[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17351]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   PAYING TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL J. WEBER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2002

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to pay 
tribute to Michael Weber and thank him for his many contributions to 
healthcare and public policy initiatives in Colorado and throughout the 
nation. As Mike retires from his position at Rocky Mountain HMO, let 
the record show that I, along with the people of Colorado, appreciate 
his leadership of healthcare and managed care in rural areas. His 
dedication and hard work is greatly respected and I am honored to pay 
tribute to him today in front of this body of Congress. Mike will long 
be remembered as an effective leader by all who worked with him in the 
healthcare industry, and he will continue to stand out as a leader in 
his home community of Grand Junction, Colorado.
  During his time as CEO of Rocky Mountain HMO, Mike turned his company 
into the leader of rural area managed care, growing the company from a 
one-county organization serving 3200 members in 1975 to one serving 
over 128,750 statewide today. He was a five-term president of the 
Colorado Association of HMOs, served ten years on the Board of 
Directors of the American Medical Care and Review Association, and was 
a member of the National Task Force on Medical Management. Perhaps a 
more telling accomplishment is the respect shown by several governors 
of Colorado--his numerous panel appointments include the Colorado Cost 
Containment Commission, the Health Advisory Council, and the Statewide 
Health Coordinating Council.
  His involvement in the community has been outstanding as well. 
Locally, Mike served on boards for the Grand Junction Area Chamber of 
Commerce, Mesa National Bank, Rocky Mountain Health Foundation, and the 
Mesa County Economic Development Council. Perhaps most importantly, 
Mike is married to his wife Jeannie, and has four children. As he 
retires from Rocky Mountain HMO, I look forward to him still playing an 
important role in his community and the healthcare industry because he 
is a great asset and brings a lot of talent to the table.
  Mr. Speaker it is my privilege to rise today to honor this 
outstanding citizen before this body of Congress and this nation. Mike 
Weber has shown great dedication and leadership on local and state 
healthcare matters on up to nationwide issues. I am glad to extend to 
him my gratitude for all he has accomplished in his field and wish him 
all the best in his retirement.

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