[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S963-S964]
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. 350 and 
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. 350) designating February 14, 2014, 
     as National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Booker 
amendment to the resolution, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the 
resolution, as amended, be agreed to; the Booker amendment to the 
preamble, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, 
be agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid 
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2742) was agreed to, as follows:

       Beginning on page 2, line 9, strike ``important'' and all 
     that follows through line 2 on page 3, and insert the 
     following: ``importance of both--
       ``(A) being humane and compassionate; and
       ``(B) providing technical expertise.''.

  The resolution (S. Res. 350), as amended, was agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 2743) was agreed to, as follows:


[[Page S964]]


       In the first whereas clause of the preamble, strike ``as 
     reflected'' and all that follows through ``their families''.

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 350

       Whereas 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;
       Whereas on February 14 of each year, 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 
     stated that the most important treatment he provided to 
     Congresswoman 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, and all other health care 
     professionals are charged with practicing medicine as both an 
     art and a science;
       Whereas an 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 reveals that when health care 
     professionals practice humanistically and demonstrate the 
     qualities of integrity, 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 for health care students and professionals 
     to celebrate by 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, 2014, 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.

                          ____________________