2018 -- S 2046

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LC003303

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

THANKING DR. FRANCISCO TRILLA FOR HIS VOLUNTEER EFFORTS IN PUERTO

RICO ASSISTING NUMEROUS PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF

HURRICANE MARIA

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, and Ruggerio

     Date Introduced: January 18, 2018

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, Dr. Francisco Trilla is the Chief Medical Officer of the Neighborhood

Health Plan of Rhode Island, a nonprofit HMO founded in 1994 to ensure that everyone in Rhode

Island has access to high-quality, low-cost health care. Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode

Island currently serves more than 190,000 members and has been ranked as one of the top

Medicaid health plans in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Francisco "Paco" Trilla is a Providence resident and a native of Puerto

Rico. He decided to fly to Puerto Rico last year to check on his aunt and godmother after his

godmother refused to heed his advice to evacuate the city of Carolina in Puerto Rico due to the

approaching Hurricane. He arrived the day before Hurricane Maria struck and witnessed the

hurricane's impact on the island. He was horrified at the extent of the destruction he witnessed

and of the stories he heard of people dying of natural causes and being left behind due to the

chaos caused by the hurricane; and

     WHEREAS, Soon thereafter Dr. Trilla offered his services and got to work assisting

people. He spent some of his time making house calls and checking on the health of various

residents. A particularly vital service he provided was assisting patients on dialysis who hadn't

had access to treatment for several days. In addition to his medical assistance, Dr. Trilla was more

than willing to get his hands dirty and offer his physical labor in a variety of capacities, including

clearing trees and roadways with a machete; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Trilla is a compassionate and caring medical professional who works

tirelessly every day to provide much-needed medical services to those who struggle to get access

to decent healthcare. His volunteer efforts in Puerto Rico literally saved lives and the State of

Rhode Island is very lucky to have this hard-working and dedicated doctor serving patients in our

state; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby thanks Dr. Francisco Trilla for his volunteer efforts in Puerto Rico assisting those

suffering from the effects of Hurricane Maria. We also thank him for his many years of high-

quality medical service to the needy and less fortunate in Rhode Island; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Dr. Francisco Trilla.

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