[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5871]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO GLORIA MILLER

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 2003

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Gloria Miller in 
recognition of her dedication to improving the health of her community 
and uplifting those in need.
  Born in Jamaica, W.I., Gloria at the age of 16 traveled to London 
England to study and begin a career in nursing. Her commitment and 
strong desire, then as it is now, was to educate, inform, and help 
others in the community. She immigrated to the United States in March 
1968 and began working at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. 
While working at the hospital, Gloria attended Lincoln Hospital School 
in the Bronx. After graduating, she was elevated to the position of 
Head Nurse. She furthered her education at St. Francis College where 
she earned a degree in both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of 
Science, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Next, Gloria took administrative 
courses in Long Term Care at the New York City Technical College in 
Brooklyn. Eventually, she received a Master of Public Administration 
from New York University with distinction. She accomplished all of this 
while working full time, caring for her two children, and planning 
numerous health fairs for St. Gabriel's Church.
  In 1980, Gloria, now an Administrative Supervisor at Kings County 
Hospital, focused her energy on improving treatment for the drug 
dependent community, instituting a program to closely monitor dosage of 
medication and evaluation of patient progress. As part of the program, 
she also upgraded the hospital's system for documenting or recording 
nurses' interventions or admissions notes. She also encouraged greater 
participation in the hospital's drug addiction classes by holding 
teaching sessions in the hospital's lobby. Special emphasis was placed 
on intervention for drug addicts and alcohol dependent clients who were 
pregnant.
  In 1989, Gloria moved to Coney Island Hospital where she focused on 
the facility's ``Drug Free Clientele Program.'' As a clinical 
therapist, she identified clients with drug and alcohol problems and 
referred them to an in-house drug free program. She shared her work 
with the March of Dimes Foundation, which used some of the information 
as part of a paper on birth defects. In the late 1990s when Gloria 
retired, her main focus became helping her daughter who is following in 
her mother's footsteps by working as a nurse at Coney Island Hospital.
  However, Gloria continues to be an asset to her community through her 
volunteer work. She volunteers at Samuel J. Tilden High School, where 
she conducts conflict management intervention groups and sessions on 
alternative ways of dealing with angry students. She also helped 
establish a scholarship fund for two consecutive years for four 
students entering the health administration field of study from Tilden. 
Gloria's volunteer service also extends to several other community-
based organizations such as the Caribbean Women United for Social and 
Political Action (CWUSPA) and the Caribbean Women's Association. 
Additionally, she has served as Secretary and Chairperson for the 
Social Service Committee on Community Board 17. Gloria holds the 
position of 1st Vice-President at Dr. Susan McKinney Nursing and 
Rehabilitation Center Auxiliary and has been the Chairperson of the 
Community Advisory Board for the past three years. As Chairperson, she 
served as a member of the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation Council 
of Community Advisory Board.
  She is an active member of the St. Augustine's Episcopal Church and 
is one of the founding members and the first president of the Health 
Guild. During her presidency, she raised $23,000 for the church. She 
also holds a certificate from the New York Theological Seminary for 
assisting her priest with his Doctorate of Divinity Degree. Currently, 
she assists the priest-in-charge in coordinating annual services to 
honor the 67th precinct with the goal of fostering a better 
relationship between the police and community.
  Mr. Speaker, Gloria Miller has dedicated her life to helping her 
fellow community members. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving 
our recognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring 
this truly remarkable woman.

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