[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 168 (Wednesday, November 19, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO DR. MARGARET ALLEN, DR. RAMONCITA (RAYE) MAESTAS, AND DR. 
                           CHRISTINE SURAWICZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 18, 2003

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to three 
outstanding physicians, Dr. Margaret Allen, Dr. Ramoncita (Raye) 
Maestas, and Dr. Christine Surawicz, who have been nominated for the 
Local Legends project, sponsored by the American Medical Women's 
Association and the National Library of Medicine, to celebrate the 
lives and achievements of America's women physicians around the 
country.
  Dr. Allen currently is Medical Director at the Hope Heart Institute 
in Seattle, where she conducts promising research on tissue repair and 
remodeling in cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular gene therapy.
  Dr. Allen is a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular disease. A 
cardiothoracic surgeon by training, she was recruited in 1985 by the 
University of Washington to develop and head its cardiac transplant 
service. This program received accreditation under Dr. Allen's 
leadership, and it has been a strong regional asset for many years. Dr. 
Allen served as director of the program from 1985 to 1996, and also 
directed the Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program at Children's 
Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
  Dr. Allen has been active in numerous professional and non-profit 
organizations throughout her career. Among other positions, she has 
served as President of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Dr. 
Allen has worked diligently to improve access to organ transplantation 
and to diminish disparities in access across communities.
  Dr. Maestas is a family physician at Harborview Medical Center in 
Seattle, and a member of the faculty at the University of Washington 
School of Medicine. Dr. Maestas has dedicated her professional career 
to caring for the medically underserved. Following her residency, Dr. 
Maestas practiced at the SeaMar Clinic, a federally qualified health 
center serving a largely Hispanic population. She then practiced and 
taught at the Providence Family Practice Residency Program within the 
Providence health care system, which has a long history of charitable 
care in the Seattle area. Her current practice site, the Harborview 
Medical Center, provides much of the safety net care to Seattle and 
King County residents.
  Dr. Maestas is a distinguished educator. She serves on the faculty at 
Providence and the University of Washington, and is a leader in 
developing the new medical school curriculum at the University of 
Washington. Dr. Maestas also has made significant contributions to the 
community. Her prominent work on issues of domestic violence and 
cultural competency has gained her national recognition.
  Dr. Surawicz is a gastroenterologist and faculty member at the 
University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Dr. Surawicz 
has distinguished herself as a clinician, educator, researcher and 
administrator throughout her career at the University of Washington. 
She has directed the Gastroenterology Department since 1981, and since 
1993 has served as Section Chief of Gastroenterology at Harborview 
Medical Center, which serves Seattle and King County. In 2002, Dr. 
Surawicz was appointed Assistant Dean for Faculty Development in the 
School of Medicine, a measure of the regard for her leadership among 
her peers.
  Dr. Surawicz is widely recognized in her field of gastroenterology. 
She has published extensively in national and international peer-
reviewed journals, and has held several board-level positions in 
national organizations, including service as President of the American 
College of Gastroenterology, and as Chair of the FDA's Gastrointestinal 
Drug Advisory Council.
  I am honored to announce the selection of these physicians, nominated 
by their peers, each of whom has made significant contributions to her 
field of medicine and to her community. These extraordinary women are 
to be congratulated for their years of dedication and hard work. I ask 
my colleagues to join me today saluting Dr. Margaret Allen, Dr. 
Ramoncita (Raye) Maestas, and Dr. Christine Surawicz for their service 
and commitment to their profession and to our community.

                          ____________________