[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2302-S2303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. JOHN RAYMOND

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. John 
Raymond, one of Wisconsin's most distinguished physicians, educators, 
researchers, and institutional leaders. Serving as president of the 
Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) since 2010, Dr. Raymond will be 
stepping down as President and transitioning to a faculty role in June 
of 2026.
  The career of Dr. Raymond is marked by his exceptional commitment to 
public service and the well-being of not only Milwaukee, but the entire 
State of Wisconsin. For 16 years he has worked extensively with my 
office to ensure we create the best possible health legislation for our 
constituents, while deftly navigating numerous challenges, including 
the COVID-19 pandemic.
  A native of Akron, OH, Dr. Raymond graduated from Ohio State 
University in 1978 and earned his medical degree there in 1982. He 
began his career as a faculty member at the world-renowned Duke 
University Medical Center. Dr. Raymond later became the associate chief 
of staff of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC, 
before moving into academic administration as vice president for 
academic affairs and provost of the Medical University of South 
Carolina. Eventually, Dr. Raymond came to Wisconsin, assuming his 
tenure as president of MCW in 2010.
  Dr. Raymond arrived at MCW with a mandate and a vision he articulated 
clearly in his installation address: ``Strength Through 
Collaboration.'' That phrase, far more than mere rhetoric, proved to be 
the guiding principle of 16 transformational years. Under his 
stewardship, MCW, Wisconsin's only private medical school, grew from a 
$798.4 million institution into a $1.61 billion enterprise, more than 
doubling its top-line revenue and reflecting the profound expansion of 
MCW's reach, capacity, and national stature.
  Today, in partnership with Froedtert Health, Children's Wisconsin, 
and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, MCW contributes $5.82 
billion annually in direct operational impact to

[[Page S2303]]

our Nation's economy. During his tenure, philanthropic support to MCW 
increased by 400 percent, research expenditures doubled, and patient 
visits tripled. These are metrics that speak not merely to 
institutional scale, but to the depth of public trust Dr. Raymond has 
cultivated.
  Among the most consequential contributions of Dr. Raymond's 
presidency has been his recognition that a great medical institution 
must serve all corners of the State it calls home. Wisconsin has long 
faced a serious and growing physician shortage, particularly in its 
rural communities. Dr. Raymond addressed this challenge head-on. Under 
his leadership, MCW established regional medical school campuses in 
Green Bay and central Wisconsin, extending access to world-class 
medical education beyond Milwaukee and into communities that had long 
been underserved. Additionally, in August 2017, MCW launched its School 
of Pharmacy, broadening the institution's scope and training the 
pharmacists who will serve Wisconsin patients for generations to come.
  Dr. Raymond's contributions to the Milwaukee community include the 
ThriveOn King collaboration, a partnership with the Greater Milwaukee 
Foundation and the Royal Capital Group. MCW built the ThriveOn King 
building to address social determinants of health and bring economic 
and social benefits to one of Milwaukee's most historic neighborhoods.
  The full weight of Dr. Raymond's character and leadership was perhaps 
most vividly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Wisconsin, 
along with every other State, faced an unprecedented public health 
crisis. Dr. Raymond emerged as one of the State's most trusted and 
authoritative voices, providing regular briefings to area business 
executives and the public alike, communicating with clarity, calm, and 
scientific integrity at a time when both were desperately needed. His 
service during the pandemic earned him the Milwaukee Business Journal's 
recognition as Executive of the Year in 2020 and Health Care Leader of 
the Year in 2021. These awards reflect not only professional 
achievement but the public's genuine gratitude for steady, principled 
leadership in a time of crisis.
  Taken together, Dr. Raymond's accomplishments reflect a commitment to 
Wisconsin that has never been confined to the lecture hall or the 
laboratory. Rather, he has been a tireless champion of community 
engagement and health equity.
  As Dr. Raymond now transitions from the presidency of the Medical 
College of Wisconsin to a faculty position, we are reminded that the 
truest measure of an institution-builder is not the scale of what they 
construct, but the permanence of what they leave behind. Dr. Raymond 
leaves behind a stronger, more expansive, more equitable, and more 
deeply woven institution than the one he inherited.
  For all his contributions to the health of Wisconsin's communities, 
to the vitality of its medical workforce, and to the strength of its 
institutions, I wish to express my deepest gratitude and most sincere 
admiration for Dr. John R. Raymond. As a direct result of his service, 
the great State of Wisconsin has been made immeasurably better.

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