[Page S2932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 230--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL 
     HOSPITAL WEEK, TO BE OBSERVED FROM MAY 11 THROUGH MAY 17, 2025

  Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, Mr. King, Ms. 
Lummis, and Mrs. Capito) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 230

       Whereas, beginning in 1921, National Hospital Day was 
     established by former President Warren G. Harding to be 
     celebrated annually on May 12, the birthday of Florence 
     Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, as a way to honor 
     her role in revolutionizing hospital care;
       Whereas National Hospital Day was established following the 
     1918 Influenza Pandemic as a way to foster community trust in 
     hospitals;
       Whereas, beginning in 1953, National Hospital Week was 
     established and continues to coincide with the birthday of 
     Florence Nightingale;
       Whereas National Hospital Week is a time of year to reflect 
     on the important contributions that hospitals make to provide 
     safe, high-quality health care;
       Whereas, in 2025, approximately 6,093 hospitals in the 
     United States provide essential and life-saving health care 
     every day in a variety of hospitals settings, including--
       (1) 1,377 critical access hospitals, which serve as 
     essential health care hubs that bring medical services closer 
     to individuals who would otherwise have to travel long 
     distances for health care, that provide health care to \1/5\ 
     of the United States population residing in rural areas;
       (2) nearly 1,700 teaching hospitals, of which roughly 300 
     are major teaching hospitals such as university hospitals or 
     academic medical centers, that provide essential training to 
     future medical providers;
       (3) 654 non-Federal psychiatric hospitals that are 
     essential partners in addressing mental health and substance 
     abuse disorders across the United States; and
       (4) 170 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers that 
     are uniquely responsible for providing health care to more 
     than 9,100,000 veterans;
       Whereas, in 2023, hospitals in the United States provided 
     health care to more than 34,000,000 admitted patients and in 
     2024 delivered more than 3,600,000 babies;
       Whereas, as of April 2025, hospitals employed more than 
     5,716,000 individuals, including physicians, registered 
     nurses, and allied health professionals;
       Whereas non-clinical hospital staff, including sanitation 
     workers, food service workers, and many others, work to keep 
     hospitals open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in order to 
     ensure hospitals are always available to individuals that 
     need health care;
       Whereas hospitals, through direct care and community 
     outreach, can provide the expertise and resources needed to 
     address the unique health care needs that exist in rural and 
     urban areas of the United States; and
       Whereas hospitals work collaboratively to uphold the health 
     care system of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Hospital 
     Week, to be observed from May 11 through May 17, 2025;
       (2) recognizes the significant role that hospitals play in 
     the delivery of health care in the United States; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     National Hospital Week with appropriate recognition, 
     ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate the 
     importance of hospitals to the everyday lives of patients and 
     communities.

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