Biden tours Goshen Medical Center, speaks to crowd in Faison
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on April 1, 2009 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
Vice President Joe Biden puts his arm around Dr. Allyn Danback during a speech at the Goshen Medical Center in Faison this morning.
FAISON -- Vice President Joe Biden arrived via motorcade in Faison this morning to streets lined with onlookers with camera phones ready as his caravan rolled into town.
Biden's arrival was delayed by a call from President Barack Obama from the G-20 Summit in England.
While in Faison, Biden and other prominent officials including Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack toured the Goshen Medical Center.
Center CEO Greg Bounds, HRSA Administrator Dr. Mary Wakefield, Vilsack and Biden all spoke to the public after the tour.
Their remarks centered around the center being an example of working toward making sure all Americans have good and affordable health care, with or without medical insurance.
Biden called the Goshen center the future of rural medicine.
The center will receive more than $600,000 in stimulus funds.
Before leaving by motorcade, Biden gave a shout out to the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team, which is headed to the Final Four Saturday.
The motorcade continued on toward Pikeville with state troopers on motorcycles periodically zipping by the motorcade to clear upcoming intersections.
Biden was expected to speak in Pikeville at 2 p.m. where the fire department officials expect him to announce funding for a new station.