[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24859]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            COMMENDING THE GEORGIA BOARD OF HUMAN RESOURCES

  (Mr. BURNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the mental health community of 
southeast Georgia celebrated a victory.
  After the outgoing Human Resources commissioner proposed the closure 
of Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah last month, the Georgia Board 
of Resources voted yesterday to keep this important hospital open.
  Last month, I wrote the Governor with my concerns over the closure of 
Georgia Regional. I was deeply concerned that the decision to close the 
facility was made by only looking at the direct cost savings and did 
not include the services that this facility provides to southeast 
Georgia.
  I was concerned about the additional costs that the region would 
incur due to the closure, as well as the difficulties that people with 
psychiatric and developmental disabilities and their families would 
endure.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the Georgia Board of Human Resources for 
agreeing to keep this necessary facility open in Savannah, Georgia.

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