[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 10, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DR. JACOB EAPEN, RECIPIENT OF MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA'S 
        AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE AS A CALIFORNIA PHYSICIAN

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                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 10, 2004

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jacob Eapen, M.D, a 
Frerfront, California pediatrician, who is the recipient of the first 
Physician Recognition Award from the Medical Board of California. The 
California Medical Board, which licenses physicians throughout the 
State, created a Physician Recognition Task Force last year to begin an 
annual program to recognize physicians for outstanding service.
  On January 30, 2004, Dr. Eapen received the award in recognition of 
his career devoted to improving public health for the underserved 
worldwide, as well as for his current work as a pediatrician for 
Alameda County Health Services, where he reaches out to poor children 
in East Bay communities and children being held at Juvenile Hall in San 
Leandro, California.
  He has been the commissioner of public health in Alameda County for 
more than four years.
  A native of India, Dr. Eapen graduated from the Tivandrum Medical 
College at Kerala University and traveled to Africa, where he worked as 
the director of the pediatric unit in Agha Kahn Hospital in Tanzania. 
He also worked and taught in Nigeria.
  While he was working in a Nigerian hospital, Dr. Eapen saw hundreds 
of children die from diseases because of malnourishment. Since then, he 
has dedicated his career to pediatric services for the underprivileged. 
He has also served as a United Nations' health adviser in the 
Philippines.
  Dr. Eapen earned a master's degree in public health in 1984 from the 
University of California, Berkeley. He completed a second residency in 
1992 from Stanford University, which allowed him to practice in the 
United States. He has been honored by Stanford Medical School as one of 
the 40 outstanding Stanford Medical alumni from among 7000 graduates of 
the last sixty years.
  Dr. Eapen has embraced Public Health Services in an explicit attempt 
to foster more appropriate and effective policies and practices to 
benefit poor, underserved patients. He devotes his time and energy to 
working in the county health system to improve public health.
  After receiving his award, Dr. Eapen told the Medical Board of 
California that epidemics have no borders, and he also spoke against 
the potential closure of clinics in Alameda County, California, because 
of costs.
  Dr. Eapen epitomizes the essence of the award he received from the 
Medical Board. He is indeed dedicated to improving public health care 
and is working daily to usher in real changes in the lives of people. 
To quote Dr. Eapen: ``There's so much to be done.''

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