[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 131 (Monday, September 15, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1404-E1405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. RON ANDERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 15, 2014

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to Dr. Ron Anderson, my dear friend, who passed away on 
September 11, 2014. I am humbled to have shared in his successes and to 
have been able to support his vision for transforming public health in 
Dallas County. Dr. Ron Anderson served as the CEO and President of 
Dallas' Parkland Memorial Hospital for twenty-nine years. I am deeply 
saddened by his passing, but I am honored to celebrate his legacy and 
contributions, not only to Dallas County, but to the global health 
community.
  During my career as a psychiatric nurse with the Dallas Veterans 
Affairs Medical Center and as a state and federal legislator, I have 
never known a public health official who treated his patients with as 
much compassion as Dr. Anderson. His passion and commitment to treating 
each and every individual who visited his hospital is unparalleled. He 
dedicated his life to healing people, regardless of their race, 
economic class, ethnic origin or immigration status. He was steadfast 
and visionary.
  Through his years of service to Dallas County's only public hospital, 
Dr. Anderson's name has become synonymous with Parkland. Dr. Anderson's 
tenure at Parkland began in 1973 as an intern seeking training in a 
large city. He grew up in poverty in Chickasaw, Oklahoma and was able 
to connect with the high population of low-income patients who sought 
health care at Parkland. Not only did he help to treat the underserved 
in Dallas County, he led the charge in advocating for every individual 
to receive the best care possible.
  After he became President and CEO in 1982, Dr. Anderson lobbied 
tirelessly to stop patient dumping, or the practice of transferring 
unstable patients from private to public hospitals because of the 
patient's inability to pay. In 1986, federal legislation was passed and 
signed into law prohibiting patient dumping. Dr. Anderson also fought 
to allow Parkland's physicians to treat every patient, no matter their 
citizenship status. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Anderson became a national 
spokesperson when welfare reform proposals threatened to force health 
care providers to report undocumented immigrants to the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service. He advocated for the preservation of the 
confidentiality of the physician-patient relationship.
  Under Dr. Anderson's dynamic leadership, Parkland's system expanded 
to include twelve local primary care clinics and twelve school-based 
clinics. The Homeless Outreach Medical Services branch was also 
established, providing care in more than twenty homeless shelters in 
Dallas County. Hospital administrators travelled from all over the 
world to see Parkland and to learn from Dr. Anderson's visionary and 
compassionate leadership style.
  In 2005, Dr. Anderson's colleagues recognized his leadership by 
awarding him the Dallas County Medical Society's Max Cole Leadership 
Award. He is responsible for the new $1.8 billion Parkland facility 
across the street from the original campus.

[[Page E1405]]

  Mr. Speaker, my friend, Dr. Ron Anderson, dedicated his life to 
improve the lives of countless thousands of people. He exemplified the 
virtues of a true care-giver and was an exemplary model for other 
physicians. I urge my colleagues to celebrate the life and legacy of 
Dr. Ron Anderson.

                          ____________________