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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Almighty God, in His infinite wisdom, has called Ruth M. Rothstein from our midst; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Rothstein was a galvanizing healthcare leader with steely determination who often was visionary in her work; and
WHEREAS, starting out as a labor union organizer in Youngstown, Ohio at the age of 18, Mrs. Rothstein went on to organize labor unions in New York, Cleveland and Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Rothstein's focus switched to healthcare when she received on-the-job training as a lab technician at Jackson Park Hospital in 1952; by 1962 she had become personnel director of Jackson Park Hospital; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Rothstein next served in various positions at Mount Sinai Hospital and ascended to the positions of president and chief executive officer in 1977; and
WHEREAS, in 1991, Mrs. Rothstein was appointed Chief of the Cook County Bureau of Health by Cook County Board President, Richard J. Phelan; she led the Bureau of Health until 2004; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Rothstein knew every square inch of the issue of healthcare - the policies, finances, administration. But she never forgot that it is all about the people; if Mrs. Rothstein was afraid of anything, it was of letting the patients down; and
WHEREAS, during her tenure as Health Bureau Chief, Mrs. Rothstein defied, as she had all her life, gender stereotypes; she cleaned up patronage, increased competency and rallied morale; and
WHEREAS, Cook County Hospital had lost its accreditation shortly before Mrs. Rothstein came onboard as Health Bureau Chief, and it was restored within a year; and
WHEREAS, under Mrs. Rothstein's tenure, Provident Hospital on Chicago's South Side was reopened; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Rothstein worked with the Chicago Department of Health to create 30 satellite health clinics throughout Cook County; and
WHEREAS, a lifelong believer that quality healthcare is a right of all residents, Mrs. Rothstein led the fight to build John...
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