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1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Ruth
4 Colby of New Lenox, who passed away on October 15, 2023; and
5 WHEREAS, Ruth Colby earned a bachelor's degree from
6 Northwestern University, a master's degree from New York
7 University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago,
8 specializing in finance; she married Donald M. DeFrank; and
9 WHEREAS, Ruth Colby served as president and CEO of Silver
10 Cross Hospital, where she oversaw marketing, planning
11 strategy, government relations, physician relations, and
12 recruitment, along with other critical areas; under her
13 leadership, Silver Cross Hospital opened Will County's first
14 and only Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, introduced an
15 open-heart surgery program, and championed the opening of the
16 Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery; she forged many
17 partnerships with leading Chicago based health systems,
18 including the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab for inpatient and
19 outpatient rehabilitation services, University of Chicago
20 Medicine for cancer services and neurosciences, the Rush
21 University Medical Center for lung surgery, the Ann and Robert
22 H. Lurie Children's Hospital for pediatric and neonatal
23 services, and US HealthVest to build the 110-bed Silver Oaks
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1 Behavioral Hospital; she served as vice president of Provider
2 Sales at Solucient, LLC and as the vice president of Business
3 Development at the University of Chicago Health Systems; she
4 held senior positions at the Sachs Group and HCIA/Sachs during
5 multiple mergers; and
6 WHEREAS, Ruth Colby was deeply engaged in community
7 service, including serving as the past president of the
8 Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, chair
9 of the Will County Center for Economic Development, board
10 member of the Will County Children's Advocacy Center, and the
11 chair-elect of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association;
12 she was appointed to the American Hospital Association's
13 Regional Planning Board for Region 5 and was a member of the
14 American Hospital Association Membership Group, the United Way
15 of Will County Pillars Society, the Joliet Rotary Club, and
16 the Economic Club of Chicago; and
17 WHEREAS, Ruth Colby received the national award for
18 Individual Personal Achievement in 2009, the Athena Award from
19 the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce in 2021, and the
20 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Rainbow Council of the
21 Boy Scouts; she was named the New Lenox Citizen of the Year by
22 the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce in 2023, recognized as a
23 Notable Woman in Healthcare and a Notable Woman Executive over
24 age 50 by Crain's Chicago Business in 2019, and was honored by
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1 Crain's Chicago Business as a Notable Healthcare Executive;
2 and
3 WHEREAS, Ruth Colby was a beloved wife, loving mother and
4 aunt, and a dear sister and sister-in-law; she was known to her
5 community as a healthcare visionary through her work both
6 professionally and personally; and
7 WHEREAS, Ruth Colby is survived by her husband; her son,
8 David (Becky Riffkin) Chodak; her sister, Judy (Steven)
9 Dolins; her sister-in-law, Sue DeFrank; her nieces, Maddie
10 Dolins and Gabi Kastel; and her nephew, 1st Lieutenant U.S.
11 Navy Dr. Michael (Meredith) Beeler; therefore, be it
12 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13 HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
14 we mourn the passing of Ruth Colby and extend our sincere
15 condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
16 her; and be it further
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