[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17415]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING DR. WILLIAM STIFTER FOR HIS DEDICATION AND SERVICE TO THE 
                      CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON STATE

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 30, 2008

  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join with the 
Eastern Washington community to celebrate and honor the life of Dr. 
William Stifter whose work with cardiac patients across our State has 
saved countless lives.
  Dr. Stifter made significant contributions to cardiac care in our 
State. He personally provided local access to medical care for heart 
patients in rural communities across Eastern Washington and was a vital 
force in establishing higher standards for the care of cardiac 
patients. Bill risked his life for over 17 years driving through 
dangerous weather and road conditions to bring essential medical care 
to his patients living in remote parts of Eastern Washington. This 
dedication to his patients was also demonstrated by his efforts to 
continually improve the care he provided as a cardiologist.
  Dr. Stifter was the first to achieve certification in using computed 
tomography, CT, in diagnosing and treating heart patients in our 
region. Without his leadership in this, the diagnostic attributes of 
the cardiac CT would not have been as readily available to patients in 
Eastern Washington. He was a leader in advancing cardiac care 
throughout his career; most recently leading the partnership of Lincoln 
Hospital, Sacred Heart Medical Center and MedStar towards adoption and 
implementation of the Level 1 AMI Emergency Program. This program has 
been recognized as the new standard for emergency treatment of cardiac 
patients across our State and is being broadly adopted. Because of his 
passion and leadership, the collaboration recently received a 
prestigious award from Qualis Health for Excellence in Healthcare 
Quality.
  Bill's remarkable compassion and dedication to his fellow human 
beings continued through to the end of his life. In a tragic airplane 
accident in the frigid waters of Lake Chelan, Bill helped others get to 
safety at the price of his own life. His heroism and personal sacrifice 
at Lake Chelan are a testament to his integrity and limitless 
commitment to helping his fellow human beings in need. He lived and 
breathed his passion of helping pioneer new standards of care for his 
patients and finding new ways to save lives up and until, tragically, 
his own death.
  Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring the life 
of Dr. William Stifter for the tremendous care he showed for all of the 
people of Eastern Washington. He will be missed.

                          ____________________