Traditions, history, and reflections of 100 years of healthcare service at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital have been packaged in a hardbound centennial book, Century: Hinsdale Hospital 1904-2004, thanks to the dedication of Kathryn Sieberman. Ronda Klocko, managing editor, and Ginny Richardson, a freelance writer, assisted her.
For Sieberman, who worked at the hospital for 48 years of its history, this was a labor of love. She served in many roles during those years—a customer service representative, a vice president, and a liaison with the Hinsdale Family Practice Residency—and came out of retirement to work on this project. According to Klocko, Sieberman was a wonderful resource to bring this 266-page coffee table book to fruition.
Sieberman noted she is richer for the acts of faith made by David and Mary Paulson, co-founders and physicians. “I got more out of preparing this book than I put into it,” she said. “I saw a real picture of the pioneers of healthful living and what went into how they provided care. David Paulson would say, ‘I don’t have the money but the Bank of Heaven is full.’”
Her research led to details she says, "I never knew” as she poured through copies of Life Boat magazine from the early 20th century to glean information on the Paulsons. “It was a very enriching experience to learn their personal history, their ministry together, and how they dealt with social, physical, and mental problems,” said Sieberman. “This work reinforced my beliefs. It showed me what I believe [is] the same as they believed, and it was good then and it is good now. Just how we do things are different.”
Klocko said working on this book illustrated for her the wonderful history behind Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. “We always had a strong community education program. We’ve been committed to whole-person care for over a century. We were the first hospital in DuPage County, the first Chicago-area hospital to promote a 'stop-smoking campaign' in the 1960s, the first hospital to offer heart screenings to the community in the 1970s, and so many other firsts. I was impressed by the longevity of service of so many people and the significance of the Kettering family influence during the polio epidemic that led to community funding for high tech equipment.”
This commemorative book was made possible through interviews with former staff and physicians, files from the Hinsdale Historical Society, employee newsletters, the Hinsdale Doings newspaper, and Andrews University.
The style of the book features a running timeline through the pages, lots of photographs, and reader-friendly copy that is personalized with quotes from administrators, cooks, staff, and physicians. It covers the polio epidemic of 1949, the nursing school, growth of services, and advances in technology. Century notes the spiritual side of illness through a chapter on the pastoral care department.
“Our strong Adventist foundation was the basis that enabled Adventist Hinsdale Hospital to become the state-of-the-art, technically-advanced facility offering whole-person care that exists today,” said Klocko. “This book showcases that history.”
Lynn Larson, Adventist Midwest Health public relations specialist
Put this "Book Dedication " in a shaded box perhaps
Century: Hinsdale Hospital 1904-2004 is dedicated to a beautiful woman whose strength, dignity, and compassion are seen in her every deed and gesture. Her influence on Adventist Hinsdale Hospital is impossible to measure because it is so profound and enduring. She walks the halls with a sense of purpose, authority, and dedication to an institution she loves deeply. The number of people she has influenced is incalculable, and the list of those who cherish her goes on and on … just like her work toward the greater good. That woman is Kathyrn Sieberman.
Tribute by Akram Y. Razzouk, M.D., medical director of psychiatric services at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital and a member of the executive board
