[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10] [Senate] [Pages 13881-13882] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]NATIONAL CONVENIENT CARE CLINIC WEEK Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary [[Page 13882]] Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 585, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 585) designating the week of August 2 through August 8, 2010, as ``National Convenient Care Clinic Week,'' and supporting the goals and ideals of raising awareness of the need for accessible and cost-effective health care options to complement the traditional health care model. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution. Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize all of the providers who work in retail-based convenient care clinics in a resolution to designate August 2 through August 8, 2010, as National Convenient Care Clinic Week. National Convenient Care Clinic Week will provide a national platform from which to promote the pivotal services offered by the more than 1,100 retail-based convenient care clinics in the United States. Today, thousands of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians provide care in convenient care clinics. At a time when Americans are more and more challenged by the inaccessibility and high costs of health care, convenient care offers a vital, high-quality primary care alternative. A resolution will help pave the way for this effort. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this tribute to convenient care clinics. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The resolution (S. Res. 585) was agreed to. The preamble was agreed to. The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows: S. Res. 585 Whereas convenient care clinics are health care facilities located in high-traffic retail outlets that provide affordable and accessible care to patients who might otherwise be delayed or unable to schedule an appointment with a traditional primary care provider; Whereas millions of people in the United States do not have a primary care provider, and there is a worsening primary care shortage that will prevent many people from obtaining one in the future; Whereas convenient care clinics have provided an accessible alternative for more than 15,000,000 people in the United States since the first clinic opened in 2000, continue to expand rapidly, and as of June 2010 consist of approximately 1,100 clinics in 35 States; Whereas convenient care clinics follow rigid industry-wide quality of care and safety standards; Whereas convenient care clinics are staffed by highly qualified health care providers, including advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, and physicians; Whereas convenient care clinicians all have advanced education in providing quality health care for common episodic ailments including cold and flu, skin irritation, and muscle strains or sprains, and can also provide immunizations, physicals, and preventive health screening; Whereas convenient care clinics are proven to be a cost- effective alternative to similar treatment obtained in physician offices, urgent care, or emergency departments; and Whereas convenient care clinics complement traditional medical service providers by providing extended weekday and weekend hours without the need for an appointment, short wait times, and visits that generally last only 15 to 20 minutes: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates the week of August 2 through August 8, 2010, as ``National Convenient Care Clinic Week''; (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Convenient Care Clinic Week to raise awareness of the need for accessible and cost-effective health care options to complement the traditional health care model; (3) recognizes the obstacles many people in the United States face in accessing the traditional medical home model of health care; (4) encourages the use of convenient care clinics as a complementary alternative to the medical home model of health care; and (5) calls on the States to support the establishment of convenient care clinics so that more people in the United States will have access to the cost-effective and necessary emergent and preventive services provided in the clinics. ____________________