[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 15, 2015

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Henry Ford 
Health System on their 100th anniversary. Originating from Detroit 
General Hospital, namesake Henry Ford became the sole investor in 1914 
and coupled his entrepreneurial spirit with medical innovation.
  Admitting its first patient in 1915, Henry Ford Hospital was so 
successful in meeting the needs of a city in the midst of a population 
boom that by 1917 it had already expanded to its current size. In its 
early days, the hospital revolutionized wait times, reducing them to 30 
minutes for a patient to be seen, and opened the nation's first ward 
for treating chemical dependency. It developed new techniques in the 
fields of surgery and physical therapy. The excellent quality of care 
at Henry Ford Hospital would even later inspire works of art from 
visionaries like Diego Rivera. Beyond the positive impact Henry Ford 
Hospital has had on Michigan, it has also rendered invaluable service 
to our country by serving as an army hospital during World War II and 
caring for our soldiers upon their return.
  Henry Ford Health System and its partners have pioneered a broad 
range of medical knowledge, from bone research to kidney transplants to 
treatment of high blood pressure to robotic surgery. While innovation 
may be the driving force behind the success of the Henry Ford Health 
System, they have never lost focus of the top priority: people. In 
2008, they launched the No Harm campaign which, over the course of the 
next three years, reduced surgical complications, decreased length of 
stay, and trimmed medical costs by 10 million dollars. Their good 
stewardship is felt by over 89,000 patients a year in the five-county 
area, a number that is very impressive for a hospital system that 
started with 48 beds. Henry Ford Health System's commitment to and 
investment in the Detroit metropolitan communities are immeasurable. In 
2011, Henry Ford Health System was one of only 4 recipients to receive 
a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, America's highest honor for 
innovation and performance excellence.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the 
23,000 employees of Henry Ford Health System and congratulating them on 
their 100th anniversary and wish them many more years of success.

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