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 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 799
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to join
 1-4     Mercy Health Systems of Texas and Mercy Health Center of Laredo
 1-5     in recognizing May 6 through 12, 2001, as National Nurses Week; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Mercy Health Center of Laredo has named May 3, 2001,
 1-7     Nurses' Day in celebration of National Nurses Week; the Nurses'
 1-8     Day theme is "Nurses are the Heart of Mercy"; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, The first National Nurse Week was observed in
1-10     October of 1954; in 1974, the International Council of Nurses
1-11     proclaimed May 12 as International Nurse Day, and in February of
1-12     that year, the White House designated a National Nurse Week; in
1-13     1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation recognizing
1-14     May 6 as National Recognition Day for Nurses, and the American
1-15     Nurses Association expanded that day to a week-long celebration
1-16     in 1990; and
1-17           WHEREAS, The nearly 2.7 million registered nurses in the
1-18     United States comprise our nation's largest health care profession,
1-19     and the demand for nursing services will continue to grow due to
1-20     the aging of the American population and the explosive growth of
1-21     home health care services; and
1-22           WHEREAS, The cost-effective, safe, and first-rate health
 2-1     care services provided by nurses will be an ever more important
 2-2     component of the United States health care delivery system in the
 2-3     future; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, Nurses are an indispensable component in the safety
 2-5     and quality care of hospitalized patients, and a renewed emphasis
 2-6     on primary and preventive health care will require the better
 2-7     utilization of all of our nation's registered nursing resources; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Through the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Health Center
 2-9     has been delivering quality health care in Laredo since 1896 and
2-10     has grown from a two-bed facility to a 340-bed facility; Mercy
2-11     Health Systems of Texas encompasses Mercy Health Center, Mercy
2-12     Health Plans, and Laredo Medical Group; now, therefore, be it
2-13           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
2-14     77th Legislature, hereby join Mercy Health Center of Laredo
2-15     in proclaiming May 3, 2001, as Nurses' Day; and, be it further
2-16           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as a
2-17     memento of this occasion and as an expression of esteem from
2-18     the Texas Senate.
2-19                                                               Zaffirini
2-20                                  ______________________________________
2-21                                          President of the Senate
2-22                                       I hereby certify that the above
2-23                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
2-24                                  on April 23, 2001.
2-25                                  ______________________________________
2-26                                          Secretary of the Senate
2-27                                  ______________________________________
2-28                                           Member, Texas Senate