[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22810]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



         HONORING DR. MURRAY PRITCHARD OF WEST PLAINS, MISSOURI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2000

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate a very special man, 
Dr. Murray Pritchard of West Plains, Missouri. Dr. Pritchard was 
recently named Outstanding VA Health Care Provider of the Year at the 
Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
I am very pleased to honor the distinguished career of Dr. Pritchard 
and all the contributions he has made to veterans in Southeast 
Missouri.
  Dr. Pritchard served this country in the Army during World War II. He 
was captured in North Africa in February 1943, and spent two years in a 
prisoner of war camp in Germany. When Dr. Pritchard returned from the 
war, he went to medical school and became a doctor of osteopathy while 
also completing a masters degree in public health administration. After 
several years in private practice, our community was lucky to have him 
join the staff of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar 
Bluff in 1973. Dr. Pritchard worked in the outpatient department until 
he retired in 1985.
  But retirement didn't last very long. Soon Dr. Pritchard helped lead 
the innovative process of starting the VA Mobile Clinic program. Many 
veterans in rural America live 100 miles or more from the closest VA 
medical center. Traveling to see a doctor, to get a check up, or even 
to get necessary prescription drugs is a hardship to these men and 
women. But Dr. Pritchard and the folks at the Poplar Bluff VA wouldn't 
let distance stop them from giving top-notch care to veterans. If the 
vets couldn't go to the clinic, Dr. Pritchard made sure the hospital 
would come to them. On the road about 4 days a week, Dr. Pritchard and 
his wife make sure that no veteran is left without the necessary, 
quality health care they deserve and were promised.
  Dr. Pritchard not only serves the veterans of Southeast Missouri, but 
he also is concerned with the well being and health of all Americans. 
When Hurricane Andrew hit southern Florida, Dr. Pritchard headed up a 
team of health care professionals who took their mobile clinic to help 
treat the victims of the hurricane. His team helped ease the suffering 
of about 150 hurricane victims a day in Florida. And if that isn't 
enough, Dr. Pritchard has many other notable accomplishments such as: 
holding the post of past commander of the Missouri Association of 
Former POW's, serving as president of the Missouri Society of American 
College of General Practitioners in Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, 
and as past president of the Association of Military Osteopathic 
Surgeons.
  Dr. Pritchard is a dedicated doctor, and a kind and generous human 
being who answers the call of service to his fellow man.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Murray Pritchard is more than worthy of receiving 
the honor of Outstanding VA Health Care Provider, and I hope that all 
of my colleagues will join me today in recognizing this truly 
remarkable man.

                          ____________________