[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E322-E323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO MS. PALOMA IZQUIRDO-HERNANDEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2004

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
during this month of March, which has been designated Women's History 
Month, to pay tribute to Ms. Paloma Izquirdo-Hernandez, a remarkable 
woman who has dedicated most of her life to the serving others.
  Paloma, who was raised in the Bronx, New York, attended Boston 
College as an undergraduate and holds two masters degrees, a MS and a 
MPH from Teachers College, Columbia University and the School of Public 
Health, Columbia University, respectively. She is currently the 
President and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Health Plan Inc.
  Paloma has been steadily associated with Urban Health Plan since 1980 
and has risen to the top of the organization by dedicating over 23 
years as the organization's Administrator, Executive Director and 
currently as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Throughout her 
tenure with Urban Health Plan, Ms. Hernandez has worked, despite 
monumental challenges, to deliver care in a culturally and 
linguistically competent manner while increasing the number of services 
offered to patients that her agency serves. She takes pride in 
acknowledging that despite the dramatic changes that she has witnessed 
both in her community and in the health care environment she has had 
the will to persist to fulfill the mission that was set before her.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that today over 30,000 community 
residents are provided with top quality health care and in the past

[[Page E323]]

year over 120,000 primary and specialty care visits were rendered at 
Urban Health Plan. Paloma can also add to her list of achievements the 
successful relocation of Urban Health Plan's main site, a project she 
embarked upon over 15 years ago. Through her spearheading efforts, 
financing was secured through municipal tax free bonds as well as a New 
York City Council Grant. The new site is a 40,000 square foot state of 
the art medical facility that will further support Urban Health Plan's 
ability to continue to provide medical services to its community.
  Paloma currently serves on multiple boards and organizations. She is 
a true example of the consistent and outstanding leadership that exist 
in our cities' community based organizations. For her service to the 
people of her community, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring 
this remarkable woman.

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