[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF MERTIS LOUISE FLOYD SCOTT

                                 ______
                                 

                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2005

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, Mertis Louise Floyd Scott, Deputy Chief 
Nurse of the G.V. ``Sonny'' Montgomery Veterans Administration Medical 
Center in Jackson Mississippi, passed away unexpectedly after a very 
short illness on October 15, 2004 at the young age of 48. She dedicated 
her life to the care of others and I take this opportunity to remember 
that life that so blessed us.
  Mertis exemplified the meaning of nursing and received numerous 
professional awards during her twenty-six years of service at the VA 
Medical Center. In May of 1989, Mertis was named recipient of the 
Secretary's Award for Excellence in Nursing, presented to her by 
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Edward J. Deriwinski in 
Washington, DC. She also received a citation from President George H.W. 
Bush.
  Mertis held high the values of leadership and exhibited a continual 
quest for knowledge. She had a commitment to service through any 
challenge with a positive attitude.
  Mr. Speaker, Mertis always remembered her faith and commitment to 
serve God and man. She defined her humanity by her service to patients 
and health providers alike. Her colleagues defined her life with these 
words: loving, caring, nurturing, generosity, patience, angelic 
personality. She was an inspiration to the lives she touched both 
personally and professionally. We mourn her passing, but we remember 
and celebrate her life.

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