E1534 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 14, 2012 

I am proud to introduce the Medicare transitional Care Act of 2012, legislation to aid patient transitions from one care setting to another within our health care system. The legislation will improve patient health outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions, and save valuable 

healthcare resources. 

When people leave the hospital after an operation or illness, they are often overwhelmed 

by a complicated and risky road to recovery. 

Patients frequently report difficulty remembering clinical instructions, confusion over 

medications, and in cases where multiple providers are involved, can receive conflicting instructions from different providers. 

A study published in April 2009 in the New 

England Journal of Medicine found that almost 

one third of Medicare beneficiaries studied 

who were discharged from a hospital were rehospitalized within 90 days. Additionally, onehalf of the individuals re-hospitalized had not 

visited a physician since their discharge, suggesting a lack of follow-up care. The study estimated that Medicare spent $17.4 billion in 

2004 on unplanned re-hospitalizations. 

In its June 2012 Report, Medicare Payment 

Advisory Commission, MedPAC, highlighted 

the need for an explicit payment for transitional care services, given the documented 

evidence that effective and coordinated care 

transitions improve health outcomes, reduce 

readmission rates, and generate significant 

savings to the U.S. health care system. The 

Congressional Budget Office has echoed 

these findings. In a report documenting lessons from Medicare’s demonstration projects, 

the CBO emphasized that ‘‘programs that 

smoothed transitions (for example, by providing additional education and support to patients moving from a hospital to a nursing facility or between a primary care provider and 

a specialist) tended to have fewer hospital admissions.’’ 

There are some well-established and peerreviewed programs that could be adopted. For 

example, the Transitions Care Model, which 

assigns a transitional care nurse during the 

transition period, has resulted in cost savings 

of approximately $5,000 per patient. Other 

models also have demonstrated savings, such 

as the Care Transitions Intervention model, 

which provides patients with a transitions 

coach and self-management tools, has reduced hospital readmission rates from 20 percent to 12.8 percent, while Project Better Outcomes for Older adults through Safe Transitions, BOOST, which provides hospitals with 

management tools and mentoring programs to 

improve the discharge transition process, resulted in lower rates of mortality and 30-day 

readmissions rates dropped from 25.5 percent 

to 8.5 percent for those under age 70. 

It is our hope that stakeholders involved in 

the care delivery system will carefully evaluate 

this legislation and provide comments or suggested improvements to me and the other 

sponsors. We are interested in ensuring that 

the legislation’s terms are adequately tailored 

to the different circumstances and settings in 

which these transitions occur. 

Providing a transitional care benefit within 

Medicare will help coordinate care, develop a 

care plan for patients and their caregivers, 

identify potential health risks, and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. I thank my cosponsors and look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation. 

IN HONOR OF MR. DALE MILLER 

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of Dale Miller, a member of the Cuyahoga County Council serving the Second District. 

Councilman Miller was born in Cleveland, 

Ohio in 1949 and graduated from Garfield 

Heights High School in 1967. He attended 

Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Dale later earned a doctoral degree 

in clinical psychology from the University of 

Utah, before eventually returning to his hometown of Cleveland shortly after graduation. 

Dale has been active in public service 

throughout his life. As a college student, he 

was an intern for United States Senator Howard Metzenbaum. He served on the Cleveland 

City Council for nine terms beginning in 1979, 

in the Ohio House of Representatives from 

1997 to 2006, and in the Ohio Senate from 

2006 to 2010. He chose not to seek reelection 

to the Ohio Senate in 2010, deciding instead 

to run for the new Cuyahoga County Council. 

Throughout his career, Miller has been honored on numerous occasions. He is the recipient of a Louis Stokes Award, State Leadership 

Award, and Community Leadership Award. He 

was also named the Legislator of the Year by 

the AFL–CIO and Public Children’s Association of Ohio in 2005. 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in honoring my friend, Dale Miller, a member 

of the Cuyahoga County Council with a proven 

dedication to serving his fellow Ohioans for 

more than 30 years. 

f 

HONORING GEORGE BROWN 

HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, George Brown 

has served as the City Clerk of the City of 

Mount Vernon since 2009 and before that as 

Deputy City Clerk from 2004. He is a native 

son of the City who received his primary education there. He went on to graduate with an 

Associates Degree in Applied Science from 

the Business Institute of Westchester and a 

Bachelor of Science Degree from Manhattan 

College. 

He retired from Consolidated Edison to 

bring his 32 years of corporate experience in 

Customer Service, Accounting, Conflict Resolution, and Corporate Safety to City governance. He is involved with and received awards 

from many community and civic organizations. 

He has volunteered as a Celebrity Chef Cook 

for the YMCA and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, 

was Event Co-Chairperson for Mount Vernon 

Relay for Life of the American Cancer Society, 

and Team Captain of Harlem Relay for Life of 

American Cancer Society. 

He is a District Leader of the Mount Vernon 

Democrat City Committee, a member of the 

Black Democrats of Westchester, Past Vice 

President of the Mount Vernon Boys and Girls 

Club Board of Directors, Prince Hall Mason of 

the State of New York, St. Joseph Lodge #117 

F&AM, having served 12 years as Grand Lecturer under five Grand Masters. He received 

the 33rd Degree, the highest degree in Masonry in May 2009. He has been a member of 

Elejmal Temple #185 of the AEAONMS INC. 

since 1994 and in December, 2011 was elected Illustrious Potentate of Elejmal Temple 

#185. 

George Brown is first and foremost a family 

man and one who loves laughter. He is also 

devoutly spiritual and every Sunday you will 

find him at the Greater Centennial AME Zion 

Church, where he is a proud member. 

He is a man of the community, one who is 

unselfish in giving to his community. It is because of people like George Brown that communities grow and prosper and I am proud to 

join in honoring him for his service to his community. 

f 

INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION 

CORPS ACT OF 2012 

HON. JAMES P. MORAN OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 14, 2012 

Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am 

pleased to join my colleague ANDER CRENSHAW in introducing the ‘‘International Conservation Corps Act of 2012’’ (ICCA), legislation that will mobilize our large and growing 

community of retired conservation experts, in 

a voluntary capacity, to support the efforts of 

developing countries to sustainably manage 

their natural resources. 

There is a significant deficit in the capability 

of most developing countries to successfully 

manage their natural resources, which is fundamental to sustainable development, poverty 

alleviation, conflict avoidance, good governance, and regional security. Countries with a 

great wealth of natural resources are often 

cursed with devastating poverty, corruption 

and civil war arising from disputes over control 

and distribution of these resources. 

The International Conservation Corps Act 

will harness the vast experience of the United 

States in natural resource management and 

connect it with developing countries to help 

them operate and develop more sustainable 

programs. Modeled after the Peace Corps, the 

ICCA program would offer retired land managers, both public and private sector employees, geologists, biologists, and park rangers 

the opportunity to volunteer their services to 

the foreign country. The ICCA would cover the 

expenses necessary to deploy volunteers in 

other countries such as airfare, food, and 

lodging. The program will utilize volunteers 

who have long practical experience and are 

respected in their fields, and who are enthusiastic about opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills to assist other countries. 

Under this proposal, the State Department 

would screen foreign government requests for 

assistance. Cleared requests would be forwarded to the Interior Department which would 

craft a prospectus that awards competitive 

grants to the nonprofit that assembles the best 

volunteer team and most meritorious application. Federal administrative costs would be 

minimal, ensuring tax payer funds are spent 

almost exclusively on ‘‘boots on the ground.’’ 

No more than $10 million could be appropriated per year. The cost of this program 


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