[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 16, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E22]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING MERCY HOSPITAL CADILLAC ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS PUBLIC 
                               DEDICATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PETER HOEKSTRA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 16, 2008

  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the founders, 
administrators, staff and supporters of Mercy Hospital Cadillac as they 
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the hospital's public dedication.
  Madam Speaker, Mercy Hospital Cadillac has helped to ensure that the 
local community has remained healthy and productive since 1908.
  Mr. and Mrs. Delos F. and Esther Diggins started construction on a 
home for the sick in 1907 and entrusted it to the Sisters of Mercy in 
1908. It admitted its first patient on January 15, 1908, and it was 
dedicated to its purpose by a reception to the public on January 20, 
1908. It will be rededicated to its purpose during a public celebration 
on Sunday, January 20, 2008.
  From 1908 to 1934 Mercy Hospital conducted a nursing program titled 
the ``Mercy Hospital School of Nursing,'' which prepared young women 
for careers as skilled nurses. In 1952 the Mercy School of Practical 
Nursing was founded, and it educated 1,115 students before closing in 
1985. It was ranked first or second by the Michigan Nursing Board in 
its last 16 years.
  The hospital is currently engaged in an $11 million capital campaign 
to modernize its facilities and invest in new technologies, which so 
far has provided it with the means to construct a 1,800-square-foot 
Obstretrical Unit, a new emergency department and a new radiology 
department. The initiative will build upon the hospital's successes and 
ensure that it has the best equipment, expertise and infrastructure.
  Mercy Hospital Cadillac provides health care services to more than 
60,000 residents across four counties, and with more than 600 employees 
is one of the area's largest employers.
  Madam Speaker, Mercy Hospital Cadillac has contributed greatly to its 
community by continuing the legacy of Mr. and Mrs. Diggins and is 
deserving of the recognition of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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