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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 Mokena, 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; during her six-year tenure, her extraordinary
11 leadership earned Silver Cross Hospital national recognition
12 in safety, quality, and experience, as evidenced by the
13 hospital ranking as one of the 100 Top Hospitals 11 times,
14 earning a 5-Star Rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
15 Services, and receiving 17 Straight A's for Safety from the
16 Leapfrog Group; under her leadership, Silver Cross Hospital
17 opened Will County's first and only Level 3 Neonatal Intensive
18 Care Unit, introduced an open-heart surgery program, and
19 championed the opening of the Midwest Institute for Robotic
20 Surgery; she forged many partnerships with leading
21 Chicago-academic health systems, including the Shirley Ryan
22 AbilityLab for inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation
23 services, University of Chicago Medicine for cancer services
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1 and neurosciences, the Rush University Medical Center for lung
2 surgery, the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital for
3 pediatric and neonatal services, and US HealthVest to build
4 the 110-bed Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital; and
5 WHEREAS, Ruth Colby was deeply engaged in community
6 service, including serving as president of the Society for
7 Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, an American
8 Hospital Association membership group, chair of the Will
9 County Center for Economic Development, board member of the
10 Will County Children's Advocacy Center, and the chair-elect of
11 the Illinois Health and Hospital Association Board; she was
12 appointed to the American Hospital Association's Regional
13 Planning Board for Region 5 and was a member of the American
14 Hospital Association Membership Group, the United Way of Will
15 County Pillars Society, the Rotary Club of Joliet, and the
16 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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