1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 161
 1-3           WHEREAS, Hospice care emerged in the United States in the
 1-4     1970s to provide a combination of the benefits of modern medicine
 1-5     with the dignity of the natural dying process to provide terminally
 1-6     ill patients the opportunity to live out their final days in
 1-7     dignity and in a warm, friendly environment, such as the home
 1-8     or a home-like environment without the fear of dying in pain
 1-9     or alone; and
1-10           WHEREAS, There are more than 3,000 hospices in the
1-11     United States served by 25,000 health care professionals and
1-12     more than 100,000 volunteers which have provided care to more
1-13     than 1,000,000 Americans; and
1-14           WHEREAS, More than 150 licensed hospices serve Texans in
1-15     communities throughout the state and have brought hospice care
1-16     to tens of thousands of Texans; and
1-17           WHEREAS, Hospices not only manage medical care and provide
1-18     an answer to emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their
1-19     families, but also provide support services such as bereavement
1-20     programs, memorial services, and counseling; and
1-21           WHEREAS, Hospices provide cancer care to more than one-half
1-22     of all terminally ill cancer patients in America and many more
1-23     suffering from heart and kidney disease, AIDS, and Alzheimer's
1-24     disease; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service has issued a
 2-2     commemorative "Hospice Care" first-class stamp in recognition
 2-3     of the hospices and the patients, patient families, volunteers,
 2-4     and health care professionals whose lives have been touched by
 2-5     the high quality compassionate end-of-life care made available
 2-6     through hospice programs; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, A celebration of the issuance of the "Hospice Care"
 2-8     commemoration stamp will be held on the South Steps of the
 2-9     State Capitol on Tuesday, February 9, at 11:00 a.m., to which
2-10     all friends and supporters of hospice are invited; now, therefore,
2-11     be it
2-12           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
2-13     76th Legislature, hereby designate Tuesday, February 9, 1999,
2-14     as "Texas Hospice Day" in honor of Texas hospice patients and
2-15     their families and the hospice programs, health care professionals,
2-16     and volunteers who serve them.
2-17                                                               Zaffirini
2-18                                                               Nelson   
2-19                                  ______________________________________
2-20                                          President of the Senate
2-21                                       I hereby certify that the above
2-22                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
2-23                                  on February 8, 1999.
2-24                                  ______________________________________
2-25                                          Secretary of the Senate
2-26                                  ______________________________________
2-27                                           Member, Texas Senate
2-28                                  ______________________________________
2-29                                           Member, Texas Senate