[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 124 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1663-E1664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    A TRIBUTE TO DARRYL HEUSTIS FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO VETERANS

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                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 25, 2002

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like today to pay 
tribute to Dr. Darryl Gordon Heustis, who has made his entire medical 
career one of service to our Nation's veterans. After 25 years at the 
Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Administration Medical Center in Loma 
Linda, California, Dr. Heustis is retiring today as the medical 
center's chief of staff.
  In our modern, fast-paced, mobile world, it's rare to find a 
homegrown talent who grows up to serve his community as well as Dr. 
Heustis has in the Inland Empire. A native of Riverside, Darryl Heustis 
received a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of 
California, Riverside, and an MD from Loma Linda University. He 
completed his residency in pathology in 1977 at Loma Linda University 
Medical Center, and immediately went to work for the nearby Jerry L. 
Pettis Memorial Veterans Administration Medical Center.
  The medical center was newly completed in 1977, and Dr. Heustis 
became one of the original employees. He served as Director of 
Laboratories until 1986, and then Chief of Laboratory Service for the 
next three years. He continued his education even as he worked full 
time in these jobs, and in 1983 received a masters degree in management 
from Claremont Graduate School. In 1989 Dr. Heustis was named Vice 
President of Medical Affairs, and has served as the medical center's 
chief of staff to this day.
  During his career at the medical center, Dr. Heustis has helped ease 
the transition of the Veterans Administration from a hospital-room 
oriented facility to one that provides care to most veterans on an 
outpatient basis. Although the number of beds at the medical center has 
been reduced from 500 to 97, patient visits have grown to more than 
340,000 a year. I applaud Dr. Heustis for meeting the prime 
responsibility of providing the very best care to our Nation's 
veterans, while at the

[[Page E1664]]

same time ensuring that Americans get maximum value from the taxes they 
pay.
  Dr. Heustis has been a champion in the drive to ensure that our 
veterans are satisfied with the treatment they receive at the Pettis 
Memorial VA Medical Center. Under his leadership, the staff has met 
every challenge and has gained a reputation for quality care and 
sensitive treatment of veterans.
  Over the years, the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center has 
become highly respected as a teaching hospital. Working in close 
affiliation with Loma Linda University Medical Center, the VA medical 
center has provided a training ground for student doctors for nearly 
two decades. With its international reputation as a medical innovator, 
Loma Linda University has provided many benefits for the veterans at 
the VA, as well.
  Dr. Heustis has taken a direct role in this relationship as a 
professor of pathology at the university, co-medical director of the 
School of Cytotechnology, and associate dean for veterans affairs. He 
has also published numerous articles in medical journals, and been a 
regular presenter at scientific symposiums. He has been named the 
“highest-rated lecturer” at sixteen symposiums since 1986, 
and received the Scissors Award from the Healthcare Leadership 
Institute in 2000.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Darryl Heustis has met the highest professional 
standards as a medical doctor, ensured top-notch care for hundreds of 
thousands of veterans, and overseen the education of countless student 
doctors over the past 25 years. Please join me in thanking him for his 
service to his community and our Nation, and wishing him well in his 
future endeavors.

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