[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 140 (Monday, September 28, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF TARY L. BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 28, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
outstanding service of Mr. Tary L. Brown, who will be retiring after 
thirty years of serving as CEO of Albany Area Primary Health Care 
(AAPHC) in Southwest Georgia. A retirement celebration was held in 
Tary's honor on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at the 
Doublegate Country Club in Albany, Georgia.
  Tary began his professional career after the death of his 
grandmother. Upset with how the local health care system treated her, 
he chose to devote his life ``to making a difference and promoting 
healthcare as a Right.'' Tary subsequently received a Bachelor of 
Science degree from Illinois State University and a Master's degree in 
Health Administration from the University of Illinois. Upon graduation, 
he began working with community health centers (CHCs) in Oquawka, 
Illinois as both health department administrator and CHC director.
  Tary was then offered an opportunity to work in Georgia for two years 
initially. But Tary, as countless others before and after him, fell in 
love with the beautiful landscape and rich culture of our great state. 
For the next three decades, he worked tirelessly in Georgia to ensure 
that all citizens--no matter their race, income, or background--had 
access to quality health care.
  Under Tary's leadership, AAPHC performed over one million patient 
visits. The center trained medical students and residents and piloted 
primary care case management of HIV/AIDS, the largest rural program in 
the nation. Moreover, AAPHC was instrumental in responding to the 
medical needs of citizens during natural disasters. Tary oversaw 
AAPHC's growth from three sites and 34 employees to eight sites and 160 
employees. I know that he will leave the AAPHC in good hands with 
incoming CEO, Shelley Spires.
  Tary has been recognized and commended for his leadership and service 
numerous times throughout his career. Some of his accolades include the 
2010 Betsey K. Cook Advocacy MVP Award and the 2015 Spirit of 
Excellence Award, both from the National Association of Community 
Health Centers, and two Administrator of the Year Awards from the 
Georgia Association for Primary Health Care, Inc. His practice has been 
recognized as the Rural Practice of the Year in 2009 and was listed in 
the Top 25 Physician Group Practices by Atlanta Business Chronicle in 
1997.
  Tary Brown has been a stalwart advocate for CHCs on the local, state, 
and national levels and has been a frequent visitor to my Congressional 
office both in Albany and Washington D.C. He also has been active in 
the community and previously served as President of Georgia Association 
for Primary Health Care, Inc.
  Tary has achieved much in his life, but none of this would have been 
possible without the love and support of his wife, Lyndea, their three 
children, and three grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and 
recognizing Mr. Tary Brown for his outstanding leadership and his 
contributions to improving the quality of health care in Southwest 
Georgia. I wish Tary all the best for his retirement and I look forward 
to his continued friendship and wise counsel in the future.

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