[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 50 (Tuesday, May 2, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO JOHN MICHAEL CRILEY, MD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 2006

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, everyday, people's lives depend on the quick 
reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians and 
paramedics. Whether it is an automobile accident, heart attack, 
drowning or gunshot wound, EMTs and paramedics provide vital attention 
as they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical 
facility.
  The modem EMT and paramedic programs across the nation would not 
exist without the significant contributions of Dr. Mike Criley.
  Dr. Criley developed the Los Angeles County Paramedic Program in 
1969. The program trains first responders to provide critical life 
support to heart attack victims. Pre-hospital advanced cardiac care was 
a major innovation in the field of emergency medical services. It was 
also controversial, as it placed firefighters in a medical role, 
something both firefighters and many in the health field resisted.
  But the program showed its value when paramedics were dispatched to 
provide onsite medical services after the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. The 
next year, the television show 'Emergency!' followed the experiences of 
two fictional Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics. This 
legitimized the effort and led to communities across the country 
instituting their own paramedic training programs modeled after Dr. 
Criley's innovation.
  As a result of Dr. Criley's efforts, the Los Angeles County Paramedic 
Training Center is named in his honor.
  Dr. Criley also discovered a valuable life-saving technique known as 
cough CPR. He documented that coughing during cardiac arrest or life-
threatening heath rhythm disorders pumps oxygenated blood to the brain 
and maintains consciousness while help is summoned.
  Dr. Criley has also been instrumental in training over 100 
cardiologists and has taught cardiology to over 6,000 medical students 
and residents throughout his career. He has developed interactive 
multimedia programs in three languages that are used around for medical 
and nursing education programs around the world.
  Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Criley has served on the 
faculty of two of the nation's most prestigious medical institutions. 
After serving as Director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at 
Johns Hopkins Hospital, he returned to his native California to join 
the faculty at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is now Chief of 
Cardiology at Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he 
continues to care for patients, teach, and perform research.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to share how proud I am to 
have Mike Criley working in one of my district's premier biomedical 
research facilities, the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at 
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. His contributions have saved many lives in 
Los Angeles, and across the Nation.

                          ____________________