[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H1279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PAYING TRIBUTE TO NISWONGER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN JOHNSON CITY, 
                               TENNESSEE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to 
Niswonger Children's Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee. On March 2, 
2009, the hospital will open its doors and the new home for the 
Children's Hospital, our region's first hospital for children. The 
Children's Hospital at Johnson City Medical Center has offered premier 
health services in approximately 20 pediatric subspecialties for the 
past 16 years.
  Once open, Niswonger Children's Hospital will serve children from 
birth until 18 years of age in a four-State region, including parts of 
Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky. With the financial 
assistance of Scott and Nikki Niswonger and the people of our region, 
the hospital will be a place where children will feel comfortable 
coming to for their care.
  Niswonger's patient-centered care philosophy will put families in 
control of their care, and I certainly commend them for their work
  Madam Speaker, when I began my medical practice some 30-plus years 
ago in Johnson City, we used a closet and had a one-bed neonatal 
intensive care unit. Today, we have a state-of-the-art intensive care 
unit to care for children.
  When I began practice, when I graduated from medical school, almost 
half of the children who were born at 7 months died. Today, they have 
the same life expectancy as a term birth, and from the bottom of my 
heart, I want to thank this family for what they have done to make the 
health care of our region better and our children's lives better.

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