H resolution
adopud by Tlie Qity Qouncil °f*< Qity of Qkicago, Illinois
ALDERMAN EDWARD M. BURKE
presented by MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL on JUNE 5, 2013
BT6CIS ' After more than 33 years of service to Mercy Hospital & Medical Center and Trinity Health ("Mercy Hospital"), Sister Sheila Lyne, RSM, officially retired as Mercy Hospital's president and chief executive officer on May 31, 2013; and
WHEREAS, Robert F. Kennedy reminded us that: "Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change;" and
WHEREAS, Throughout her more than six decades of service as a Sister of Mercy and three decades of service to Mercy Hospital, Sister Sheila Lyne repeatedly demonstrated her bravery, resilience and skilled leadership in the fight to ensure that Chicago's neediest residents receive quality healthcare; and
WHEREAS, A wisp of a woman whose gentle demeanor conceals an iron will, boundless compassion and an unfailing moral compass, Sister Sheila Lyne joined Mercy Hospital in 1970 as director of the diagnostic and treatment center. Following the example set by The Venerable Mother Catherine McAuley, an Irish nun who founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831, Sister Sheila Lyne dedicated her life to serving the poor, the vulnerable and the sick; and
WHEREAS, In 1976, after earning her master's degree in psychiatric nursing from St. Xavier University in Chicago, Sister Sheila Lyne was named president and chief executive officer of Mercy Hospital. In 1980, she received her master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, In 1991, Sister Sheila Lyne was appointed Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Chicago, a position which she held for nine years. The first female and non-physician to serve in that capacity, she embraced her new position with passion, determination and common sense; and
WHEREAS, As commissioner, Sister Sheila Lyne significantly reduced Chicago's infant mortality rate by enlisting women to go door-to-door in their communities to educate and assist pregnant women in prenatal care; she created programs which boosted childhood immunizations to 73% from 27% throughout the City's poorest neighborhoods; and she increased funding tenfold - from $4 million to $40 million - for HIV awareness, prevention and treatment programs, including efforts to promote the free distribution of condoms; and
WHEREAS, Sister Sheila Lyne's spine of steel was never more evident than when she was arrested for defying a court order to test every child in the Chicago Public School system for lead poisoning because she believed that the court order was overly broad and misguided. Needless to say, she was out of jail two hours later; and
WHEREAS, In 2000, Sister Sheila Lyne returned to Mercy Hospital as president and chief executive officer. Known for walking the halls of the hospital, she worked tirelessly throughout her career to provide excellent medical care to all. Largely as a result of Sister Sheila Lyne's leadership, vision and influence, today Mercy Hospital boasts a nationally recognized heart and vascular center, a certified stroke center, eleven medical satellite centers and a state-of-the-art digital breast care center. In April of 2012, Sister Sheila Lyne's unrelenting efforts to secure Mercy Hospital's future were rewarded when Mercy Hospital merged with Trinity Health, one of the Nation's largest Catholic hospital networks; and
WHEREAS, Sister Sheila Lyne has served on many distinguished boards and won numerous honors, among them the Excellence in Public Service Award from Crain's Chicago Business, North Business Industrial Council, and Motorola, and the Shield of St. Xavier Award from St. Xavier University; and
WHEREAS, In retirement, Sister Sheila Lyne plans to continue her life-long ministry of promoting community health by going door-to-door to educate the public and by serving as a senior advisor to Mercy Foundation, Inc., Mercy Hospital's philanthropic arm. She also looks forward to spending time with her niece, Sheila, and nephews, Tim and Terry; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of Sister Sheila Lyne's retirement by Alderman Edward M. Burke; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this fifth day of June, 2013, do hereby express our sincere gratitude to Sister Sheila Lyne for her many years of dedicated service to the residents of Chicago, and extend to her our warmest and best wishes for continued good health, happiness and success; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sister Sheila Lyne as a token of our appreciation and esteem.
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL MAYOR
June 5, 2013
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE C' IT OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith, together with Alderman Burke, a congratulatory resolution concerning Sister Sheila Lyne, RSM.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
Mayor
Very truly yours,