Congressman Bill Flores to Receive Award at St. Joseph Health

(Bryan, TX) ― St. Joseph Health hosted Congressman Bill Flores and representatives from GE Healthcare Thursday, as Congressman Flores was recognized by The Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance, the imaging industry’s trade association in Washington, DC. The organization honored Congressman Flores for his instrumental role in securing a two-year suspension of the medical device tax, enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

“Congressman Flores’ actions demonstrate his commitment to protecting our patients’ ability to access leading edge, life-saving technology,” said Rick Napper, President and CEO for St. Joseph Health. “They also set an important standard for everyone in healthcare, as innovation remains a driving force behind our ability to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care. We look forward to a future of working closely with manufacturers such as GE to continue elevating and enhancing patient care.”

The steps he’s taken to promote innovation within the medical technology industry and improve patient care are beneficial to the Brazos Valley. St. Joseph Health houses a GE Optima 660 128-slice CT Scan machine in our new Emergency & Trauma Center, one of the most innovative CT Scanners in our community. The machine allows physicians and clinicians in the Emergency & Trauma Center to quickly diagnose and treat patients for stroke and other traumas.

Rep. Bill Flores is a Republican member of Congress representing the 17th district of Texas since 2011. He is Chairman of the influential Republican Study Committee, a group representing the more conservative faction of the Republican party. Rep. Flores serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over certain aspects of Medicare, FDA, NIH, and U.S. public health.

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) is the leading organization and collective voice of medical imaging equipment, radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical manufacturers, innovators and product developers. It represents companies whose sales make up more than 90 percent of the global market for advanced imaging technologies.

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About St. Joseph Health

Established in 1936, St. Joseph Health is the healthcare leader in the Brazos Valley. The hospital system is faith-based, not-for-profit and committed to excellence and compassion in caring for the mind, body and spirit while creating healthier communities. St. Joseph Health is comprised of five hospital facilities across the Brazos Valley, including Regional Hospital, the region’s highest level trauma center. St. Joseph Health Medical Group operates more than a dozen primary and specialty care clinics around the region, offering expert care, closer to home. St. Joseph Health is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. For more information, visit CHIStjoseph.org.

Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, CHI operates in 19 states and comprises more than 103 hospitals, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals; 30 critical-access facilities; community health services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies; and other services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care. For more information, visit CatholicHealthInitiatives.org.