Health & Fitness
Dillard Sponsors Bill to Maintain Funding for State’s Only Remaining Poison Center
State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) has sponsored Senate Bill 1440 to appropriate full funding for the Illinois Poison Center (IPC).
Emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the state’s the last remaining poison control, information and treatment center, State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) has sponsored Senate Bill 1440 to appropriate full funding for the Illinois Poison Center (IPC).
“Each year experts at the IPC answer tens of thousands of calls from across the state and provide life-saving treatment advice and information. As a parent of young children, I always keep a refrigerator magnet in the kitchen or a sticker by my phone so the Poison Center’s 1-800-222-1222 hotline is readily available,” Dillard said. “Illinois is home to the nation’s oldest poison control center, demonstrating the state’s longtime commitment to providing expert poison treatment to residents. I want to make sure this important investment in public health is protected, and the IPC is able to operate as it has for the last 60 years.”
The IPC is a non-profit health service, with staff comprised of specially-trained pharmacists, nurses and physicians, who provide free, confidential poison treatment advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2012, the IPC handled nearly 82,000 calls from across the state, with close to 49 percent of those calls involving children five years of age or younger.
“We are honored that Senator Dillard is a champion in protecting the IPC and the health of his constituents and those throughout the state,” said IPC Medical Director Dr. Michael Wahl. “This important legislation will help ensure that the IPC can continue to protect and save lives in Illinois.”
Dillard pointed out that the IPC not only saves lives, but provides a significant return on investment. The IPC reports that for every $1 invested in the IPC, there is an estimated $13 savings in healthcare and lost productivity counts—saving Illinois taxpayers more than $50 million each year.
The IPC reports it is considered by many to be the leading source of advanced toxicology consultation and training in Illinois. Nearly 28 percent of the calls the IPC receives are from health care providers seeking expert treatment advice for their patients who have been exposed to a hazardous substance.
