[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8427]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         NATIONAL CRITICAL CARE AWARENESS AND RECOGNITION MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 31, 2011

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of National 
Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month and applaud the work of 
the nation's critical care medical professionals, including the 
doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and pharmacists, among others, 
who provide care to the nearly five million Americans admitted into 
traditional, surgical, pediatric or neo-natal intensive care units each 
year. These patients require a specialized level of care that is 
technology-intensive, requires continuous monitoring, and involves a 
high use of tests, medications and procedures.
  Critical care medicine consumes a significant proportion of our 
health care expenditures, representing 13 percent of all hospital 
costs, with the total costs of critical care services in the U.S. 
exceeding $80 billion annually.
  Despite the significant role critical care medicine plays in 
providing high quality health care and its impact on health care costs, 
it is often not understood as a distinct specialty posing intense 
challenges in the health care system--from workforce shortages, poorly 
coordinated outcomes research and challenges in providing appropriate 
care at the end of a patient's life.
  If we are to reduce costs and improve the quality of medical care, it 
is also important to consider and assess the unique demands of critical 
care medicine. That is why I have introduced the Critical Care 
Assessment and Improvement Act of 2011, which would ensure our 
critically ill and injured patients continue to receive the highest 
quality care by identifying gaps in the current critical care delivery 
model and bolstering capabilities to meet future demands.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the 
dedicated professionals who care for the sickest patients and their 
families, and commemorate Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month 
by cosponsoring the Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act.

                          ____________________