[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 11954]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING CARL KULCZYK

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I was deeply saddened by the death 
of Carl Kulczyk last week.
  I knew Carl the way many other Iowans did--through his passionate 
commitment to the work of bringing hope and health care to underserved 
communities in our State. When Carl began his work with the Iowa 
Department of Public Health 14 years ago, there were just four 
community health centers in Iowa; today there are three times as many 
health centers, a migrant program, and yet another community health 
center well on its way to getting permanent funding. Carl never cut a 
ribbon or spoke at a groundbreaking, but let me say this: The expansion 
of affordable, accessible health care services across Iowa would not 
have happened without Carl's hard work.
  But that is not all. Carl worked to support Critical Access 
Hospitals. He brought physicians from overseas to care for Iowa's sick 
and elderly. He nurtured the psychiatric physician assistant training 
program. And, in his final days, he was working to get Iowans better 
access to dental care.
  There is an old expression that we make a living by what we get, but 
we make a life by what we give. By that measure, Carl lived a very good 
life, indeed. He gave his time and talents to securing quality health 
care for tens of thousands of Iowans, most of them children--people who 
otherwise would have gone without any health care. And though he was 
dedicated to his work, his first priority was always his family.
  In my book, the highest praise for Carl--for any person--is that he 
was a good and decent man. He dedicated himself to serving others. He 
had a mighty heart and was beloved by those of us who had the honor of 
calling him friend, colleague, husband, father, brother, or uncle.
  Carl had a very special blend of passion, humor, determination, high 
intelligence, and a sense of adventure. He worked miracles for people 
who so desperately needed a miracle. He took care of the least among 
us, while never neglecting his family. I, for one, will always be in 
his debt and grateful for his service to the people of Iowa. I extend 
my deepest condolences to his wife Pam, to his children, Caleb and 
Ezra, and to his entire family.

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