[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 9, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                   HONORING DONNELL D. ETZWILER, M.D.

 Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a great 
American and a most distinguished Minnesotan, Donnell D. Etzwiler, 
M.D., as he receives the National Institute of Health Policy's Health 
Care Leadership Award.
  Donnell D. Etzwiler, M.D., earned a Doctor of Medicine from Yale 
University School of Medicine in 1953. He practiced as a pediatrician 
specializing in diabetes care at the Park Nicollet Clinic in 
Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1957 to 1996.
  In 1967, Dr. Etzwiler founded the International Diabetes Center, IDC, 
in Minnesota where he served as its President and Chief Medical Officer 
until 1996. The IDC's mission is to ensure that every individual with 
diabetes or at risk for diabetes receives the best possible care. Under 
Dr. Etzwiler's three decades of leadership, the IDC trained over 12,000 
health professionals, including hundreds from other countries, 
including Japan, Poland, Russia, Mexico, and Brazil. Dr. Etzwiler's 
dedication to his pediatric patients resulted in the IDC organizing and 
hosting the First International Symposium on Diabetes Camps in 1974. 
This important group significantly contributed to the establishment of 
standards and accreditation for diabetes camp programs.
  Donnell D. Etzwiler, M.D. served as President of the American 
Diabetes Association from 1976 to 1977. From 1982 to 1994, Dr. Etzwiler 
served as a Principal Investigator for the National Institutes of 
Health Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, a landmark study that 
showed that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible 
slows the onset and progression of eye, kidney, and nerve diseases 
caused by diabetes.
  Dr. Etzwiler's commitment to improving diabetes care was 
international in scope. From 1986 to 1994 he served as the Chairman of 
the Diabetes Collaborating Centers for the World Health Organization in 
Geneva, Switzerland. In 1994, the Russian Government, awarded Dr. 
Etzwiler a Peace Award for co-founding and co-directing the 
International Diabetes Programme in Russia from 1989 to 1997.
  Dr. Etzwiler was extensively involved in professional medical 
associations, where he served in numerous leadership positions. He was 
a member of the Institute of Medicine. He has received over 30 hours 
and awards from professional and civic organizations, including the 
Charles H. Best Medal for Distinguished Service in 1994 from the 
American Diabetes Association. A Professor of Medicine for over 40 
years, Dr. Etzwiler has published over 180 articles and abstracts about 
diabetes care.
  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this great man. 
Through his commitment and compassion, Dr. Donnell D. Etzwiler has 
improved health care both nationally and internationally for people 
with diabetes. Thanks to Don, people--especially children--with 
diabetes live happier and healthier lives.

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