[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 25229]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THE DEATH OF DR. ALVIN SMITH

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the Record 
an article on the death of Dr. Alvin Smith, who passed away last week 
at the age of 75. The son of sharecroppers, he went on to become a 
noted physician who worked throughout his life to increase access to 
the health care system, an issue that is near and dear to my heart. My 
condolences go out to his wife Ann, his three son, and his six 
grandchildren.
  The article follows.

              [From newsjournalonline.com, Sept. 19, 2007]

             Noted Area Physician Dies With Family at Side

                            (By Anne Geggis)

       Dr. Alvin Smith devoted his life to saving the lives of his 
     patients and curing the ills of the health-care system.
       Smith, 75, died Tuesday morning at his Ormond Beach home. 
     His family was at his side.
       The son of Alabama sharecroppers overcame meager beginnings 
     to become one of the most respected physicians in the area.
       The 1952 Mainland High School graduate was perhaps best 
     known to the community as the director of the Herbert D. 
     Kerman Regional Oncology Center at Halifax Health Medical 
     Center and as the owner of Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory 
     that his son, Alvin Jr., now runs.
       In addition, he felt a strong pull toward changing the 
     system so more people had access to medical care, serving as 
     president of the Volusia County Medical Society and the 
     Florida Medical Association.
       Smith was a self-confessed truant who went to fifth grade 
     for only one day and didn't come back to school for a year. 
     He quit high school in 10th grade and finally graduated from 
     Mainland at the age of 21. But then he went on to become the 
     first college graduate in his family, earning a biology 
     degree from the University of Florida before getting his 
     doctorate from the University of Miami.
       It was as president of the Florida Medical Association in 
     the 1990s, however, that Smith achieved one of his most 
     enduring accomplishments: convincing then-Gov. Lawton Chiles 
     to form an autonomous state Department of Health. During that 
     time, he also lobbied for legislation allowing the state of 
     Florida to sue the tobacco industry to recover Medicaid 
     costs.
       ``He wanted to make sure that no patient in Florida went 
     without the best health care they needed, regardless of their 
     ability to pay,'' said Dr. Carl ``Rick'' Lentz, also a past 
     president of the Florida Medical Association and a Daytona 
     Beach surgeon.
       His voice choking, Lentz recalled how Smith recently handed 
     him his Florida Medical Association president's pin because 
     Lentz never got one during his term as president.
       ``He's a wonderful human being who's been a blessing to the 
     whole world,'' Lentz said. ``There's not a patient who has 
     been with him that doesn't love him. Anytime you call on Al, 
     he's there for you.''
       Former County Councilman, local talk show radio host and 
     gadfly Big John recalled meeting Smith as an ``intern'' at 
     Halifax Health Medical Center in which community members were 
     invited to spend time with doctors to learn about the 
     hospital's functions.
       ``He was a great guy--great personality,'' John said.
       Smith's boyhood longing for chocolates he couldn't afford 
     in the window at Angell & Phelps gave way to occasional 
     indulgence. When the chocolate factory came up for sale, he 
     bought it to make sure all his favorite recipes stayed the 
     same.
       Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey served with him on the 
     Halifax Community Health System Board.
       ``I have known him to be a great community servant, as well 
     as a wonderful doctor who has meant so much to our area,'' 
     Ritchey said. ``He'll be greatly missed.''
       Smith served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a major, and 
     from the U.S. Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel. He was 
     active in civic organizations, ranging from the Boy Scouts to 
     the People to Prevent Nuclear War. He served on boards 
     including the United Way, Hospice of Volusia/Flagler and A 
     Child's Place.
       ``Alvin's one of the really good guys,'' said John E. 
     Evans, a former TV personality and spokesman for what was 
     then called Halifax Community Health System.
       Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Ann; three sons, 
     Alvin Jr., Ormond Beach, and Chuck and Mike, both of Palm 
     Coast; a sister, Ginny Little, Ormond Beach; and six 
     grandchildren.
       Viewing will be from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday at the social hall 
     at Central Baptist Church, 142 Fairview Ave., Daytona Beach. 
     Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Central Baptist 
     Church. A private military burial will be next week.

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