[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 207 (Wednesday, December 1, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1294-E1295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING MARK LARET

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 1, 2021

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mark Laret, 
retiring President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of 
California San Francisco Health and a treasured friend. The San 
Francisco Giants recently announced that Buster Posey is retiring. For 
those who understand Mark Laret and his role at UCSF Health, the 
departure of Mark is equally earthshaking.
  Mark Laret is a 1980 Regents Scholar graduate of UCLA. He earned his 
Master's in Political Science from the University of Southern 
California. He joined UCLA Medical Center in 1980 and worked his way up 
the ranks, and then transferred to UC Irvine. After Irvine, he came to 
UCSF and never left.
  Mark arrived at UCSF Health after a disappointing attempt to merge 
with Stanford Health. At a time when the two organizations decided to 
end their merger, and many saw UCSF Health as the weaker partner, Mark 
took an $86 million deficit at the merged entity and produced a 
turnaround for UCSF Health. It wasn't easy, and he later remarked, ``I 
think when you are faced with a very difficult turnaround situation, 
the first thing you do is listen, and let people vent, hear them out--
hear their take on what went wrong, and what caused the issue . . . . 
[hear] what they're proud of about the place they work, what they think 
those strong core assets are. What do they want to see change, what's 
their hope for the future?'' What faculty and labor wanted was new 
management.
  A new executive team was recruited, and it operates under what Mark 
calls PRIDE (Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and 
Excellence). UCSF's commitment to quality patient care, operational 
efficiency, deep employee engagement, and health equity were 
formalized. Although it would take another 14 years, equity remained a 
core value and was made concrete when UCSF acquired Oakland Children's 
Hospital, now known as UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Oakland. A new 
capital campaign to update that campus has begun.
  UCSF Health also focused on regional care and an expansion of 
research. To expand its research capacity, Mark and his board created 
an entirely new and state of the art campus at Mission Bay. From the 
remains of railroad tracks and industrial decay, UCSF Mission Bay rose 
to offer globally competitive research space and hospitals that serve 
the entire San Francisco Bay Area. $1.6 billion was needed by an 
institution that only a few years earlier was teetering on the edge of 
financial ruin. Mark is a visionary, and philanthropists from 
throughout the Bay Area supported that vision with $600 million in 
donations, matched by $700 million in borrowing and other funds. Today, 
the Mission Bay campus includes Benioff Children's Hospital San 
Francisco, Bakar Cancer Hospital, Betty Irene Moore Women's Hospital, 
and the Ron Conway Family Gateway Medical Building. From birth to 
passing, relying heavily upon one of the globe's premier research and 
training programs, UCSF Health provides first rate health care for the 
people of our region.
  I have known Mark Laret for decades dating back to my years in the 
state legislature where we worked together after the unwinding of the 
Stanford merger. The first district that I represented in Congress had 
the UCSF Parnassus campus at its outer boundary. I was thrilled and 
spoke regularly to Mark and his leadership team about the vision for 
UCSF

[[Page E1295]]

and its role in the Bay Area. He was an especially important advisor 
during our consideration of the Affordable Care Act. He was always 
laser focused on providing the best possible care for as many Americans 
as possible while maneuvering the complex financing of our health care 
system.
  UCSF is a health machine built to fight a global pandemic. From early 
research into the technology that led to the vaccines to testing 
capacity and early healthcare directives, having UCSF Health in San 
Francisco fighting SARS-CoV-2 and its deadly progeny, COVID-19, likely 
saved thousands of lives in our region. Mark Laret has been the voice 
of authority, compassion, and leadership during this crisis and in 
every discussion about quality health care reform. In the many years 
that he has advised me, he was always trustworthy, informative, and 
persuasive. I have the deepest respect and admiration for his intellect 
and integrity.
  From a small research and treatment campus on a hill and a few 
isolated campuses elsewhere, to a bustling regional powerhouse and 
global standard setter, UCSF Health prospered tremendously under the 
tenure of Mark Laret. After 21 years at the helm of this prestigious 
healthcare institution, it's now time to say goodbye to an historic 
leader. Let it be known that a humanitarian is retiring who can now 
spend more of his time with his beloved wife Jan Laret and their son 
Parker and daughter Casey. His duty having been accomplished with 
grace, his rest is justly earned.

                          ____________________