HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 763 Offered January 18, 2007 Celebrating the life of Dr. Christopher E. Desch. ----------
Patrons-- O'Bannon, Cox, Dance, Hall, Hargrove, Ingram, Janis, Jones, D.C., Lingamfelter, McClellan, McEachin, Morgan, Nixon, Peace, Reid, Waddell, Ware, O. and Ware, R.L.; Senators: Lambert, Marsh, Martin, McDougle, Stosch and Watkins
----------

WHEREAS, Christopher E. Desch of Henrico County, an admired physician, health care leader, and the director of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, died on December 10, 2006; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Desch loved flying and was a member of the Wingnuts Flying Club of Chesterfield County; he was flying a Piper Lance when his plane tragically went down east of Charlottesville; and

WHEREAS, a compassionate and skilled physician, Dr. Desch was devoted to his work and his patients and was highly respected in the fields of oncology, hematology, and pain management; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Desch was the author of numerous articles on cancer care and published in many medical journals, such as the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Journal of Clinical Oncology; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Desch, a longtime faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Center, was passionate about the effective delivery of quality cancer care, and after leaving the center full-time, continued to serve as a leader in major clinical trials for breast cancer prevention and other therapies; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Desch's legacy at Virginia Commonwealth University will be his continued efforts to reach out to rural patients as a physician and as the founder of the Massey Cancer Center's Rural Cancer Outreach Program that began in the late 1980s; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure as director of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Dr. Desch was nationally recognized as a leader in the areas of health care policy, health services research, and quality of medical care and was the clinical leader for the organization's numerous innovative programs; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Desch will be remembered as a visionary leader in setting standards for cancer care and as an extraordinary servant-leader and will be greatly missed by his loving wife and children, his patients and fellow physicians, and the citizens of the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of an extraordinary health care leader and outstanding Virginian, Dr. Christopher E. Desch; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Dr. Christopher E. Desch as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.