[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 132 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1842-E1843]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PAYING TRIBUTE TO RADM KENNETH P. MORITSUGU

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JON C. PORTER

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 7, 2007

  Mr. PORTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor RADM Kenneth P. 
Moritsugu, who has served as the Acting Surgeon General since 2006, and 
congratulate him upon his retirement. Prior to this appointment, he 
served as Deputy Surgeon General, the principal assistant and advisor 
to the Surgeon General, which he was appointed on October 1, 1998. He 
had been a career officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public 
Health Service since 1968 and began his service as an Assistant Surgeon 
General beginning in 1988.
  Dr. Moritsugu was born and raised in Honolulu, HI. He received his 
baccalaureate degree with honors in classical languages from the 
University of Hawaii in 1967, an M.D. from the George Washington 
University School of Medicine in 1971, and an M.P.H. in health 
administration and planning from the University of California, 
Berkeley, in 1975. Having completed residencies in internal medicine 
and in preventive medicine, Dr. Moritsugu is Board Certified in 
preventive medicine. He holds Fellowships in the American College of 
Preventive Medicine, the Royal Society of Health, and the Royal Society 
of Medicine. He is also a Certified Correctional Health Professional.
  Throughout his career, Admiral Moritsugu has served in many diverse 
assignments including: Medical Officer on the U.S. Coast Guard cutter 
Taney; Chief of International Medical Education Programs; Director of 
the National Health Service Corps; and Medical Director of the U.S. 
Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons. Admiral Moritsugu 
has been the Federal representative to numerous national health care 
agencies and has been consultant to several international organizations 
and governments and served as the official U.S. representative to the 
75th anniversary of the Pan American Health Board in Havana, Cuba.
  Dr. Moritsugu has received numerous honors and awards, including the 
Surgeon General's Medallion, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Coast 
Guard Arctic Service Medal, among many others. He was deemed an 
Honorary Deputy United States Marshal by the U.S. Marshals Service, and 
received the Director's Special Achievement Award from the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation. In 2003, Rear Admiral Moritsugu was named 
Health Leader of the Year by the Commissioned Officers Association of 
the U.S. Public Health Service. He was awarded with the first William 
B. Miller Award from the American Association of Colleges of 
Osteopathic Medicine, a recipient of the John D. Chase Award from the 
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States and a Special 
Achievement Award from the National Commission on Correctional Health 
Care.
  Admiral Moritsugu has received honorary doctor of science degrees 
from the University of New England, Midwestern University of Chicago, 
and the University of North Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 
1997, the American Academy of Physician Assistants deemed him an 
honorary Lifetime Member; additionally, in 2002, he has been granted 
honorary doctorates of humane letters from Alliant International 
University and from Western University of Health Sciences. As an 
educator, he is an adjunct professor at the George Washington 
University School, and an adjunct associate professor at the Uniformed 
Services University of Health Sciences. He has spoken and written 
extensively in many diverse areas, including health professions 
education, international health, HIV, and most recently bioterrorism.
  In his official capacity, Admiral Moritsugu has been a dedicated 
advocate for organ and tissue donation and transportation. He has been 
an active participant in the Donor Family Recognition Programs in 
Washington, DC, as a key speaker at numerous local and national 
programs. In his private capacity, he has been a member of several 
boards of directors, including the Washington Regional Transplant

[[Page E1843]]

Consortium; several boards of trustees, including the National Kidney 
Foundation; and on the National Advisory Board for MOTTEP. As an 
additional service to his community he is an active volunteer of the 
Transplant Recipients International Organization.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor RADM Kenneth P. Moritsugu for his 
dedication and commitment to his profession, and commend him upon his 
retirement from serving as Acting Surgeon General. I applaud all of his 
hard work and wish him the best.