[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 89 (Tuesday, July 11, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO MERCY FLIGHT OF WESTERN NEW YORK

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                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 11, 2006

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mercy Flight of 
Western New York and their commitment in providing life-saving services 
to the community on this, their 25th anniversary. On September 27, 1981 
Mercy Flight flew its first mission and since then has transported more 
than 13,000 patients for emergency care.
  Mercy Flight was the pioneer of air-medical service in New York State 
and one of the first operations of its kind in the United States. Its 
nine guiding principles include: patient focus, integrity and honesty, 
neutrality, clinical excellence, safety, readiness, respect, community 
partnership, and fiduciary obligation. By relying on these principles 
Mercy Flight has proven their dedication to their life-saving mission.
  Mercy Flight is independent of any hospital and instead puts their 
patients first and chooses the hospital that will best suit their 
medical needs, honoring a simple goal: to save lives. Mercy Flight has 
provided an exemplary service to Western New York during emergencies 
when every second matters. They provide fast, safe, and cost-effective 
air-medical emergency services to over 600 people every year.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to pay tribute to 
Mercy Flight, an organization that has devoted 25 years of service to 
the community and one that will be deeply valued by Western New York 
for decades to come.

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