[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 206 (Thursday, December 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S7193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO MIKE RUST

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it is with gratitude that I pay tribute 
today to Mike Rust, a leading advocate for positive healthcare outcomes 
in Kentucky. With a long list of accomplishments and two dozen years as 
president of the Kentucky Hospital Association, Mike has certainly 
earned a relaxing and enjoyable retirement. Communities throughout our 
Commonwealth have benefited from Mike's leadership, and I would like to 
join them today in honoring his impressive career.
  Before coming to Kentucky, Mike worked in senior positions at 
hospitals in West Virginia and with the Florida Hospital Association. 
Taking the impressive skills he developed throughout his career, Mike 
joined the KHA in 1996 as its third president. Mike and his team 
support the work of each and every one of Kentucky's 120-plus hospitals 
to enhance healthcare services in both rural and urban communities 
across the Commonwealth.
  In addition to its advocacy work, the KHA under Mike's leadership 
offers critical services to its membership, including research, 
education, and support for patient safety and quality care. Patients 
and hospitals in our State will continue to benefit from Mike's great 
work for many years to come. Through his achievements on behalf of 
Kentucky's hospitals and their patients, Mike has earned the respect of 
his peers in our Commonwealth and across the Nation.
  On a personal note, I have enjoyed partnering with Mike in my work in 
the Senate to support Kentucky families and communities. Just recently, 
the KHA supported my effort to raise the nationwide minimum purchase 
age for tobacco products from 18 to 21. His counsel was also 
particularly beneficial in our fight against the passage of Obamacare, 
which the KHA rightly opposed. My staff and I will miss Mike's 
collaboration on many important Kentucky priorities, but I am confident 
the organization he dedicated so much of his life to will continue 
building upon his legacy.
  As Mike reaches this milestone, I would like to thank him for his 
leadership on behalf of hospitals and families across the Commonwealth. 
I share my best wishes with Mike and his family for many years of 
relaxation and enjoyment together. Finally, I hope my Senate colleagues 
will join me in congratulating Mike Rust for a long career of 
distinguished advocacy and service to Kentucky.

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