[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18854]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING DR. MICHAEL WAHL, MD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PETER J. ROSKAM

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 11, 2014

  Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Michael Wahl, who 
I am pleased to nominate for the Wave Maker Award for the 5th Annual 
Unsung Heroes of Public Health Campaign. This award recognizes 
individuals for their work on a major regional or national program that 
has had a significant positive impact on an important public health 
issue.
  Dr. Wahl has devoted his life to improving public health and safety 
in Illinois. Since 1998, he has served as the Medical Director for the 
Illinois Poison Center--the oldest poison center in the United States. 
During his tenure, Dr. Wahl initiated the Poison Center Hotline, which 
currently treats over 90% of incoming accidental poisoning calls at 
home without a trip to a medical facility. The Hotline saves the State 
of Illinois $52 million in unnecessary health care costs each year and 
has prevented thousands of severe medical emergencies. Building on this 
successful model, Dr. Wahl has set up similar state hotlines for H1N1, 
Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and currently Ebola, which 
provide the general public and health care providers with vital 
information during infectious disease outbreaks.
  Dr. Wahl and the Illinois Poison Center have also done important work 
in conjunction with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and law 
enforcement to observe trends in synthetic drug use and provide local 
officials with data and surveillance on these chemicals. Because of 
these initiatives, synthetic drug use in Illinois has not reached the 
high prevalence experienced by other states. Finally, Dr. Wahl lends 
his time and experience to the Illinois Department of Public Health 
Work Group to reduce the alarming rate of heroin use by prescription 
drug abusers. In these many challenging endeavors, Dr. Wahl brings an 
unparalleled passion for service and a commitment to improve lives 
throughout the State of Illinois.
  Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in honoring 
Dr. Michael Wahl for his dedicated work in expanding access to health 
care and his innovative efforts to strengthen public health for the 
people of Illinois and congratulating him on his nomination for the 
Wave Maker Award.

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