[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H2205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING DON BURMAN ON HIS RETIREMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Director Don Burman 
for his nearly 10 years of service in the United States Air Force, and 
8 years of service within the Department of Veterans Affairs, 6 of 
which was in Nebraska's Second District at the Nebraska-Western Iowa 
Health Care System. Don is retiring from Federal service.
  Don is a Vietnam-era veteran. He served as a telecommunications 
center specialist, supporting the mission in Arkansas, Hawaii, also 
Fort Belvoir Army installation, and the Defense Nuclear Agency in 
Virginia. Don's healthcare career spans nearly 33 years, 25 of which 
were in private healthcare.
  In Nebraska's Second District, Don has served since March of 2015 as 
the director of the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System. During 
his tenure, he was instrumental in proposing a partnership between the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and members of the private philanthropic 
community. His vision began a collaboration that produced the 
groundbreaking public law known as the CHIP IN for Vets Act of 2016. 
This law authorized the VA to carry out a pilot program under which it 
may accept donations from non-Federal entities.
  The Nebraska philanthropic community provided a gift of $30 million 
to be used to construct a new 157,000-square-foot ambulatory care 
clinic located on the grounds of the Omaha VA Medical Center. Through 
Don's leadership, tenacity, and innovation, a second public-private 
partnership recently began. CHI Health and Nebraska-Western Iowa Health 
Care System opened a new 35-bed Community Living Center for veterans in 
a non-VA medical facility at the CHI Health Midlands healthcare 
facility.
  Additionally, a new mental health pavilion and a new physical therapy 
and prosthetics building have started construction. Omaha's new 500-
stall parking ramp opens in November, and all seven of the current 
community-based outpatient centers located around Nebraska and western 
Iowa have been rebuilt and/or refreshed in order to provide the most 
up-to-date healthcare facilities to veterans.
  In August of 2020, Forbes named America's best employers by State, 
and the Veterans Administration was cited as the best employer. Among 
the 17 States mentioned, the Nebraska VA was identified. Bringing Don's 
private experience and innovation to the Veterans Administration has 
served our veterans well in Nebraska and western Iowa.
  Don continues to use his personal and professional experience to aid 
him in understanding the needs of our veterans while solving complex 
issues associated with running a leading healthcare system for Nebraska 
and western Iowa.
  Never forgetting the mission of service to our veterans, I want to 
offer my sincere appreciation to Don, who is my great friend, for his 
years of dedicated service to our great Nation and to Nebraska's Second 
Congressional District. Don's accomplishments in his military service, 
civil service, and his private career are credits to his dedication to 
the provision of world-class healthcare no matter the venue.
  Don's retirement is well earned and deserved. I wish Don all the best 
in his future endeavors.

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