[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 71 (Thursday, May 17, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3271-S3272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak 
therein for up to 10 minutes each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the Pikeville 
Medical Center for its continued commitment to providing superior 
medical care to the people of Kentucky. Pikeville Medical Center has 
been named National Hospital of the Year, making it the only repeat 
winner of this prestigious award. The 261-room hospital has over 2,000 
employees, including more than 270 physicians and residents, and its 
superior facilities, equipment, and staff have drawn in qualified 
medical professionals from around the country.
  In January 2011, Pikeville Medical Center became affiliated with 
Cleveland Clinic's Heart Surgery Program, which has been ranked number 
one among heart programs in the United States for 16 years. This recent 
affiliation has allowed PMC to provide cutting-edge technology and 
treatments to its patients.
  Prior to receiving this award, Pikeville Medical Center was named 
12th in the Nation of Top 100 Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare 
Magazine and first on the Best Places to Work in Kentucky list by the 
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Individual units of the Medical Center 
have also received recognition. The Heart Institute is one of the first 
10 hospitals in the United States and the first in Kentucky to reach 
the highest distinction awarded by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, 
and the Stroke Center is one of 10 Kentucky recipients of the American 
Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get with the 
Guidelines--Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. Along with 
this, the Leonard Lawson Cancer Center was awarded the ``Outstanding 
Achievement Award'' 2 years in a row.
  While the Pikeville Medical Center has much to be proud of, it 
continues to strive for excellence. The hospital recently completed a 
$10-million emergency department expansion and renovation, and is 
currently undergoing a $100-million construction project to provide new 
offices and outpatient surgery units. This is all part of the 
organization's mission to ``provide quality regional health care in a 
Christian environment.''
  Mr. President, I would like to ask at this time for my colleagues in 
the Senate to join me in recognizing the Pikeville Medical Center. 
There was recently an article published in eastern Kentucky's local 
periodical magazine, the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition, highlighting 
the center's many successes. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in 
the Record said article.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

          [From the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition, Nov. 2011]

                        Pikeville Medical Center

       Pikeville Medical Center, now affiliated with Cleveland 
     Clinic Heart Surgery, is the nation's only repeat winner of 
     the National Hospital of the Year. President and Chief 
     Executive Officer Walter E. May has always encouraged PMC 
     employees to dream big and big things will happen. After 
     winning the award, he aid, ``It doesn't get much bigger than 
     this. This is like winning the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final 
     Four or the World Series for a hospital.''
       As a true leader and innovator in the health care industry, 
     Pikeville Medical Center continues to raise the bar of 
     excellence. Currently employing more than 2,000 people, PMC 
     has hired over 550 employees just during the past year. PMC 
     is a 261-bed facility, and a $100 million construction 
     project is under way, producing 1,500 temporary jobs and 100 
     permanent jobs. The new medical office building will house 
     nine floors of office and clinical space for outpatient 
     surgery, exam rooms and primary and specialty care 
     physicians, and the enclosed parking garage will have space 
     for more than 1,000 cars.
       The combination of first class facilities, the best 
     equipment available and a highly motivated support staff has 
     enabled Pikeville Medical Center to recruit some of the 
     nation's most qualified physicians. More than 270 
     credentialed professionals--physicians and residents--are 
     authorized to practice medicine at Pikeville Medical Center, 
     and the number continues to grow. Over the past year we have 
     recruited over 30 physicians and added six new services. 
     Among the newer service lines are: gynecological oncology, 
     otolaryngology, rheumatology, pediatric endocrinology, hand 
     surgery and nephrology.


                          The Heart Institute

       According to the American Heart Association, heart disease 
     is the #1 killer of Americans, making heart health a top 
     priority for Pikeville Medical Center. In January 2011, 
     Walter E. May addressed a standing room only crowd during a 
     special called press conference and announced Pikeville 
     Medical Center is now affiliated with Cleveland Clinic's 
     Heart Surgery Program.
       The Cleveland Clinic heart program has been ranked #1 in 
     the nation for the last 16 years by U.S. News and World 
     Report. The affiliation has enhanced PMC's opportunities to 
     provide new treatments and therapies to patients and has 
     accelerated Pikeville Medical and Cleveland Clinic's mutual 
     accomplishments in leading cardiac surgery care. Currently, 
     PMC staff is attending training at Cleveland Clinic and 
     enhancing their abilities to deal with complex medical 
     situations, while utilizing new technologies and innovations, 
     The two facilities are also sharing surgical outcome data and 
     research.
       In addition to the affiliation with Cleveland Clinic's 
     heart surgery program, PMC continues to make great strides in 
     heart care:
       One of the first 10 hospitals in the nation and the first 
     hospital in Kentucky to be designated a Level III Accredited 
     Chest Pain Center, the highest distinction given by the 
     Society of Chest Pain Centers
       THe cath lab has celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 
     first cath procedure performed at PMC.
       Median ``door-to-balloon'' time averages around 65 minutes 
     (well below the standard of 90 minutes set by the American 
     Heart Association and the Joint Commission).
       The heart team is comprised of Cardiologists, 
     Interventional Cardiologists, Cardiothoracic and Vascular 
     Surgeons and an Electrophysiologist. PMC's Heart Institute 
     operates offices throughout the region in Pike, Mingo and 
     Johnson Counties.


                             Stroke Center

       Pikeville Medical Center has received the American Heart 
     Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The 
     Guidelines'-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Gold Plus Quality 
     Achievement Award. Only 10 hospitals in KY have earned this 
     accreditation, and no other KY hospital east of Lexington has 
     earned this prestigious distinction.
       The award recognizes PMC's commitment and success in 
     implementing excellent care

[[Page S3272]]

     for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines. 
     To receive the award, PMC achieved 85 percent or higher 
     adherence to all GWTG-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators 
     for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 
     75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 GWTG-Stroke 
     Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure 
     quality of care.
       ``With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get With 
     the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award 
     demonstrates PMC's commitment to being one of the top 
     hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven 
     stroke care,'' said Dr. Naveed Ahmed, Medical Director of 
     Pikeville Medical Center's Stroke Unit. ``We will continue to 
     provide care shown in scientific literature to quickly and 
     efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based 
     protocols.''


                      Leonard Lawson Cancer Center

       Once again, Pikeville Medical Center's Leonard Lawson 
     Cancer Center received the ``Outstanding Achievement Award'' 
     from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of 
     Surgeons. PMC is one of only three hospitals in the state of 
     Kentucky to ever achieve this award, and is the only hospital 
     in Kentucky to be honored twice and consecutively.
       PMC has been recognized by the Commission on Cancer of the 
     American College of Surgeons for offering: The full scope of 
     multi-disciplinary services required to screen, diagnose, 
     treat, rehabilitate and support patients with cancer and 
     their families; A high quality, comprehensive team approach 
     by cancer care professionals; Complete range of state-of-the 
     art services and equipment; Access to information about new 
     treatment options and ongoing cancer trials; Access to 
     prevention and early detection programs, cancer education and 
     supportive services.
       The cancer center has also instituted program enhancements 
     and improvements including opening a new Paintsville Oncology 
     Clinic, offering genetics counseling and opening a 
     gynecological oncology service.
       ``The Cancer Center at Pikeville Medical Center is not just 
     a group of employees, they are a team. They continually 
     strive to provide excellent quality care. One of their goals 
     is to provide a special kind of friendship along the way. A 
     friendship that starts with a disease as serious and 
     devastating as cancer and evolves, during their time at PMC, 
     into a special relationship we refer to as the PMC family,'' 
     said Roxanne Hale. Director of the Cancer Center.


                          Emergency Department

       In preparation for achieving Level II Trauma Center 
     certification, Pikeville Medical Center has completed a $10 
     million emergency department expansion and renovation. This 
     new facility encompasses nearly 23,000 square feet, includes 
     two trauma bays, three triage bays, provides physiological 
     monitoring and a 32 flat screen tv in every room and has CT 
     scanning and digital x-ray on-site.
       Over the past year, PMC's ED patient satisfaction scores 
     have reached nearly 100%, and while the new facility is 
     impressive, it's PMC's employees who make this recognition 
     possible.


                  The Journey of Excellence Continues

       Pikeville Medical Center's employees are guided by the 
     mission statement ``to provide quality regional health care 
     in a Christian environment.'' ``This is more than just a 
     slogan,'' said Chief Operating Officer Juanita Deskins, ``it 
     is a prescription for the work lives of our employees.'' It 
     is primarily because of this work ethic that PMC regularly 
     receives recognition and awards, such as: 12th in the nation 
     of the top 100 Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare 
     Magazine (the second year in a row PMC made the top 100 
     list); the number one hospital in the state on the Best 
     Places to Work in Kentucky list, compiled by the KY Chamber 
     of Commerce; three employed physicians listed among the 
     nation's Best Doctors; for the third consecutive year PMC' 
     has been selected as a Hospital of Choice; Patient 
     Satisfaction Award from the Pike County School District 
     Superintendent; the prestigious Excellence Award from the 
     Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence, following the 
     strict criteria set forth by the nationally-acclaimed Malcolm 
     Baldrige Award; the Insight Award fur outstanding service in 
     Inpatient Oncology and Inpatient Rehabilitation; the gold 
     seal of approval from the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke 
     Centers.
       While those accolades are impressive, Pikeville Medical 
     Center will not rest on its laurels. There is always room for 
     improvement and our institutional vision has not yet been 
     fully realized--our journey is not over.
       Pikeville Medical Center will continue to improve and grow, 
     and will always pursue excellence. Technology will evolve and 
     we will continue to recruit the country's best doctors and 
     add specialty services to assure the best health care 
     possible for our patients. In the words of Walter E. May, 
     ``We aren't trying to provide health care that's `as good as' 
     anyplace else . . . we're working to provide health care 
     that's better than these patients could get anywhere else. At 
     Pikeville Medical Center, we're proud to say . . . we're 
     still the one!''

                          ____________________