[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9283-9284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING ELIZABETH GILBERTSON FOR HER OUTSTANDING SERVICE AND 
                               COMMITMENT

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 29, 2014

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to join the many family, friends, and colleagues who have gathered 
today as the new UNITE HERE HEALTH healthcare center in Atlantic City, 
New Jersey celebrates its grand opening and is named in honor of an 
outstanding health care advocate and my dear friend, Elizabeth 
Gilbertson. Betsy has dedicated her professional life and much of her 
personal time to ensuring that everyone has access to affordable, 
quality health care. The dedication of this new health center in her 
honor is a testament to the extraordinary commitment she has shown to 
this effort as well as the distinguished reputation she has earned as 
an advocate healthcare provider.
  From the earliest days of her career Betsy combined her passion for 
advocacy with that of her belief that quality, affordable healthcare 
was a right, not a privilege. As a member of the Connecticut Nurses 
Association and District 1199, New England SEIU, Betsy represented her 
fellow nurses in collective bargaining. She also led a non-profit 
women's health center before joining UNITE HERE HEALTH, a Taft-Hartley 
labor management trust fund that aims to provide health benefits that 
offer high quality, affordable health care to their participants, where 
she held a number of leadership roles prior to her current position as 
Chief of Strategy.

[[Page 9284]]

  Betsy's dedication to quality, affordable healthcare extends far 
beyond her professional career. She has served on National Quality 
Forum Task Forces on patient safety and ambulatory care measures; was 
founder as well as Chair/Co-Chair of the Health Services Coalition, a 
labor-management organization that contracts with hospitals and 
advocates for public policies that improve quality health care, 
affordability, and access in Nevada; and was a Board member of the 
National Committee for Quality Assurance for five years. Today she 
continues her good work serving on the Lown Institute Advisory Council 
and the federal Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee.
  I would be remiss if I did not extend a special note of thanks to 
Betsy for her many years of friendship, support, and guidance. She has 
not only been an invaluable resource to me on healthcare issues, but a 
cherished friend. I, like so many of those who have the opportunity to 
work with her, continued to be inspired by her passion and compassion. 
I consider myself fortunate to call her my friend.
  Betsy's commitment to quality, affordable healthcare, not only for 
the members UNITE HERE HEALTH but for all, is unparalleled and it is no 
surprise that the labor and management Trustees of UNITE HERE HEALTH 
voted unanimously to honor her service to this organization by naming 
this new center in her honor. I am so proud to join her husband, John 
Wilhelm, their children Tom and Vinnie, their grandson, Alonzo, and the 
many family, friends, and colleagues who have gathered in extending my 
heartfelt congratulations to Elizabeth B. Gilbertson on this very 
special occasion.

                          ____________________