093_HR0439

                                     LRB093 12586 HSS 17775 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members of the House of  Representatives  of
 3    the  State  of  Illinois  wish to congratulate St. Margaret's
 4    Hospital of Spring  Valley  on  the  occasion  of  its  100th
 5    anniversary; and

 6        WHEREAS,  At  the  turn  of the twentieth century, Spring
 7    Valley was a large coal mining  camp  with  a  population  of
 8    6,214  people;  laws  governing the protection of miners were
 9    few; accidents and deaths were frequent; and

10        WHEREAS, The area's great need for  a  hospital  facility
11    was  recognized  by  the  Reverend  John Power, pastor of the
12    Immaculate Conception Church; he appealed to the  Sisters  of
13    Mary  of the Presentation to staff the new hospital; 25 acres
14    of land and a two-story frame house were  donated  by  Father
15    Power, beginning the process; and

16        WHEREAS,  When the first 7 sisters arrived in November of
17    1903, they were practically without funds, and only a few  of
18    them   spoke   English;   the   little  hospital  was  nearly
19    unfurnished and  contained  only  a  five-bed  ward  and  one
20    private  room; the building was illuminated by kerosene lamps
21    and heated with coal stoves; and

22        WHEREAS,  Today,  St.  Margaret's  has  Community  Health
23    Clinics in 14 locations  and  is  continually  expanding  and
24    improving  upon  its  facilities and services; St. Margaret's
25    has a medical staff of more than  120  physicians,  surgeons,
26    dentists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants; more
27    than  600  nurses,  aides,  technicians,  and  various  other
28    employees  account  for the rest of the St. Margaret's staff;
29    therefore, be it

30        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
31    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
 
                            -2-      LRB093 12586 HSS 17775 r
 1    we congratulate St. Margaret's Hospital of Spring  Valley  on
 2    the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and be it further

 3        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
 4    presented to St.  Margaret's  Hospital  as  a  token  of  our
 5    gratitude  for  the many lives touched through the care given
 6    at St. Margaret's Hospital.