[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 158 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE CAREER OF DR. DHARMAPURI VIDYASAGER

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 18, 2007

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this 
opportunity to recognize the service of a distinguished faculty member 
in the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 
Dr. Dharmapuri Vidyasager currently serves as the Director of 
Neonatology and Co-Director of the Perinatal Center at UIC. Hired 
specifically to establish a Neonatal Intensive Care unit, he began his 
career with UIC as the Director of Newborn Nurseries in 1974. During 
the interim 33 years, he became a full professor in 1977 and served as 
the interim Head of the Department of Pediatrics in 1983. I seek to 
recognize Dr. Vidyasager today in anticipation of his retirement in 
November of this year.
  Without question, Dr. Vidyasager has contributed significantly to the 
field of neonatology as a physician, a researcher, and an educator. 
From establishing the first neonatal care unit in the State of Illinois 
at Cook County Hospital in 1971 to helping decrease the Illinois infant 
mortality rate from 25 to 7 deaths per 1,000 births to aiding other 
nations in reducing neonatal and infant mortality, his medical work has 
had a substantial, direct effect on newborn children. Dr. Vidyasager's 
research on surfactant systems in lungs and the treatment of the 
hyaline membrane disease has proved quite essential to the major 
advancements that have taken place in the field of neonatology. In 
addition, Dr. Vidyasager has demonstrated a strong commitment to 
developing high caliber physicians. During his tenure, Dr. Vidyasager 
trained more than 70 neonatologists, some of whom are nationally and 
internationally known academicians. He was responsible for developing 
the UIC Medical Center's teaching program into one of the most highly 
recognized physician training centers. Further, he has conducted 
training sessions and provided free consultations on the establishment 
of modern neonatal intensive care units across the globe including--but 
not limited to--China, India, Poland, Lithuania, and Uzbekistan.
  In 2006, Dr. Vidyasager's work was honored via his nomination for 
inclusion in the Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.'s Top Doctors of America 
and The Best Doctors Directory. His service to the field of 
neonatology, his patients, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and 
to the City of Chicago has been quite extraordinary. I honor his 
retirement in November 2007 with the words of Frederick Douglass as he 
once said, ``Man's greatness consists in his ability to do and the 
proper application of his powers to things needed to be done.'' The 
accomplishments of Dr. Vidyasager over the last three decades have done 
a great deal to illustrate his greatness.

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