HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 195 Offered January 18, 2006 Commending Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. ----------
Patrons-- Howell, A.T., Abbitt, Alexander, Barlow, Carrico, Cosgrove, Eisenberg, Iaquinto, Joannou, Jones, S.C., McClellan, Miller, Spruill, Tata, Ware, O., Ware, R.L. and Welch; Senators: Blevins, Lucas, Quayle and Rerras
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WHEREAS, the Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center, an exemplary, full-service, 259-bed community hospital, celebrates its 150th anniversary on March 3, 2006; and

WHEREAS, the Hospital of St. Vincent DePaul was founded by the Daughters of Charity in response to the great yellow fever epidemic of 1855 in Hampton Roads; and

WHEREAS, the Hospital of St. Vincent DePaul was chartered by the General Assembly of Virginia on March 3, 1856, and was the first public hospital in the City of Norfolk; and

WHEREAS, the hospital purchased land on Kingsley Lane in order to build a new facility and expand its services, and the new DePaul Hospital admitted its first patients in May 1944; and

WHEREAS, in 1996 the Sisters of Bon Secours responded to the Daughters of Charity’s request to assume sponsorship, at which time the hospital became part of the outstanding Bon Secours Health System and was renamed Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center; and

WHEREAS, over the years, DePaul Medical Center has provided the highest quality health care services and is committed to the needs of all patients throughout Hampton Roads, regardless of their ability to pay; and

WHEREAS, DePaul Medical Center has traditionally ranked at or near the top of the list of Virginia hospitals in its provision of charity care as a percentage of gross patient revenue; and

WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2004, DePaul Medical Center provided more than $25 million in uncompensated care, including more than $12 million in direct charity care; and

WHEREAS, DePaul Medical Center is an important part of the vital health care safety net for residents of Hampton Roads; and

WHEREAS, DePaul Medical Center operates the Cancer Center, the Center for Birth, The Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center, the Hearing and Balance Center, as well as providing an exemplary cardiology program and numerous other clinical services; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to providing excellence in education for future health care professionals, DePaul Medical Center participates in the teaching program operated by the Eastern Virginia Medical School; and

WHEREAS, DePaul Medical Center employs more than 950 dedicated staff members and benefits from the services of some of the region’s leading physicians; and

WHEREAS, DePaul Medical Center and its patients, physicians, and staff greatly benefit from their affiliation with the Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend DePaul Medical Center on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Sister Rita Thomas, Sister President of the Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System as an expression of the General Assembly's gratitude for Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center's commitment to the citizens of Hampton Roads.