[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21693]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DOLPH CHIANCHIANO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 2009

  Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Dolph Chianchiano, Senior 
Vice President for Health Policy and Research, for his 30 years of 
service to the National Kidney Foundation.
  As the co-chair of the Congressional Kidney Caucus, I have come to 
understand the need for kidney patients to have a strong advocate, and 
they certainly have one with Dolph.
  Few people can say they have made a direct impact on the lives of 
millions of Americans as Dolph Chianchiano can. He has guided the NKF 
on almost every legislative and policy decision in the history of the 
Medicare ESRD program, which started 35 years ago.
  He helped shape the National Organ Transplant Act in 1984, the 
Benefits Improvement and Protection Act in 2000, the Organ Donation and 
Recovery Improvement Act in 2004 and Medicare Improvements for Patients 
and Providers Act in 2008. These laws have helped raise the standards 
for dialysis facilities, establish, regulate and improve the organ 
donation process, and provide funding for education, early screening 
and life-saving treatments for kidney patients.
  He has been diligent to make sure that the promise of legislation 
becomes a reality for patients, making sure that the laws are 
implemented well through rulemakings and that appropriations follow the 
authorizing legislation. His ability to work to build support in the 
kidney community and his institutional memory of regulations and 
legislation over three decades makes his work even more profound.
  We know Dolph's work will continue and for that we are thankful. But 
today, I want to honor him for his passion, commitment and dedication 
to kidney and transplant patients for the past 30 years and wish him 
the best as we work together to improve the lives of people touched by 
kidney disease.

                          ____________________