[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 7 (Monday, January 31, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            JOE L. TILGHMAN

 Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, 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.
  Mr. Tilghman assumed leadership of CMS' Kansas City regional office 
in 1994, following nearly 15 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;
  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;
  Enforced the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 
HIPAA, insurance provisions nationally in all States that are not in 
substantial compliance;
  Conducted and was personally involved in a credit ``CMS 101'' course 
at the University of Kansas, the only one its kind in the Nation; and
  Participated in a town hall meeting in Liberty, MO with President 
Bush to promote the new Medicare prescription drug cards.
  In recognition of his many significant contributions, Mr. Tilghman 
received the Meritorious Executive Rank Award in 2000. This award may 
be received by only five percent of those persons in career Senior 
Executive Service, SES.
  Mr. Tilghman served his country admirably as an Army pilot in Vietnam 
where he reached the rank of captain as a fixed wing and helicopter 
pilot. He married JoAnne Hardy in 1966 and is currently planning many 
travel adventures with her in his retirement. Mr. and Mrs. Tilghman 
have two daughters, Stephanie and Abigail, and are the proud 
grandparents of Ethan and Holly. Mr. Tilghman enjoys reading history 
books, hiking in the Colorado mountains, white water rafting, canoeing 
and skiing. He recently fulfilled a life-long dream by climbing to the 
summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.

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