[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 28 (Monday, July 16, 2001)]
[Page 1022]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and an Exchange With Reporters in 
Fairfax, Virginia

July 9, 2001

Patients' Bill of Rights

    The President. Thank you all for coming. Knox, thank you very much 
for setting up the meeting with Knox and hospital officials, nurses, 
former patients. We had a great discussion about the need for our Nation 
to pass legislation with America's patients in mind, that the whole core 
of a good bill recognizes that patients ought to have direct access to 
specialists, such as Dr. Berry, an ob-gyn--cancer specialists, that 
patients ought to have the capacity to take complaints to an independent 
review organization staffed by doctors and medical professionals.
    We're making good progress. There is a lot of agreement on a bill 
that has--bills moving their way through the House of Representatives 
right now.
    But I want a bill to sign that does not run the cost of premiums up 
or health care up as a result of excessive lawsuits. I want a bill that 
honors patients, not trial lawyers, a bill that makes it easier for docs 
to do their job, as opposed to a bill that encourage excessive 
litigation.
    I want to, again, thank you for the chance to visit.
    Dr. Berry, you might want to say a few things.

[At this point, Dr. David B. Berry made brief remarks.]

    The President. Okay, thank you all.
    Q. Mr. President, any decisions on stem cell----
    Q. What did you hear from the patients----
    Q. What did the patients----
    The President. The patients just want to make sure they've got 
access to specialists, and they, too, like the idea of having an 
independent review organization where they can take their complaints, 
where they can solve problems before it ends up in a court of law.
    There are some people up there on the Hill that are interested in 
fostering excessive litigation, which is not good for patients. I think 
Americans understand that.

Note: The President spoke at 2:18 p.m. in the boardroom following 
discussions in the hospital. In his remarks, he referred to J. Knox 
Singleton, chief executive officer, Inova Health System. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.