SR0224 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0224 LRB103 32046 MST 60962 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are pleased to join Danville in celebrating the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the Danville branch of the VA Illiana Health Care System, the Danville VA Medical Center; and

WHEREAS, The Danville Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was founded in 1898 and was the eighth of ten "homes" established by the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers nationwide between 1866 and 1929; and

WHEREAS, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Joseph Cannon of Danville played an important role in the creation of the Danville branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers; and

WHEREAS, The facility was developed to provide long-term health care and maintenance for the thousands of disabled or elderly veterans who had served in the Union forces during the American Civil War, and it presaged the modern system of veterans' medical centers; and

WHEREAS, Illinois had a significant need for a home, sending more than a quarter of a million enlisted men to serve in the Civil War, with more than 34,000 laying down their lives for the Union cause; and

WHEREAS, The VA Illiana Health Care System is dedicated to providing veterans with health care services at six locations, serving a 34-county area of central Illinois and west-central Indiana; and

WHEREAS, In response to the need for affordable housing for veterans and their families, the VA Illiana Health Care System collaborated with the opening of Cannon Place in 2017 and expanded Veterans Villages in 2020; and

WHEREAS, The VA Illiana Health Care System is one of the leading health care systems, serving veterans in the VA Great Lakes Network; and

WHEREAS, In 2022, the VA Illiana Health Care System provided 337,981 in-person visits, provided 32,854 bed days of care, and provided 6,573 telehealth visits, showcasing their dedication to helping those who served with the care they deserve; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Danville branch of the VA Illiana Health Care System, the Danville VA Medical Center, and commend them for their dedication to our State's veterans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Danville VA Medical Center as a symbol of our respect and esteem.