[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 78 (Friday, May 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H3687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0915
                   HONORING DAVID BLOM OF OHIOHEALTH

  (Mr. BALDERSON asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BALDERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of 
David Blom, who is retiring from his service as president and CEO of 
OhioHealth this July.
  Under David's watch, OhioHealth has grown leaps and bounds into 
central Ohio's largest healthcare system. In 17 years at the helm, Dave 
built OhioHealth into a top employer and economic driver in Ohio.
  When his tenure began, OhioHealth employed 14,000 associates and 
caregivers. That number has more than doubled to more than 30,000 
OhioHealth associates and caregivers today.
  What is more, OhioHealth was just named to the Fortune 100 Best 
Companies to Work For in 2019 for the 19th straight year, fostered by 
Dave's leadership.
  Moreover, when Dave took the reins in 2002, not a single OhioHealth 
hospital existed in what is now my congressional district. Today, 
OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital, Dublin 
Methodist Hospital, and Westerville Medical Campus all lie in the 12th 
Congressional District.
  Throughout this rapid development, Dave has kept an unwavering 
commitment to keeping care local for patients across Ohio's 
communities.
  Keeping care local isn't merely a slogan for Dave. Rather, it 
represents a cultural focus on serving each community, creating access 
to care, and establishing standard practices and procedures around 
medicine and patient care, all so Ohioans can receive the healthcare 
services they need close to home.
  Dave has been gracious in sharing his leadership with the central 
Ohio region. During his tenure as chairman of the Columbus Chamber of 
Commerce, the chamber elevated its mission and made a profound impact 
on regional growth.
  Dave also serves on the Columbus Partnership executive committee, a 
nonprofit organization of more than 70 CEOs of Columbus' leading 
businesses and institutions.
  Dave has positively impacted so many lives by making care accessible 
for Ohioans--for urban, suburban, and rural areas alike--and by growing 
OhioHealth into a robust employer in the region I call home. I thank 
him very much for his service.

                          ____________________