In Celebration of Virginia Dental Association's Mission of Mercy to New Orleans

IN CELEBRATION OF VIRGINIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION'S MISSION OF MERCY TO NEW ORLEANS -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 08, 2006)

SPEECH OF HON. ROBERT C. SCOTT OF VIRGINIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2006

* Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the wealth and generosity of the American people is possibly the greatest story to come from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Upon seeing their fellow citizens in need, Americans pledged millions of dollars to the Red Cross and other charitable organizations. Families hosted displaced evacuees, while others welcomed strangers into their homes, schools, and houses of worship. I would like to commend one group of volunteers who have put their specialized skills to use in bringing critical services back to New Orleans.

* This past Sunday, forty dentists and forty support volunteers from the Commonwealth of Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia Dental Association, left Virginia on a Mission of Mercy. They joined with 400 medical professionals and 150 support volunteers from thirty-eight different states and transformed the New Orleans Zoo into one large health care clinic. They will spend this week staffing this clinic, providing health care free of charge to anyone who needs it. The dentists from Virginia are not just providing checkups, but are performing extractions, fillings, partial realignments, and all other procedures that one would normally receive in a dentist's office. The 500 dental patients that will be treated daily are just a portion of the 1600 patients that will be triaged through the clinic coordinated by Remote Area Medical of Knoxville, Tennessee.

* The doctors and support volunteers participating in the Mission of Mercy are paying for their own transportation and lodging. On top of those costs, many of them are forced to close their own practices in their home states in order to participate in the mission.

* This simple gift to the people of New Orleans is a much needed one. The image of homes flooded by Katrina's waters is prevalent in our minds. It is easy to forget that businesses, such as doctor's offices, were also destroyed. For the parts of New Orleans that weren't flooded, many still lack power and potable water. For many of the brave citizens and aid workers that still inhabit the city, health care is a creature comfort that is either unavailable or too expensive. It is a necessity that sadly takes a backseat to more immediate concerns.

* The federal government has yet to fully live up to its responsibility to the citizens whose lives were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, and until the federal government fulfills this responsibility, the job is left to private citizens to put a great city back together again. I salute the medical professionals and volunteers from around the country and especially those from the Virginia Dental Association who are giving of their time, money, and expertise to help bring normalcy back to the lives of their fellow citizens. The entire Virginia Congressional delegation salutes the Virginia Dental Association as ambassadors of goodwill and Virginia values.

http://thomas.loc.gov