[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 42 (Thursday, March 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING DR. THOMAS C. ROSENTHAL UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

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                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 21, 2013

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Dr. Thomas C. 
Rosenthal upon the occasion of his retirement from the University at 
Buffalo's Department of Family Medicine. As Chair of the department for 
twenty years, Dr. Rosenthal has made significant contributions to the 
field of public health in both academic research and patient practice, 
committed to improving the quality of health in the most underserved 
populations.
   Beginning his career in rural medicine in 1978, Dr. Rosenthal's love 
of research led to his position at the University at Buffalo. Dr. 
Rosenthal's prolific research publications demonstrate his 
comprehensive expertise in his field. His published work spans from 
articles in chemistry journals to topics in primary care, such as 
cancer screening and Alzheimer's disease. He is board-certified in 
Family Medicine and Geriatrics, and holds membership on the esteemed 
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Residency Review 
Committee for Family Medicine.
   During his time at the University at Buffalo, Dr. Rosenthal has 
educated thousands of students, practitioners, and community members 
about public health. His passion for rural health motivated him to 
create the Buffalo Family Medicine residency program's Rural Health 
Campus in Olean, New York. Only the second such training model in the 
country, the Rural Health Campus allows students to gain firsthand 
knowledge of the unique healthcare needs of our nation's rural 
communities.
   A trusted figure in his field, Dr. Rosenthal serves as the lead 
editor of the textbook Office Care Geriatrics, and as a reviewer for 
nine other journals. From 2006 to 2009, he edited The Journal of Rural 
Health. Throughout his illustrious career, he has sat on numerous 
national and statewide panels, including: the New York Rural Health 
Council, the Association of American Medical College Task Force on 
Rural Education, the New York State Academy of Family Physicians 
Education Committee, the policy board of the National Rural Health 
Association, and the Bioterrorism Task Force of the Medical Society of 
New York State.
   Dr. Rosenthal pioneered an interdisciplinary approach to public 
health, combining real-world practice with academic study, dedicated to 
bettering the quality of health in underserved communities. His health 
services research, which includes rural health, medical training, 
health care organization and workforce development, informs his patient 
practice, and vice versa.
   Dr. Rosenthal is known as much for compassionate practice as for his 
impressive academic career. He has drastically increased awareness of 
the dire public health crisis in medically underserved communities, and 
passionately strives to improve quality of health in the community's 
most suffering areas. He continues to see patients in the Jefferson 
Family Medicine Center, located in a poor neighborhood on Buffalo's 
East Side.
   In 1998, Dr. Rosenthal became the Founding Director of the New York 
State Area Health Education Center, AHEC, System. Today, he continues 
to serve as statewide Medical Director. This truly revolutionary 
organization strives towards Dr. Rosenthal's goal to improve access to 
quality health care in medically underserved communities on local, 
regional, and statewide levels, by encouraging both patients and 
practitioners to work together. The AHEC System joins with pre-existing 
institutions to bring dedicated healthcare professionals to communities 
in need, and educate community members about personal health care. By 
engaging devoted practitioners and empowering patients, the AHEC System 
has made enormous strides in combating our public health crisis.
   Mr. Speaker, please join my colleagues and I in honoring Dr. Thomas 
C. Rosenthal as he retires from the University at Buffalo's Department 
of Family Medicine. I admire his compassionate and visionary approach 
to public health, and wish him Godspeed in all of his future endeavors.

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