[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 24 (Thursday, February 14, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S788-S789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         NATIONAL SOLIDARITY DAY FOR COMPASSIONATE PATIENT CARE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 21 and 
that the Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 21) designating February 14, 2013, as 
     ``National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Lautenberg amendment to 
the resolution, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the resolution, as 
amended, be agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; and the motions to 
reconsider be laid on the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 22) was agreed to, as follows:

[[Page S789]]

       On page 3 line 1, strike ``humanistic'' and insert 
     ``humane''.

  The resolution (S. Res. 21), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 21

       Whereas the National Solidarity Day for Compassionate 
     Patient Care promotes national awareness of the importance of 
     compassionate and respectful relationships between health 
     care professionals and their patients as reflected in 
     attitudes that are sensitive to the values, autonomy, 
     cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of patients and families;
       Whereas individuals and groups of medical professionals and 
     students stand in solidarity to support compassion in health 
     care as expressed by Dr. Randall Friese, triage physician at 
     the University of Arizona Medical Center who, when queried, 
     stated that the most important treatment he provided to 
     Congress member Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot on 
     January 8, 2011, was to hold her hand and reassure her that 
     she was in the hospital and would be cared for;
       Whereas physicians, nurses, all other health care 
     professionals, and medical facilities are charged with 
     providing both the art and science of medicine;
       Whereas a greater awareness of the importance of compassion 
     in health care encourages health care professionals to be 
     mindful of the need to treat the patient rather than the 
     disease;
       Whereas scientific research illustrates that when health 
     care professionals practice humanistically; demonstrating the 
     qualities of integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, 
     respect, empathy, and service, their patients have better 
     medical outcomes; and
       Whereas February 14th would be an appropriate day to 
     designate as National Solidarity Day for Compassionate 
     Patient Care and to celebrate it by health care students and 
     professionals performing humanistic acts of compassion and 
     kindness toward patients, families of patients, and health 
     care colleagues: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates February 14, 2013, as ``National Solidarity 
     Day for Compassionate Patient Care'';
       (2) recognizes the importance and value of a respectful 
     relationship between health care professionals and their 
     patients as a means of promoting better health outcomes; and
       (3) encourages all health care professionals to be mindful 
     of the importance of both--
       (A) being humane and compassionate; and
       (B) providing technical expertise.

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