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Ohlson, Thorpe, to be Honored with Compassion Awards
CHICAGO, IL (November 5, 2002) - Two well-known Covenanters will be honored as
the first recipients of the newly established Spirit of Compassion Award
to
be presented by Swedish Covenant Hospital (SCH) during is 47th annual
Gala
November 9 at Navy Pier.
The honorees are Dr. Virginia M. Ohlson, Ph.D., and Dr. Roger G. Thorpe,
both known for their medical work, but also for their compassionate
endeavors during their decades of service. "In its first year, our
Spirit
of Compassion Awards will be presented to members of the Swedish
Covenant
family for their humanitarian spirit and excellence in medical care, but
we
will continue to seek out those providing compassionate care and, in the
future, extend the awards to include individuals and organizations who
embody compassion," said Mark Newton, SCH president and chief executive
officer. The hospital, where more than 40 languages are spoken, is well
known for its excellent health care to a diverse community of nearly one
million Chicago residents.
Ohlson, 85, is being honored for her humanitarianism in healthcare. She
has
been affiliated with Swedish Covenant Hospital since she was first
admitted
to the hospital's nursing school in 1934. "Virginia Ohlson's missionary
spirit and enduring faith in humankind make her a perfect recipient of
the
award," Newton said. She is internationally known as a public health
nurse,
nurse administrator and care advisor throughout Asia, particularly in
Japan. In
1991, she was the first non-Japanese citizen to be awarded the
prestigious
Butterfly, the Third Order of the Precious Crown, by his Majesty the
Emperor of Japan, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to
shaping and
developing nursing in Japan from the close of World War II to the
present.
"I never forgot my impressions of meeting people in their homes and the
opportunities to develop relationships with families, caring and helping
them to be well - physically, emotionally and spiritually," said Ohlson.
Thorpe, an emeritus member of the Swedish Covenant Hospital medical
staff,
will be honored for his humanitarian contributions in medicine. Thorpe
and
his wife, Eileen, served as Covenant missionaries in the African Congo
where he performed an average of three surgeries a day while providing
regular patient care to an area with a population of approximately
300,000
people. In 1991, when most Covenant missionaries had to evacuate Africa
due
to war, the Thorpes stayed behind to help in the medical transition
process
before leaving for the United States. "Dr. Thorpe exemplifies the
compassionate administering of medicine both as a physician and as a
missionary, symbolizing the long-honored tradition of care at Swedish
Covenant Hospital," Newton said.
"We're confident that the Swedish Covenant Hospital's Spirit of
Compassion
Awards will ultimately be received with as much pride as the other,
highly-coveted Swedish prize - the Nobel," Newton added.
Swedish Covenant Hospital is a comprehensive healthcare facility
providing
health and wellness services to the communities of Chicago's North and
Northwest sides. It is part of Covenant Ministries of Benevolence of the
Evangelical Covenant Church. As one of the few independent, nonprofit
hospitals in the area, Swedish Covenant Hospital remains focused on its
mission of compassionate care. More than 500 physicians join the
hospital's
nurses and professional staff to strengthen a foundation of excellence
established more than 115 years ago.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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