The publication is reproduced in full below:
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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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 108
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