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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are pleased to congratulate
Dr. Benjamin | ||||||
| 4 | Shepherd on receiving the "2019 Rural Physician of Excellence | ||||||
| 5 | Award" from the
Illinois Rural Health Association; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, One of the biggest healthcare challenges across | ||||||
| 7 | our nation is the shortage of
physicians who practice in rural | ||||||
| 8 | settings, and there is an especially dire need for increased | ||||||
| 9 | mental
health services in these underserved areas; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Dr. Shepherd graduated from the University of | ||||||
| 11 | Illinois College of Medicine's Rural
Medical Education Program | ||||||
| 12 | in 2006; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Dr. Shepherd then completed his residency in | ||||||
| 14 | Family Medicine and Psychiatry
at the University of Iowa in | ||||||
| 15 | 2011; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, Dr. Shepherd began his professional career in the | ||||||
| 17 | rural health arena at KSB Hospital
in Mt. Morris in 2011; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, In 2011, Dr. Shepherd returned to the University | ||||||
| 19 | of Illinois College of Medicine in
Rockford as an Assistant | ||||||
| 20 | Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Family Practice; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Since 2013, Dr. Shepherd has served the Winnebago | ||||||
| 2 | County Sheriff's Office as a
staff physician for inmates and, | ||||||
| 3 | since 2016, has provided psychiatric counseling to the Illinois
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| 4 | Veterans Home; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, In 2014, Dr. Shepherd joined St. Margaret's Center | ||||||
| 6 | for Family Health in
Princeton, where he has continued to | ||||||
| 7 | provide outpatient family medicine and psychiatric services
to | ||||||
| 8 | the community; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Dr. Shepherd's talents are not limited to | ||||||
| 10 | medicine, as he is also a very competitive
basketball player | ||||||
| 11 | and gourmet chef; therefore, be it
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| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 13 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 14 | we congratulate
Dr. Benjamin Shepherd for receiving the "2019 | ||||||
| 15 | Rural Physician of Excellence Award" from the
Illinois Rural | ||||||
| 16 | Health Association, and we commend him for his compassion and | ||||||
| 17 | dedication to his patients and for filling such a
tremendous | ||||||
| 18 | void by bringing mental health services to rural settings; and | ||||||
| 19 | be it further
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| 20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 21 | presented to Dr.
Shepherd as a symbol of our respect and | ||||||
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| 1 | esteem.
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