[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 164 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE HONORING LATHRAN J. WOODARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 17, 2019

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
outstanding South Carolinian and a proven health care champion for the 
people of South Carolina and the nation. Lathran Johnson Woodard has 
devoted her career to promoting the health and well-being of South 
Carolinians, especially those who struggle to access quality health 
care.
  A Columbia, South Carolina native, Ms. Woodard received her primary 
and secondary education in Richland County public schools, graduating 
from C.A. Johnson High School in Columbia. She received her Bachelor of 
Science Degree in Business Administration from Southern Wesleyan 
University and began her career at the South Carolina Department of 
Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). Over the course of her 
fourteen-year tenure, she was promoted to various positions at the 
agency. Her hard work and dedication earned her the position of Deputy 
Director for the Division of Maternal Health. While at DHEC, Ms. 
Woodard helped write and initiate the state's Women, Infants, and 
Children (WIC) program and led initiatives to ensure access and improve 
the quality of services provided to mothers and children in South 
Carolina.
  Ms. Woodard has achieved over 30 years of service in the health care 
field. In 1987, she became the Assistant Director for the South 
Carolina Primary Health Care Association (SCPHCA), where she now serves 
as the Chief Executive Officer. As CEO of SCPHCA, Ms. Woodard has 
worked relentlessly to ensure the strength and capacity of the state's 
primary care safety net, focusing primarily on assistance to those 
health care centers that provide vital services to medically 
underserved communities. Her primary interests are community systems 
design, the development of integrated systems of healthcare, and youth 
self-enhancement.
  Beyond her work in South Carolina, Ms. Woodard has promoted health 
care on a national level as well. She is currently the Chair-Elect of 
the National Association of Community Health Centers. She holds 
membership in the National Association of Female Executives, the 
National Rural Health Association, the American Society of Association 
Executives, and the South Carolina Public Health Association. She has 
earned several awards and honors. Most recently, Ms. Woodard was a 
recipient of the Order of Palmetto, the highest honor a civilian can 
receive in the State of South Carolina.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in offering 
congratulations and sincere gratitude to Ms. Lathran J. Woodard for her 
unwavering service to the people of South Carolina and the nation. Her 
many contributions have improved the quality of life for so many South 
Carolinians and helped advance healthy communities throughout the 
country. I am pleased to honor her for exemplifying what it means to be 
a true public servant.

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