[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24692]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO DANIEL LEAL, M.D.

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 10, 2008

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to honor 
Dr. Daniel Leal. Originally from Texas, Dr. Leal would describe himself 
as a Community Psychiatrist. Educated in Texas, Dr. Leal completed his 
Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at the University of Texas, graduating 
second in his class. He matriculated at the University of Texas Medical 
Branch at Galveston, receiving his medical degree in 1989.
  Dr. Leal pursued his internship and residency at the Beth Israel 
Medical Center in New York. His training at an inner city hospital 
fostered his life long interest in outreach to disenfranchised 
populations such as the mentally ill, the homeless, and the substance 
abusing population. His last academic training stop was as a fellow in 
Addiction Psychiatry at NYU-Bellevue. It was here that he studied and 
published on the effects of chronic homelessness for the mentally ill.
  Dr. Leal has continued his advocacy for these individuals as Medical 
Director for the Washton Institute and as a consultant to Pathways to 
Housing. He frequently speaks to consumer advocacy groups such as the 
Alliance for the Mentally Ill and has instructed at the New School for 
Social Research in Manhattan.
  Dr. Leal began working at Woodhull Medical Center in 2000 and feels 
he has found a supportive and enthusiastic work environment. ``Working 
in emergency psychiatry, I feel it is imperative that I convey to a 
patient that they will be treated in a humane and respectful manner. 
The emergency room is often the first contact a patient or their family 
has with the mental health system. How we respond will often impact the 
course and outcome of their mental illness.''
  Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize Dr. Daniel Leal for his 
extraordinary accomplishments for mental health in New York City.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 
Dr. Daniel Leal.

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