[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DR. PAUL FARMER FOR BEING NAMED THE 2008 GREAT BROOKSVILLIAN

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                         HON. GINNY BROWN-WAITE

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2008

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize Dr. Paul Farmer, one of my most accomplished constituents and 
someone who was recently named the 2008 Great Brooksvillian, a yearly 
award presented to the most outstanding resident of Brooksville, 
Florida. Dr. Farmer will receive this honor during a ceremony at the 
Brooksville City Hall in December where area residents will gather to 
applaud his lifetime of service to improve health care services around 
the world.
  Dr. Farmer is a native Brooksvillian who graduated from Hernando High 
School in 1978. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Duke 
University in 1982 and his M.D. and Ph.D. in 1990 from Harvard 
University. Today Dr. Farmer is a world renowned medical anthropologist 
and physician focusing on improving the health of people around the 
globe.
  In addition to his clinical work as an attending physician in 
infectious diseases at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Dr. 
Farmer felt that it was important to make a difference in the lives of 
a greater segment of the world's population than just those he could 
see in his office. That is why he helped found an international non-
profit called Partners In Health. This organization seeks to provide 
direct health care services and undertake medical research on behalf of 
those who are sick and living in poverty. Some of their notable 
successes have included new treatment strategies for AIDS and 
tuberculosis in underserved nations, saving many lives and improving 
the overall quality of health care delivered to millions.
  Dr. Farmer has been recognized for his work by some of the most 
prestigious medical organizations around the world, including Duke 
University, the Salk Institute and the American Medical Association. An 
author or co-author of over 100 scholarly publications, Dr. Farmer has 
also been recognized with a ``genius award'' by the John D. and 
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for his work finding solutions to 
infectious disease.
  Madam Speaker, men and women like Dr. Paul Farmer are the ones truly 
making a difference in the world with their dedication and commitment 
to helping others. While awards from prestigious worldwide 
organizations are surely nice to receive, it is truly an honor to be 
recognized by your hometown friends and family. I know that Dr. 
Farmer's story will serve as an inspiration to other Brooksvillians, 
and I am proud to know that one of my constituents is helping so many 
people live better and healthier lives.

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