[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 7, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H10525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THE MAYO CLINIC: PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY CARE AT A LOW COST

  (Mr. WALZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that this Congress has started 
tackling the difficult issue of health care reform in a real way. 
Already in this Congress, we have passed legislation to provide health 
insurance to millions of uninsured American children and to bring our 
health care system into the 21st century with new health information 
technology.
  In my district, the Mayo Clinic, in particular, is a world-renowned 
medical institution that has always been at the forefront of efforts to 
reform and improve our health care system. Mayo has been a leader in 
providing high-quality care at a low cost. As we move forward on health 
care reform, we need to acknowledge that our current system rewards the 
quantity of procedures but doesn't account for quality of patient care. 
We can look to Mayo, which has been lauded for its ability to produce 
the highest patient satisfaction with the lowest cost, and others like 
it. Unfortunately, in our current health care system, doctors are paid 
per procedure, giving them no incentive to coordinate care and 
determine the best treatment regardless of cost.
  I encourage President Obama and my colleagues in this Congress to 
continue to listen to places like the Mayo Clinic, building on its 
incredible leadership to improve the way we provide care to all 
Americans.

                          ____________________