Hinsdale Hospital kicked off its centennial celebration by honoring six women of significance in the hospital's history. The women include the late Mary Paulson, M.D.; Anna Viola Pedersen; Virginia Kettering; and Jessie Susan Tupper Walton, as well as Patricia Sutton and Kathryn Sieberman. All except Kettering were Seventh-day Adventists.
Thanks to the seeds planted in 1904 by co-founder Mary Paulson's faith and vision, Hinsdale Sanitarium and Hospital grew and flourished. Together with her physician husband, David Paulson, she brought physical and spiritual healing to countless people. Dr. Mary was instrumental in organizing the Hinsdale School of Nursing, was a faculty member at the training school, and a lecturer on various subjects. She was a pioneering legend in the field of medicine.
Anna Viola Pedersen's legacy began in 1905, when on her very first night in Hinsdale, she prepared a meal for the first patient to be admitted to the newly founded hospital. The 26-year-old Dane, known as "Anna Pete" tirelessly dedicated her life to the hospital for the next 57 years, serving as cook, head housekeeper, elevator operator, and in countless other ways.
In carrying out her family's philanthropic commitments, Virginia Kettering helped establish some of the county's most renowned institutions in medicine, education, and the arts. Hinsdale Hospital was one of the largest benefactors of Kettering's generosity. During the polio epidemic of 1949, she rallied various community members to assist the nurses who were working around the clock, thus establishing Volunteer Services, which the hospital depends on to this day.
A native of Canada, Jessie Tupper arrived in Hinsdale at the age of 17, eager to make a difference. Employed at the hospital, first as a salad-maker and a switchboard operator until she was of age to enter nurses' training, she channeled her boundless energy into caring for others for almost four decades. Upon receiving RN status, she served as director of nurses and director of the School of Nursing for 33 years. She was often class sponsor for graduating classes of nursing students, and her spectrum of interest reached into the church and community. Jessie Tupper Walton also led efforts to raise the money necessary to build a new hospital in 1950.
A hospital's capacity for healing comes not from its structure but from the spirit of those who work inside it, and Kathryn Sieberman has a healing spirit that touches every person who meets her. She joined Hinsdale Sanitarium in 1957 and has spent more than 40 years dedicated to helping patients, family members, visitors, and staff feel special and cared for. "Aunt Kate" has held numerous positions, including vice president, and her influence has been especially profound on the Hinsdale family practice residency program. She shares her zest for life and her passion for Hinsdale Hospital with everyone she encounters. She came out of retirement to serve as historian for the hospital's centennial celebration.
Pat Sutton started her career as a staff nurse in the early 1960s, which included a brief stint at Hinsdale Hospital. It continued as she graced the halls of Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, and Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Md., as a staff nurse. She spent the next 25 years in her home state of Tennessee at Adventist Health System/Sunbelt, Tennessee Christian Medical Center, where her energetic presence was felt as she moved from staff nurse to vice president for patient care services. She then returned to Washington Adventist Hospital where she served in numerous roles, including vice president/chief nursing officer.
Nearly 35 years after leaving Hinsdale Hospital, she returned in 1997 as vice president of patient care services. In 2000, she was named CEO, the first woman to hold this position, which she held until her retirement in 2003. Her appointment marked a new era for the hospital and served as inspiration for other women aspiring to such career achievements.
Lynn Larson, Adventist Health System Midwest Region, Lake Union Herald correspondent
