HR0388 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0388 LRB100 12459 MST 25345 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize Morris A. Kugler M.D. of Belleville on his 51 years of service as a surgeon; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kugler was affectionately known to many during his childhood in Okawville as "Lad"; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kugler attended school at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and then the University of Illinois College of Medicine; and

WHEREAS, After graduation, Dr. Kugler started an internship at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke Hospital; he was then drafted into the United States Military as a flight surgeon and served from 1965 to 1966; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kugler then served at Scott Air Force Base for a year; it was followed by his surgical residency at the Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital and the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kugler's first practice was in Savannah, Georgia from 1972 to 1976; in 1976, he started a practice in the metro-east area to be closer to his mother, who lived in Okawville; and

WHEREAS, At his peak, Dr. Kugler performed 600 surgeries per year; he typically had four to six surgeries a day at different hospitals; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kugler started the Breast Health Center at Memorial Hospital in Belleville in order to provide faster service to patients; through a complete service of examination, diagnosis, and biopsy women receive their results in a day, not a month; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, Dr. Kugler has become alarmed at the number of physicians leaving the metro-east area due to the growing cost of insurance; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kugler would like to see graduates of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine perform their residency in the metro-east area; he continuously works to obtain grants and donations to help fund residency programs in metro-east hospitals, which he believes will help combat the reduced number of physicians in the area; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize Morris A. Kugler M.D. on his 51 years of service as a surgeon and for everything he has done for the metro-east area and the State of Illinois; and be it further

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