[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 11, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO LISA MORRIS

 Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Lisa 
Morris, New Hampshire's director of public health at the State 
department of health and human services, for her years of service to 
the Granite State. Throughout her career, first serving the people of 
New Hampshire's Lakes Region at the Partnership for Public Health and 
later the entire State at the New Hampshire Division of Public Health, 
Lisa has made it her mission to improve the health and well-being of 
the New Hampshire public. I am grateful for her service to our State, 
especially her work to address the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 
year.
  Prior to her time as the New Hampshire director of public health, 
Lisa served for over a decade as the executive director of the 
Partnership for Public Health in Laconia, providing invaluable public 
health information and services to the people of the Lakes Region. In 
this role, Lisa was a leading voice in advocating for resources to meet 
the health needs of the region and solve the most pressing public 
health concerns. During her time as executive director, the Partnership 
for Public Health was able to provide the region with invaluable 
services such as a community emergency response team, an immigration 
welcome center, flu vaccine clinics, and other community health 
education programs. I especially commend Lisa for her attention to the 
substance misuse crisis during her time as executive director.
  Lisa has served as the director of public health for the State of New 
Hampshire since 2016 and has provided essential leadership through 
several public health challenges. In 2014, contamination from per- and 
polyfluoroalkyl substances--PFAS--was first discovered in New Hampshire 
at the site of the former Pease Air Force Base. In the time since, more 
contamination has been found throughout our State, including in the 
town of Merrimack and at the Coakley Landfill in North Hampton. While 
information about the toxicity and human health impacts of PFAS was 
only just emerging as the contamination was discovered, Lisa and her 
team worked diligently to keep the public and physicians updated with 
necessary information. The division of public health, which Lisa led, 
conducted PFAS blood testing for more than 1,800 individuals who 
reported exposure from contaminated drinking water while living, 
working, or attending childcare on or near the campus of the Pease 
International Tradeport. This information has been invaluable for those 
individuals worried about their health, and I thank Lisa for her 
leadership to provide this information to families.
  I also commend Lisa for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
As we all know, a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has been difficult for us 
all, but Lisa's leadership has been an incredible asset to the State of 
New Hampshire. From New Hampshire's announcement of the first case of 
COVID-19 in March 2020 to the present, the New Hampshire Division of 
Public Health has been a reliable resource, providing daily reports on 
the number of COVID-19 cases and positivity rates, which have been an 
important source of data for State leaders, businesses, and the general 
public. With her leadership, New Hampshire was able to establish 
partnerships with the New Hampshire National Guard to stand up testing 
sites and vaccine distribution sites throughout our State. New 
Hampshire's vaccine distribution rollout has been recognized as one of 
the best in the Nation and the most efficient in reaching the public 
with shots in arms. These achievements can only happen with competent 
and forward-thinking leaders like Lisa.
  On behalf of all the people of New Hampshire, I ask my colleagues and 
all Americans to join me in thanking Lisa for her years of service, 
advocacy, and leadership. I wish her well in her retirement and the 
years ahead.

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