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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1044-E1045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO DR. HUGHES MELTON
______
HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Friday, August 9, 2019
Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, I pay tribute to Dr. Hughes Melton of
Bristol, Virginia, a military veteran, public servant, and
compassionate physician who most recently was Commissioner of the
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
Dr. Melton passed away on August 2, 2019, at the age of 52 following a
car wreck.
Dr. Melton was born in Florida but made Virginia his home. After
studying at Washington and Lee University and the University of
Virginia School of Medicine, he served in the United States Army.
Following his time in the service, he opened a practice in Lebanon,
Russell County. There, he focused intently on the needs of his rural
community and developed a specialty for treating addiction. His medical
skill and care for his patients earned him recognition by the American
Academy of Family Physicians as the Family Physician of the Year in
2011.
He eventually took on work as an administrator, first as Chief
Medical Officer for Mountain States Health Alliance's Virginia
facilities and then as Vice President of Medical Education for its
northeast and northwest markets. Among his objectives as an
administrator, he recognized the need for more physicians to serve
Southwest Virginia. To that end, he helped to start a family medicine
residency. During his time at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon,
he won the Servant's Heart Award and furthered his education with a
Master's in Business Administration from the University of Virginia's
Darden School of Business.
After serving as Deputy Commissioner of the Virginia Health
Department, he was appointed Commissioner of the Department of
Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in 2018. As Commissioner,
Dr. Melton was able to apply his considerable talent and deep empathy
to addressing the mental and
[[Page E1045]]
behavioral health challenges facing Virginians. He traveled the state
and worked with public officials, medical professionals, and all
invested in our Commonwealth to find answers. Before the tragic car
accident, he had been in Harrisonburg attending a conference of
advocates for Virginians with intellectual and developmental
disabilities, where he gave a speech and talked with the attendees.
In addition, Madam Speaker, I knew him and talked to him over the
years about health challenges in our home of Southwest Virginia,
including the opioid crisis. As was typical, I last saw him
volunteering his time alongside his wife Dr. Sarah Melton at the Remote
Area Medical clinic in Wise on June 29. It is a loss for all the
Commonwealth of Virginia and particularly Southwest Virginia.
He is survived by Sarah, daughters Maggie and Claire, and his father
Howard. My prayers are with them. As they grieve the loss of their
family member, Virginia grieves the loss of an outstanding public
servant.
____________________
