[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 3 (Thursday, January 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E49]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO JOE TILGHMAN, RETIRING REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE KANSAS 
     CITY OFFICE OF THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 20, 2005

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, Joe Tilghman has served the Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in a senior field leadership 
position in a career spanning nearly the entire period of enactment of 
the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Mr. Tilghman is retiring on January 
3, 2005, after 37 years of distinguished federal service and I welcome 
this opportunity to publicly pay tribute to this outstanding public 
servant.
  Joe Tilghman assumed leadership of CMS' Kansas City Regional Office 
in 1994 following nearly fifteen years as the Deputy Regional 
Administrator. As Regional Administrator, he has been responsible for 
the federal administration of the Medicare and Medicaid programs to 
approximately 4 million beneficiaries residing in Iowa, Kansas, 
Missouri and Nebraska. Prior to joining CMS (then the Health Care 
Financing Administration) in 1978 he worked in Social and 
Rehabilitative Services and the Bureau of Health Insurance.
  During Mr. Tilghman's tenure as Regional Administrator he led many 
CMS efforts that impacted the lives of Medicare and Medicaid 
beneficiaries nationwide. Of particular note, Mr. Tilghman:
  Lead CMS' Flu 2000 Campaign from 1993 to 1999. He brought together a 
coalition including CMS, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, and the National Coalition for Adult Immunization. This 
coalition was devoted to reaching the Healthy People 2000 adult 
immunization goals. During his leadership, influenza immunization of 
persons age 65 and over increased from 50.4% to 65.5% and met the 
Healthy People 2000 goal of 60% three years early in 1997.
  Lead CMS' Screening Mammography Campaign from 1999 to the present, 
exceeding Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) targets in each 
of these years.
  Established the CMS field National Medicare Education Program (NMEP) 
operation, providing the inspiration and garnering financial and human 
resources support for all regional offices to develop creative 
education and outreach programs. As a result of his work, effective 
community coalitions and partnerships among the aging network are in 
place in all states.
  Enforced the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 
(HIPAA) insurance provisions nationally in all states that are not in 
substantial compliance.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to publicly 
commend this selfless and dedicated public servant on the occasion of 
his retirement. Joe Tilghman embodies the work done so well by millions 
of American public servants on behalf of our nation on a daily basis, 
with little hope of public appreciation or appropriate tangible reward. 
On behalf of the people of Kansas' Third District, I thank Joe Tilghman 
for his lifetime of public service and wish him well on his well-earned 
retirement.

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