HR0738 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0738 LRB104 21212 LAW 35743 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Shriners Hospitals for Children - Chicago, more commonly known as Shriners Children's Chicago, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, marking a century of helping thousands of children while solidifying a reputation for finding answers and providing hope; and

WHEREAS, On March 20, 1926, Shriners Children's Chicago opened amidst a raging polio epidemic and tuberculosis of the bone causing many deformities, leaving thousands of children from Illinois and the Midwest in need of medical care that was not available to them; and

WHEREAS, Shriners Children's Chicago began meeting this demonstrated medical need, only accepting patients of families who could not afford to pay for orthopedic care; and

WHEREAS, Shriners Children's Chicago continues to this day to provide care regardless of families' ability to pay, caring for children with insurance, without insurance, and on Medicaid, thanks to the generosity of donors and supporters; and

WHEREAS, Shriners Children's Chicago serves as a pediatric specialty hospital on Chicago's Far West Side, and it has made an indelible mark on American healthcare, having led the nation in establishing orthopedic medical residency programs to train future pediatric doctors, and has provided remarkable breakthroughs in care, including the first surgically successful treatment for osteogenesis imperfecta, a centuries-old brittle bone condition; and

WHEREAS, Shriners Children's Chicago further provides important pediatric-focused research in spine and spinal cord injuries, craniofacial and cleft palates, and pediatric orthopedic bone and joint conditions; and

WHEREAS, Shriners Children's Chicago has remained steadfast in advancing its threefold mission of outstanding clinical care, medical education, and research, and as part of an international healthcare network, it continues to improve the lives of more children with the best care in the right places; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Shriners Hospitals for Children - Chicago, more commonly known as Shriners Children's Chicago, on celebrating its 100th anniversary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend Shriners Children's Chicago for its meaningful role in the history of healthcare in Illinois and its continued commitment to health and well-being of the children of Illinois.