[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E831-E832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE CAREER OF ROBERT C. GAINES, MD, LEAD PHYSICIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SALUD O. CARBAJAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 13, 2018

  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the completion 
of a prodigious thirty-six-year federal career of Dr. Robert C. Gaines 
of the VA Santa Barbara Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.
  Following his rigorous medical studies and Residency at the Santa 
Barbara Cottage Hospital, Dr. Robert Gaines joined staff of the

[[Page E832]]

Santa Barbara VA on July 1, 1982. In 1995, as the youngest primary care 
physician on staff, Dr. Gaines was promoted to Chief Medical Officer by 
the VA Greater Los Angeles System, and remained the clinic's leader and 
advocate for twenty-three years.
  During his decades with the VA, Dr. Gaines has remained unsinkable, 
despite relentless and conflicting demands, perpetual resource 
shortages, and high leader turnover within the Los Angeles VA system, 
and the VA Central Office.
  Despite the persistent challenges of his career, in the last decade 
Dr. Gaines became a volunteer with the Doctors without Walls and 
provided weekly ``street medicine'' to the homeless in our community. 
He also volunteered to be trained for the Federal Employee Response 
Team, serving victims of disasters in our country. In 2005, along with 
his VA team, the Santa Barbara Independent honored Dr. Gaines as a 
``Local Hero''.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join with the VA Santa Barbara and the 
VA Greater Los Angeles in celebrating the exemplary thirty-six-year 
career of Dr. Robert Gaines as he retires. His leadership and 
commitment to our Veterans has been both exceptional and unprecedented.

                          ____________________