[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4768-S4769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JASON SUSLAVICH

 Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I would like recognize an 
important

[[Page S4769]]

member of my staff, my former director of national security policy, 
Jason Suslavich. I, along with the rest of my team was saddened to have 
Jason leave our office this February.
  While born in Winchester, MA, Jason was quick to embrace the Alaskan 
spirit. Up north, Jason traded his beach walks for hikes and his golf 
clubs for a fishing rod. Like a true Alaskan, he loved his wild Alaska 
seafood and overall good cooking and could talk for hours about his 
favorite dishes at his favorite restaurants throughout the State. One 
of his favorites was the osso bucco at Orso--and could speak tirelessly 
about it. And did.
  In high school, Jason was the all-State wrestling champion and was 
inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. His dedication and 
tenacity expanded beyond the wrestling mat into his academics. At John 
Hopkins University, Jason majored in international studies, which he 
has applied throughout his career.
  Jason's work in Alaska politics began over a decade ago in 
Congressman Don Young's office. As the Congressman's legislative 
assistant, Jason laid the foundation for his career in the Senate, 
building productive coalitions and facilitating bipartisan 
collaboration.
  One year into my first term. Jason joined our office. At this time, I 
was still learning the ropes in the Senate. His work ethic, experience, 
and dependability made my life a lot easier and made him an 
irreplaceable asset to my team.
  Jason was good-natured, a team player, and a legendary prankster. 
From day-to-day tricks to years-long plots, Jason was committed to the 
craft of mischief--just ask his nemesis, Mike Anderson.
  Jason's contributions to our office--and to the State of Alaska, 
particularly building on our three pillars of military might--were 
enormous. His leadership lives on with Team Sullivan. He is greatly 
missed.
  If this past year has taught us anything, it is the importance of 
trusting our intuition. After 13 years working for Alaska s delegation, 
Jason has decided to chart a new journey--working in the aerospace 
sector. He has loved space since he was a child. In this next chapter, 
Jason can dedicate time to his great passions: space exploration, the 
strength of our Nation, the Boston Red Sox, and most importantly, his 
beautiful and brilliant wife Sarah.
  Jason may not be working in my office, but he will always have a home 
in the Last Frontier. His dedication to the State has forever 
solidified him as a welcome friend and honorary Alaskan.
  Please join me in wishing Jason much success and happiness in the 
future.
 Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I rise today in appreciation of 
a lifelong Rhode Islander and a healthcare trailblazer, Dr. Al Puerini. 
We wish him well in the next chapter of life.
  Al Puerini was born, raised, and trained in Rhode Island. After 
graduating from his beloved Providence College and training in family 
medicine at Brown University, Al began his practice in Cranston, RI, in 
the early eighties. He excelled in his work. He soon began teaching 
family medicine at Brown's Warren Alpert School of Medicine and was 
elected a fellow at the American Academy of Family Physicians.
  But his revolutionary work began in the mid-1990s, when Al helped to 
found and then lead the Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians 
Corporation as it embarked on an important mission: to reimagine the 
way we deliver healthcare. Al and his RIPCPC colleagues combined the 
talents of over 150 primary care physicians and over 200 specialists 
and negotiated new contracts with local health insurers. Instead of 
following the fee-for-service treadmill that encourages doctors to 
shuffle as many people through their offices as possible, these new 
contracts rewarded providers for the health of their patients. They 
also aimed to increase collaboration and communication among 
specialists, providers, and hospitals to improve health outcomes.
  As these contracts proved effective, Al and his board decided to 
think bigger. In 2014, they joined with Care New England to help form 
Integra Community Care Network, the largest accountable care 
organization, ACO, in Rhode Island. The Affordable Care Act's 
accountable care organizations take the principle Al had pursued for 
years--paying providers based on the health of their patients--and put 
it to use in the Medicare Program. At Integra, primary care providers, 
hospitals, specialists, extended care providers, and others all work 
together to achieve more coordinated, accountable care. As someone who 
fought for ACOs in the ACA, I was thrilled to see Rhode Islanders step 
up to that challenge.
  Integra now serves more than 1 in 10 patients in Rhode Island. It has 
been a national success. Beyond Medicare patients, it works with major 
private insurers and Medicaid. It has earned a 95-percent quality 
rating from the Federal Government and saved over $20 million in 
healthcare costs since 2015. Integra now stands a model for ACOs across 
the country.
  Even as he built a new national model of care, Al never stopped 
serving his patients, his community, and his beloved alma mater, 
Providence College. He maintained his Cranston private practice for 
over three decades. He was recognized as Rhode Island's ``Top Doc'' 
twice over that span. He was named a Rhode Island Academy of Family 
Physicians Physician of the Year in 2017. And he sustained a passion 
for sports medicine, which he cultivated as the Friars' head team 
physician from 1988 on. He even earned a spot in the Providence College 
Hall of Fame 2 years ago.
  Dr. Puerini, congratulations on your well-deserved retirement. You 
have shown us how to change the way health care is delivered and proven 
to the Nation that the triple aim of better care, lower costs, and 
happier and healthier patients is achievable. Thank you for everything 
you did to improve the care of Rhode Islanders and for the care you 
personally provided to so patients through the years. You made a 
tremendous difference.

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