[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 22]
[Senate]
[Page 30529]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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               NORTHWEST RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INSTITUTE

 Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to comment on the long 
overdue establishment of a continuing medical education program in 
Montana. The Northwest Research and Education Institute is a joint 
venture of St. Vincent Healthcare and Rocky Mountain Health Network, 
formed to serve the research and education needs of both the Montana 
Region of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System which 
stretches from Butte to Miles City and the nearly 500 physicians and 7 
hospitals associated with Rocky Mountain Health Network in Montana and 
Wyoming.
  As many know, for too long, Montana was the only state in the US 
without a continuing medical education accrediting entity. The other 49 
States have been able to provide immediate continuing education 
programs. Montana's medical community had to go hundreds of miles out 
of State to further their education. The people of my great State 
deserve the best health care possible, and it is imperative that 
medical practitioners are able to continue their education. Our 
physicians, nurses, and pharmacists have been asking for more effective 
medical education services, and I am pleased to say that now they have 
it.
  I am proud to have secured the initial $250,000 to assist the 
Northwest Research and Education Institute to complete the 
accreditation process. Securing this funding for me was a top priority 
as Montanans medical practi-
tioners shouldn't have to travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles 
to receive their required training.
  Continuing medical education programs provide education to 
physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, and other health care 
professionals to keep them up to date with the latest in medicine. 
This, of course, translates to better health care for patients. Rural 
healthcare providers have special needs for continuing education 
because they practice so far from each other and from centers of 
education. Now that education can be obtained by a health care provider 
in Montana.
  I am particularly proud that the Northwest Research and Education 
Institute recently completed their application and received their 
accreditation. The accreditation is a stamp of quality approval that 
puts the Northwest Research and Education Institute in a league with 
medical schools, professional societies and other organizations which 
offer the highest standards of continuing medical education.
  I am proud of the accomplishments of the Institute already and I am 
confident that the Institute will continue to accomplish its goals of 
providing quality continuing medical education programs to Montana's 
medical community.

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