[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 74 (Thursday, May 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1155-E1156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DR. PATRICIA L. STARCK FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF OUTSTANDING 
 ACHIEVEMENTS AS DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER 
                      AT HOUSTON SCHOOL OF NURSING

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JOHN ABNEY CULBERSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 14, 2009

  Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Patricia L. 
Starck for twenty-five years of outstanding achievements as Dean of The 
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing 
and to recognize her contributions to the health of Texans and 
countless others through her leadership in nursing education.
  Dean Starck has shown exemplary leadership in addressing the national 
nursing shortage. Under her leadership, student enrollment in the 
School of Nursing and the number of faculty have nearly doubled; 
philanthropic giving has increased more than twenty-fold; the number of 
endowed scholarships has risen from two to twenty-four and the number 
of endowed chairs from one to thirteen; and seven research endowments 
have been created. She was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve on 
the Statewide Health Coordinating

[[Page E1156]]

Council and also serves as co-chair of the Texas Center for Nursing 
Workforce Study Advisory Committee.
  Under her leadership, the School of Nursing has embarked on several 
new programmatic endeavors. Dean Starck worked tirelessly to ensure the 
creation of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, a practice 
doctorate degree focused on patient quality outcomes. The University of 
Texas School of Nursing at Houston was the first school in Texas to 
offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree. During her tenure, 
the School has also established the Women's Health Care Nursing 
Program; the Center for Nursing Research; the Center on Aging; the 
Pediatric Nursing Practitioner Program; the Neonatal Nursing Program; 
the Acute Care Nursing Program; the Adult Health Nursing Program; the 
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Education and Research; the 
Biological Sciences Laboratory; and the Nursing Leadership and 
Administration Program.
  Dean Starck has also contributed to scholarship and research in her 
field, receiving fourteen grant awards for her work; publishing forty-
five articles for journals; publishing and serving as editor on 
eighteen publications; and collaborating on and leading twelve clinical 
research projects and six education research projects for instructional 
distribution.
  She has brought honor to the School and to herself as the recipient 
of numerous awards and distinctions, including the 2005 Health Policy 
Award; the Presidential Award for Distinguished Contributions and 
Sterling Leadership, the XIV Congress on Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy; 
the Griffin B. Bell Distinguished Lecturer, Georgia Southwestern State 
University; Sister Bernadette Armiger Award, American Association of 
Colleges of Nursing; Nursing Excellence Leadership Award, Houston 
Organization of Nurses; Distinguished Professional Woman's Award, The 
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Committee on the 
Status of Women 1993; Collaboration Between Nursing Service and 
Education Award, Council Deans/Directors and Nurse Executives; Woman of 
Excellence, Federation of Business and Professional Women; Outstanding 
Woman in Education, YWCA Honoree; Leadership Texas; and Lifetime 
Membership, Alumni Association, The University of Texas Health Science 
Center at Houston School of Nursing. She is a member of Sigma Xi, Sigma 
Theta Tau and Phi Kappa Phi societies; and is a Fellow of the American 
Academy of Nursing.
  Congratulations to Dr. Patricia Starck for twenty-five years of 
outstanding work for The University of Texas Health Science Center at 
Houston School of Nursing, and best wishes for the years to come.

                          ____________________