[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23733]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 23733]]

    WELCOMING AANA ``FALL ASSEMBLY OF STATES'' TO SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY BONILLA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 19, 2000

  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the largest city 
in my Texas congressional district, I want to welcome the American 
Association of Nurse Anesthetists Fall Assembly of States to the City 
of San Antonio, for their November 9-12, 2000 meeting.
  The 28,000 member AANA will bring to downtown San Antonio Certified 
Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) from every State and the District 
of Columbia to review issues in anesthesia and health care. These 
include improving patient safety, expanding educational opportunities 
to meet workforce shortages, and examining health care policy in 
Washington, DC, and the States. As a member of the House Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Labor, HHS and Education, I know that the taxpayers are 
making major investments in health research, in health professions 
education, and in providing quality health care to seniors and to 
people who are disadvantaged. The value of each of these depends on 
individual health professionals like CRNAs to carry out this important 
work through continuing professional development.
  In addition, this meeting will mark the final association gathering 
for AANA's longtime executive director, John Garde, and the debut of 
the association's new executive director, Jeff Beutler. Mr. Garde, of 
Park Ridge, Illinois, has enjoyed a distinguished career as a CRNA, an 
educator, an officer and past president of the AANA, and for the past 
17 years he has served as the association's executive director. His 
successor, Mr. Beutler, is a past AANA Deputy Executive Director, a 
distinguished leader in health care and anesthesia care in his own 
right, and for the past decade has run a successful anesthesia care 
practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of San Antonio are happy to welcome the AANA 
Fall Assembly of States during this time of change and growth in this 
important health professionals' association. I congratulate Mr. Garde 
on his life's work, and Mr. Beutler on his task ahead, and wish them 
and their fellow CRNAs from around the country a successful and 
enjoyable assembly in the shadow of our historic Alamo.

                          ____________________