[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 22, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING WILLIAM ``BILL'' WAGNER ON HIS RETIREMENT FOLLOWING MORE THAN 
                     FOUR DECADES OF PUBLIC SERVICE

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                          HON. JOHN A. YARMUTH

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2021

  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of William ``Bill'' 
Wagner, a dedicated public health servant in my hometown of Louisville, 
Kentucky, who will soon retire after more than four decades of selfless 
work for our community.
  For the last 40 years, Bill has helped lead Family Health Centers, a 
federally qualified health center that has grown in size and scope to 
become one of the largest non-profits in our area, providing health 
care to more than 45,000 individuals annually. Serving as Family Health 
Centers' CEO since 1998 and as Assistant Director for 17 years prior to 
that, Bill oversaw the growth of their brick-and-mortar footprint in 
our area, expanding the number of health center locations in our 
region. He also helped oversee their tremendous growth in services 
provided, in patients served, and certainly in the rise of positive 
health outcomes for the countless Louisvillians that walked through 
their doors seeking care.
  During consideration and the subsequent implementation of the 
Affordable Care Act, Bill was at the forefront, advocating for 
increasing access to care while using his voice and passion for those 
often unheard. As we worked to expand services across our city, it was 
Bill's guidance I sought out in order to be sure that we could do the 
most good possible for the most people. And so, it was no surprise when 
we saw our uninsured rate plummet as people began receiving the free 
preventive and other health services now available to them--just like 
Bill said they would if we'd just work together to make it happen. 
Along the way, he and his staff never hesitated to go above and beyond 
what was needed to make sure that our community was well-served, that 
people received the quality care they needed, and that everyone he 
crossed paths with knew that Family Health Centers was there and ready 
to help.
  Bill had previously announced his plan to retire in early 2020, but 
as the COVID-19 pandemic reached our borders and began to spread, he 
put Louisville families first and stayed at the helm of this critical 
public health organization in order to help lead us through this public 
health crisis. Bill's tremendous knowledge on public health matters, 
his early efforts to help ramp up testing in the communities he serves, 
and in his continued focus to this day on making sure that vaccines are 
available and accessible in every neighborhood in our city--especially 
those that are so often overlooked or underserved--has been invaluable.
  Reflecting on his upcoming retirement, Bill said, ``I've been guided 
by the belief that health care is a right not a privilege. We have a 
long way to go to achieve this goal in our community, but we have made 
significant strides over the decades.''
  I'm proud to share that belief, but I'm even more proud to say that 
those strides would not have been possible without Bill's selfless 
dedication to his profession, his wealth of knowledge in the public 
health field, and his unyielding commitment to improving the lives of 
our fellow Louisvillians.
  Bill has not only improved lives, but has saved them and left a 
lasting mark on our city, our commonwealth, and this great Nation. I 
wish him nothin but the very best in retirement and look forward to 
seeing him soon. Congratulations and thanks for a job well done, my 
friend

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