[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 29 (Thursday, March 14, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1930-S1931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE UNINSURED

  Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to give tribute to 
some of

[[Page S1931]]

the health care heroes in my home State of Oregon. During a recent 
visit to the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic in Eugene, OR, I was 
tremendously impressed by the strong public service ethic of the 
professionals who deliver high quality health care to their uninsured 
clients.
  In 1999, a concerned group of citizens in Eugene, OR, convened to 
study the extent of the health insurance problem in Lane County. It 
found that 28,000 of their friends and neighbors in the county were 
uninsured. Of these, almost half were working families or low-income 
people.
  As a result of that study, the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic came 
about. Under the executive director and board chair, Sister Monica 
Heeran, the mission of the clinic is to meet the health and wellness 
needs of the working poor by providing free medical care.
  The Volunteers in Medicine model relies on practicing and retired 
medical professionals to serve individuals and families who have 
limited access to health care, typically the working poor. Over 300 
health care professionals have generously given their time for this 
worthy cause that has helped hundreds of families secure a medical 
home.
  One of the volunteers at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is Dr. 
John Haughom, vice chair of the Board and volunteer physician. He told 
me about a woman he had seen recently at the clinic, Mrs. Gonzalez, who 
had presented with a large mass under her right jaw. It had been 
growing for some time, but she had not sought medical care because she 
knew she could not afford it. Dr. Haughom diagnosed Mrs. Gonzalez with 
non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was able to arrange for the best possible 
treatment for her advanced condition. As she was treated, Dr. Haughom 
continued to visit her at her workplace. He clearly shared her joy when 
she told him that a surgeon had been able to remove the entire tumor, 
and that her recovery is expected to be complete.
  I also heard from a patient who had gone to the Volunteers in 
Medicine Clinic with what he thought was a case of acid reflux--
heartburn. In addition to being given medication to control the 
symptoms, the patient was referred to a cardiologist, who advised the 
patient to get an angiogram. It turned out that the underlying 
condition was no less than five clogged arteries, and the patient was 
scheduled for open-heart surgery the following day, which saved his 
life.
  In both these cases, the high-quality care by dedicated medical 
professionals clearly saved the lives of these patients.
  In my mind, every single person who volunteers his or her time at the 
Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is a true health care hero. It is truly 
inspiring to see what can happen when people share a vision and work to 
make life better for thousands one patient at a time. Today, I salute 
the work and workers of the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic, true heroes 
for Oregon.

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