HR1289 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1289 LRB097 23349 MST 72194 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Sister Elizabeth on the occasion of her retirement as director from St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center; and

WHEREAS, In 1995, Sister Elizabeth implemented an expansion of the hospital, adding a professional building to the campus to house primary care and specialist providers; and

WHEREAS, Sister Elizabeth's vision and commitment to the revitalization and economic health of Englewood led to the building of Bernard Place; a 70-unit affordable housing development, Bernard Place won the prestigious Richard H. Driehaus Award for Outstanding Nonprofit Neighborhood Real Estate Project in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Sister Elizabeth recognized the importance of utilizing the latest advancements in technology to improve the quality of healthcare; under her direction, St. Bernard instituted electronic medical record keeping, barcode-enabled bedside medication verification, state-of-the-art digital X-rays and mammography, and a 128-slice CT system; and

WHEREAS, The Pediatric Mobile Health Unit, created in 2003, offers free physicals and vaccinations to school kids throughout Chicago's South Side; the Dental Center opened in 2007, and serves more than 5,000 patients a year; recently, The Clinic at Walmart, operated by St. Bernard Hospital, opened in the Auburn Gresham/Chatham area; and

WHEREAS, In a strategic effort to deliver preventive care to low-income families, Sister Elizabeth joined with four other community hospital partners to found Family Health Network in 1995; it is Illinois' only nonprofit managed care organization, serving families throughout Cook County; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Sister Elizabeth for the work she has done over the years for St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center and we congratulate her on her retirement as director; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sister Elizabeth as an expression of our esteem and respect.