[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 10, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E850-E851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF INOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITAL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2011

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Inova 
Fairfax Hospital, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
   Fairfax Hospital was first proposed by a group of concerned citizens 
who embraced the concept of a not-for-profit hospital. With the strong 
support of the community, Fairfax County and the federal government, 
The Fairfax Hospital was built and opened its doors on February 6th, 
1961. With a visionary and dedicated group of physicians, nurses, 
allied health care professionals, management, board members and 
auxillians, The Fairfax Hospital has become a premier health care 
institution in the Washington, D.C. area.
   During the past 50 years, Fairfax Hospital, renamed Inova Fairfax 
Hospital in 1997, has significantly expanded to 833 acute-care beds and 
is now the busiest hospital in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It serves 
as the flagship facility of Inova Health System, which now includes 
hospitals in Alexandria, Mount Vernon, Fair Oaks, and Loudoun.

[[Page E851]]

   As the premier hospital serving the Northern Virginia community, 
Inova Fairfax Hospital includes the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute 
and the Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, both of which are 
internationally recognized facilities, and the Inova Fairfax Hospital 
for Women.
   Since its opening, Inova Fairfax Hospital has served as a teaching 
institution for future health professionals. Currently it partners with 
the medical schools of Georgetown, George Washington, the University of 
Virginia and Howard University as well as the Uniformed Services 
University of the Health Sciences. It also serves as the Northern 
Virginia campus for the medical school of Virginia Commonwealth 
University. In addition it is affiliated with numerous nursing, 
pharmacy and other allied health profession programs and with numerous 
institutions of higher learning, including George Mason University. 
Inova Fairfax Hospital continues to expand with construction underway 
for a new 11-story tower to provide better access and flexibility to 
meet patient needs.
   Among its many accolades, Inova Fairfax Hospital has been designated 
as the Level 1 Trauma Center for Northern Virginia by the Commonwealth 
of Virginia, awarded Magnet Recognition in Nursing Excellence, and 
consistently named among the 50 Best Hospitals in the United States by 
both U.S. News & World Report and HealthGrades. Inova Fairfax and Inova 
Health System are ranked among the nation's top 100 Military Friendly 
Employers, Top 100 Companies for Working Mothers, Best Employers for 
Workers Over 50, and are commonly named among the nation's 100 Most 
Wired hospitals and health systems.
   While serving the health needs of an extensive community, Inova 
Fairfax also is actively involved in the community, partnering with 
community based programs and Fairfax County Public Schools. Inova also 
provides more than $200 million in charity care within a single year. I 
was proud to represent Inova Fairfax Hospital during my 14 years as the 
chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and I am pleased 
to continue that partnership today.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 
50th Anniversary of Inova Fairfax Hospital, which the community will 
mark in a May 11 celebration. For 50 years, Inova Fairfax Hospital has 
carried out its mission as engraved on its dedication plaque that it is 
``dedicated to the relief of human suffering and to the protection and 
preservation of the health of all who enter its doors.'' I extend my 
congratulations to the entire Inova Fairfax Hospital family and to 
Inova Health System and thank them for their continued commitment to 
our community.

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