[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 86 (Thursday, May 18, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E667-E668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE GOOD NEIGHBOR HEALTH CLINIC

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETER WELCH

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2017

  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I wish to honor the good work of over twenty-
five years of the Good Neighbor Health Clinic in White River Junction. 
Our community faces the challenge of providing healthcare to folks who 
don't have it. The Good Neighbor Health Clinic was

[[Page E668]]

founded in 1992. It was the inspiration of two dedicated doctors, Paul 
Manganiello and Peter Mason, who asked in 1991, ``What kind of 
healthcare do the homeless have?'' The answer was: ``None.'' Those 
doctors set out to work with other physicians and healthcare 
professionals to change that by creating a clinic with volunteer staff 
to deliver services to people without any ability to pay for care. 
Later, they were joined by dentist Robert Keene, and the Red Logan 
Dental Clinic was added.
  For over twenty five years, the Good Neighbor Health Clinics have 
managed to provide fine, professional primary care to people in our 
community who can't afford it--free of charge. Just last year, 175 
volunteer physicians, nurses, dentists, physician assistants, 
administrators, and about 50 medical students from the nearby Geisel 
School of Medicine served 1,253 low income residents, with 2,763 
patient visits, a total of 3,267 patient interactions. With the 
additional help of dental students from regional schools, the dental 
clinic manages to fill cavities, pull teeth, create dentures, and clean 
the teeth of over 600 patients a year. And, to help foster ownership of 
one's own health care, the clinics offer workshops on such topics as 
diabetes, nutrition, substance misuse, smoking cessation, mental 
health, blood pressure, and heart disease, among other concerns.
  In other words, while taking care of immediate needs, this Good 
Neighbor has been creating a more lasting legacy and a culture of 
health awareness. People who had been afraid to see a doctor for fear 
of what they might find out, folks who never trusted the medical 
system, or avoided the dentist, immigrant farm workers who didn't 
believe they could find medical care in a place they inhabited only 
seasonally and where the language wasn't their own, and even those 
local citizens who thought they didn't have the language to speak about 
their problems with doctors have found help at these clinics.
  The voices of patients say it all: ``They make me feel welcome.'' 
``They listen to me without my feeling that I'm being judged at the 
same time.'' And, ``They treat me like a real human being.'' We all 
know the difference that can make.
  I believe the Good Neighbor Health Clinic and the Red Logan Dental 
Clinic are not only giving good care. They are caring, and, by being 
so, are saving lives in many different ways.
  I ask you today to join me in honoring the good work and the good 
people of the Good Neighbor Health Clinic.

                          ____________________