HR1240 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1240 LRB100 23885 ALS 42954 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. Gary W. Kerber on receiving the 2018 Rural Physician of Excellence Award from the Illinois Rural Health Association; and

WHEREAS, One of the biggest healthcare challenges across our nation is the shortage of physicians who practice in rural settings; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kerber graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 1980; he completed his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics in 1984; and

WHEREAS, During the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Kerber practiced in a variety of settings, including the Charity Hospital System in rural Louisiana, where he developed a network of telemedicine and teleradiology systems in the rural areas of the state; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, Dr. Kerber's career brought him to Illinois, where he became the Chair of the Medical Imaging Department at Provena Covenant Medical Center; since 2010, he has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine; since 2011, he has treated patients at Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services, where he offers services and state-of-the-art imaging equipment rarely found at a rural facility; he was the driving force behind the addition of the Hybrid Operating Room at Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kerber and his wife, Jane, have been married for over 38 years; their relationship began with a Sunday school encounter and a four-week whirlwind courtship; and

WHEREAS, Had Dr. Kerber pursued his first love, music, rather than medicine, instead of receiving the Physician of Excellence Award, he might have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his guitar playing, which has been a passion of his for the past 50 years; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Dr. Gary W. Kerber for his forward thinking and selfless service to his patients, and we congratulate him on receiving the 2018 Rural Physician of Excellence Award; and be it further

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