ABOVE VIDEO:After his long stint in Washington, DC, Dr. Dave Weldon returned home to Brevard where he currently practices internal medicine with Health First. He also serves as university clinical professor of biomedical engineering at Florida Tech’s College of Engineering.
As a physician, Dr. Dave Weldon has always been particularly attuned to issues affecting healthcare in America.
At the September reunion of the freshman class of the 104th U.S. Congress in 1994, event organizer Dr. Dave Weldon reminisced about his first foray into politics.
Weldon went on to serve seven terms in Congress, on committees and caucuses that included the Science Committee, the Education and Workforce Committee, Banking and Financial Services, Government Reform and Oversight and the Appropriations Committee.
Dr. Dave Weldon
“We came in on what the media described as the “bow wave” in the election of ’94 and we gave ourselves 100 days to accomplish the “Contract with America,” one of the most ambitious legislative reform packages of modern times,” said the Indialantic physician.
As a physician, Weldon has always been particularly attuned to issues affecting healthcare in America. During his freshman term, he served on the Speaker’s Task Force on Healthcare Reform.
He enacted the Weldon-Hyde Conscience Protection Language to prevent healthcare workers from being coerced to perform tasks in violence of conscience objections.
The Doctors Goodwill Foundation, in collaboration with Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine, will present the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto.
He also enacted a ban on patents for human embryos and secured authorization of $25 million for a state-of-the-art veterans’ clinic in Viera, which has served as a model for the paperless medical system within the VA system and has provided more than one million medical visits since its opening in 1998.
From his unique perspective as a physician in Congress, Weldon was able to lead debate and foster change on a wide range of health-related legislation.
Dr. Dave Weldon with Newt Gingrich during a recent reception and panel discussion on the anniversary of the signing of the Contract with America. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)
He served on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, with jurisdiction over the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
His efforts resulted in increased funding for the Scott Center for Autism Treatment and HUD and Independent Agencies, and he fought for VA health care funding.
Thanks to Weldon, toxic mercury-containing preservatives were removed from childhood vaccines.
His efforts for the benefit of healthcare consumers in this country earned Weldon the status of Fellow of the American College of Physicians in 2005.
After his long stint in Washington, Weldon returned home to Brevard, where he currently practices internal medicine with Health First. He also serves as university clinical professor of biomedical engineering at Florida Tech’s College of Engineering.
Weldon has always been passionate about medicine. A Long Island, New York native, Weldon graduated Phi Beta Kappa from SUNY Stony Brook, earned his medical degree at SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society.
He served his country for six years of active duty and eight years in the Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Major.
SPACE COAST MEDICINE WEEK SET FOR NOV. 1– 8
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation has raised more than $1.7 million in support of charity thanks to the assistance of Mike Shah and many generous and giving special people.
Those people, and their spirit of philanthropy, will be recognized and honored on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards, which will be part of the nine-event “Space Coast Medicine Week,” produced annually by Brevard Productions, the event and production sister company of Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine and Space Coast Daily.
The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards will be held at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place beginning at 6 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by the dinner and awards program at 7 p.m.
DGF AMBASSADORS TO BE HONORED INCLUDE:
Rosanne Cain, BSN; Barbara Carter; Tim Cerullo, CEO, Wuesthoff; Dr. Arvind Dhople; Dr. Rachel Fornes; Nina Gadodia; Michael Haridopolos; Dr. Heidar Heshmati; Dr. Irfan Imami; Edwin Loftin, R.N., V.P. Parrish Medical Center; Astronaut Jon MacBride; Dr. Patricia Manning; Judge Ali Majeed; Dr. Ashok Shah; Mike Shah; Naren Shah; Mr. and Mrs. William Terry; Susan Tindall; Dr. David Weldon; Bruce Wolters and Vitas Hospice.
Parrish Medical Center with CEO George Mikitarian, will also be recognized and honored with a Doctors Goodwill Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for their many years of support of the Doctors Goodwill Foundation charitable endeavors.
“The entire Doctors Goodwill Foundation board and community feels heartfelt gratitude to the people who contribute their time, resources and compassion to the charitable endeavors that we undertake,” said Dr. Kanti Bhalani, the Founder of the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation.
“The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation can only do what it does, thanks to the love and support that it’s friends provide. We feel it is important to recognize people who give of themselves and that is why we created the Doctors Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards.”
COMPELLING MULTIMEDIA TRIBUTE VIDEOS & STORIES
Stay tuned to SpaceCoastDaily.com and Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine for extensive multimedia coverage of each and every honoree, as we present their compelling charitable works through stories and special tribute films by Maverick Multimedia, Inc.
Don’t miss the Oct/Nov 2014 special edition of Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine for complete multimedia coverage of the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards – and all the events of “Space Coast Medicine Week.”
For dinner reservations to the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards call 321-749-1282. For sponsor or exhibitor information, call 321-323-4460 or 321- 615- 8111, or e-mail MaverickMultiMedia@gmail.com
