[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 76 (Monday, May 18, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S2970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. NICHOLAS WOLTER

 Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize a 
Montanan whose life's work is helping to improve the health of folks in 
my home State and across this country.
  As a board-certified physician in internal medicine and pulmonary 
medicine, Dr. Nicholas Wolter has been dedicated to improving the 
health of folks in Montana for several decades. His distinguished 
career in Montana began more than 30 years ago at the Billings Clinic, 
where he now serves as the chief executive officer. Under his 
leadership, the Billings Clinic has become the largest health care 
organization in Montana, with more than 3,700 employees, including 350 
physicians and 400 inpatient nurses. Dr. Wolter is known for his 
commitment to the people of Billings, and under his direction the 
clinic has provided more charity care than any other health care 
organization in the State and has gained a reputation nationally as a 
leader in patient safety, quality, and service.
  For the past decade, Dr. Wolter has been one of the most influential 
voices on Capitol Hill in helping to reform our fragmented health care 
delivery system and championing the medical-group delivery model. His 
successes can be seen in several pieces of legislation, including the 
Affordable Care Act, and have improved care for countless numbers of 
patients. Dr. Wolter's close partnership with our former colleague, 
Senator Max Baucus, resulted in Montana serving as a model for the rest 
of the Nation on how best to deliver care in the most rural parts of 
this Nation.
  Dr. Wolter is a former member of the board of directors of the 
American Medical Group Association and the American Hospital 
Association. He served two terms as a Commissioner on the Medicare 
Payment Advisory Commission, advising Congress on how to improve care 
and reduce costs in the health care system. Dr. Wolter was recognized 
by the Medical Group Management Association in 2004 as the Physician 
Executive of the Year and was named by Modern Healthcare as one of the 
100 Most Influential People in Health Care in 2010 and 2011, and by 
Modern Physicians as one of the 50 Most Influential Physicians in 
Health Care in 2011.
  Dr. Wolter has been a tireless advocate in improving our health care 
system and today I am delighted to recognize him as he is being entered 
into the American Medical Group Association's Policy Hall of 
Fame.

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