[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 10, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JANE EHRLICH

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER P. GIBSON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2016

  Mr. GIBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jane Ehrlich, who served for 
nearly two decades as Columbia Memorial Hospital's chief executive 
officer.
  Jane is this year's Columbia County Association's Distinguished 
Citizen Award recipient. She has always been passionate about the 
healthcare field and expanding access in Columbia and Greene Counties.
  From an early age, Jane knew she was called to the healthcare 
profession; tending to her dolls and pets as patients. By the age of 
16, she was working in health care. Jane took advantage of a program 
that allowed high school juniors entering their senior year to work 
full-time as a nurse's aide and rotate through the hospital.
  Following nursing school, Jane worked as a clinical nurse in New York 
City and Boston. Eventually she was introduced to the administration 
side of healthcare, to which she took an interest. This led Jane to 
pursue an MBA with a major in Health Care Administration.
  Jane was ultimately offered the position of CEO at Columbia Memorial 
Hospital in 1994. At the time, the hospital was nearly bankrupt and was 
losing patients to other area facilities. Shortly after assuming the 
role, Jane brought the board of directors together and improved the 
hospital's financial stability and performance, made technological 
upgrades, and improved staff accommodations and morale. Through these 
successes, the surrounding community was presented with expanded care 
and access to vital medical services.
  By 1997, Jane's leadership put the hospital in the fiscal position to 
add a new unit called The Family Birthplace. This state of the art 
facility encouraged birth as a family experience and was shortly 
followed by the Kellner Wing. The Kellner Wing housed the Emergency 
Department and Surgical Services. These important expansions proved the 
hospital was poised for a bright future.
  Jane further worked to expand the hospital's physician network that 
focused on patient-centric care and a nearly fully integrated system.
  Mr. Speaker, Jane Ehrlich has distinguished herself throughout her 
remarkable twenty-plus-year career with Columbia Memorial Hospital 
where she has expanded care and choice in Upstate New York. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in congratulating her on her countless 
achievements during a remarkable career, thank her for what she did to 
expand healthcare access for my home county and the surrounding area, 
and wish her all the best in her retirement.

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