HR0631 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0631 LRB100 15059 MST 29898 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. Sharon Smaga for receiving the "2017 Rural Physician of Excellence Award" from the Illinois Rural Health Association; and

WHEREAS, One of the biggest healthcare challenges across our nation is the shortage of physicians who practice in rural settings; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smaga graduated from the University of Chicago Medical School in 1982; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smaga completed her residency in family practice through Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale in 1985, where she became Chief Resident; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smaga began her career in family practice in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and

WHEREAS, In 1987, Dr. Smaga returned to Carbondale, where she has served tens of thousands of patients as a physician with the SIU Family Medicine Center; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smaga has made a major impact on improving the quality of life for many geriatric patients, serving as Medical Director for SIU Alzheimer's and Related Memory Disorders Clinic in Carbondale, as well as her service to programs such as the Older Adults Community Care Collaborative Initiative and the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smaga inspired hundreds of medical students, many of whom went on to practice in rural areas during her 28-year teaching career at the SIU School of Medicine; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smaga's board certifications in both family practice and geriatric medicine have allowed her to care for multiple generations of families in her community; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Smaga will now have more time to devote to cultivating her garden at home during her retirement after she dedicated her entire career to cultivating an improved health care environment for the residents of southern Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Dr. Sharon Smaga for her 35 years of selfless service and dedication to her patients and we wish her the best in her retirement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Smaga, as a symbol of our respect and esteem.