr. 
Satcher simultaneously served as Assistant Secretary for Health and 
Surgeon General of the United States.
  Dr. Satcher is a learned, well-educated man of great accomplishment. 
Yet, in spite of his many degrees and awards, he set a simple goal of 
wanting to be a Surgeon General remembered for listening to the 
American people. He not only listened to those whose voices could be 
heard, but extended his reach to those who for far too long have 
suffered silently, those in our nation suffering with mental illness.
  I first became acquainted with Dr. Satcher during his confirmation. I 
remember asking him to consider addressing the issue of suicide and its 
impact on the Nation. I was concerned about what we as a nation could 
do in an effort to prevent the nearly 30,000 lives lost annually to 
suicide. As Surgeon General, Dr. Satcher convened a consensus 
conference on suicide in Reno, Nevada in 1998. He brought together 
scientists, clinicians, survivors, advocates and state mental health 
staff to examine the science of suicide prevention, that is what we 
knew and what we didn't know, and from this published the Surgeon 
General's Call to Action for Suicide Prevention. His next step was to 
develop a National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. In May 2001 this 
strategy to guide our national suicide prevention efforts was 
published. As we speak today, states, communities, tribes, and many 
others are coming together to discuss ways in which we can prevent 
suicide in America.
  Dr. Satcher demonstrated time and time again his ability to engage 
the public and the private sectors to come together as we examined 
health problems facing our nation and sought solutions on how to 
address them. In the suicide prevention effort, Congress called for the 
development of a national strategy to guide our national response. Dr. 
Satcher embraced this challenge, provided the necessary leadership and 
vision to bring it about, and recognized from the outset that 
government alone could not provide the complete background nor could 
they singularly define the solution. He called upon the non-profit 
community, experts in research, clinical practitioners, and just as 
importantly, listened to the survivors who freely shared their 
experiences to ensure that our national effort was inclusive of all 
perspectives. The national problem of suicide warranted a comprehensive 
solution and, thanks to Dr. Satcher's leadership, the components 
considered were from all communities who had a perspective which needed 
to be heard.
  I for one am truly grateful for the service of Dr. David Satcher. I 
care deeply about the issue of suicide in America for a number of 
reasons. Unfortunately, Nevada has the highest suicide rate in the 
nation. In fact, the top ten states for suicide are all west of the 
Mississippi. I believe we can make a difference by studying the facts 
and developing evidenced based programs to prevent the tragic loss of 
life due to suicide. I also lost my father to suicide many years ago. 
I've said many times before that back then we did not know as much 
about depression and treatment as we do now. Today, science and 
research have made incredible advances and through medication and 
counseling help is available and effective treatments can and do make a 
difference.
  We have an obligation to help those suffering from mental illness or 
substance abuse to ensure they receive the treatment that can afford 
them a quality of life they deserve. I believe Dr. Satcher has made an 
incredible difference and helped countless individuals through his work 
as Surgeon General. We still have a long way to go in reducing stigma 
and affording access to mental health treatment in this nation, but we 
are further along today as a result of the leadership provided by Dr. 
Satcher.
  In closing, I wish to thank Dr. Satcher for his courageous work and 
dedicated public service. I am particularly grateful for his efforts in 
raising awareness and educating Americans about mental illness and 
suicide in America. We are a better nation as a result of his service 
as Surgeon General. He will be remembered by this Senator as the 
Surgeon General who listened to the American people. In my judgement, 
he not only listened, but he acted as well.

                          ____________________