[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S9455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RETIREMENT OF DR. ROBERT H. BARTLETT

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to recognize Dr. Robert H. Bartlett, an accomplished 
surgeon, professor and inventor, who recently retired from seeing 
patients at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Dr. Bartlett, 
who earned his bachelor's degree from Albion College and graduated cum 
laude from the University of Michigan Medical School, was honored by 
his peers during a ceremony on June 23, 2005.
  Dr. Bartlett is admired across Michigan for his dedicated service to 
his patients and his contributions to the advancement of medicine. His 
excellence in the practice of medicine has been demonstrated throughout 
his exemplary career, which spans more than 40 years. In particular, 
his work in developing a heart-lung bypass technique called 
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, has saved the lives of 
over 30,000 infants, children, and adults.
  Dr. Bartlett began his work on ECMO in 1965 while an assistant 
resident at Boston's Brigham and Children's Hospital. After his 
residency, Dr. Bartlett received a series of surgical teaching and 
research fellowships at Harvard to continue his research. In 1970 Dr. 
Bartlett became an assistant professor of surgery at the University of 
California in Irvine, while also practicing medicine at the Orange 
County Medical Center. Five years later the first successful use of 
ECMO in an infant would take place at the Orange County Medical Center. 
Over the next 5 years, Dr. Bartlett would use this technique 
successfully 25 times.
  In 1980, Dr. Bartlett returned to the University of Michigan Medical 
Center to continue to conduct research and treat patients until his 
retirement earlier this year. It was there that ECMO transistioned from 
being an experimental procedure to becoming standard practice at more 
than 90 medical facilities worldwide. In addition to this work, Dr. 
Bartlett continued to treat patients and served as chief of critical 
care medicine at the University of Michigan. Dr. Bartlett plans to 
continue his groundbreaking medical research.
  Dr. Bartlett has published numerous articles, monographs, chapters, 
and books throughout his illustrious career. In 2003, he was awarded 
the prestigious Jacobson Innovation Award from the American College of 
Surgeons. He was also elected to the Institute of Medicine and was the 
recipient of the Medal of Special Recognition from the National Academy 
of Surgery of France. Dr. Bartlett has served as president of both the 
American Society for Artificial Internal Organs and the International 
Society for Artificial Organs. Dr. Bartlett has been married for more 
than 30 years to his college sweetheart, Wanda, with whom he has 3 
children and 4 grandchildren.
  I know my colleagues join me in congratulating Dr. Bartlett on his 
success and achievements in the field of medicine. I am pleased to 
offer my best wishes on his retirement from seeing patients and his 
continued efforts to advance medical research.

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