[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13780]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE PRINCETON HEALTH CARE CENTER

 MR. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate the 
longevity and accomplishments of the Princeton Health Care Center in 
Princeton, West Virginia. Last week, this long-term care provider 
celebrated its 25th anniversary, and I wish to recognize its 
achievements and its enormous contribution to its community. Twenty-
five years ago, I stood with many community leaders in Princeton, at 
that time as Governor of West Virginia, to dedicate a brand new 
facility called the Princeton Health Care Center.
  Now, two and a half decades later, the Princeton Health Care Center 
is a 120-bed facility in the heart of Mercer County. It serves 
residents of Princeton and surrounding communities, including Bluefield 
and most of southern West Virginia. The facility offers medical 
services, nursing services, social services, therapeutic and 
recreational activities, dietary services, financial planning and 
consulting, transportation, and other standard activities many of us 
use in our daily lives. This litany of available services shows that 
this facility attends to all the needs of its residents--physical 
health, mental health, social well-being, and others. The health care 
center is located very near to the Princeton community, providing 
residents with easy access if it is ever needed.
  Long-term care is an enormously important part of our health care 
system and one that is often overlooked or underfunded. By the year 
2020, there will be more than 70 million older persons in America--more 
than twice the number today. We must provide our seniors with the 
dignity and peace of mind they deserve in their golden years. 
Facilities like the Princeton Health Care Center provide a place for 
those who need care to live comfortably and in their community while 
still getting the assistance that they require.
  The facility in Princeton is located in a serene setting, granting 
residents access to nature in all seasons and allowing them to enjoy 
the outdoors. In addition to the center's environs and its many 
amenities, the center boasts a well-trained and professional staff, 
which attends to the needs of its residents.
  The board of directors and all those involved with the center have 
made it a wonderful success for the past 25 years. The center's 
association with the Princeton Community Hospital has served its 
residents well, and I look forward to decades more of success for this 
facility.
  Mr. President, I hope the Senate will join me in congratulating the 
staff and management of the Princeton Health Care Center for 25 
successful years.

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