Northwest Community Hospital turns 50
After a year filled with celebrations, officials at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights culminated their events with the unveiling of a history book documenting its community roots.
Author Candace O'Connor spent Dec. 2 - 50 years to the day the hospital opened - signing copies of her book, "Northwest Community Hospital: Rooted in Community, Reaching New Heights."
Hospital employees received complimentary copies of the 160-page, full-color book, which reflects on the people behind the bricks and mortar.
Employees began lining up early in the morning to meet the author, and the line continued through the evening.
They ranged from pharmacy technician Zehaye Araia and environmental service aid Veronica Romero, to Dr. Stanley Zydlo, the emergency room physician who started the Emergency Medicine System in the Northwest suburbs in 1972, the first multi-community response system of its kind in the country.
"It made this hospital stand out from other community hospitals," Zydlo said, "at a time when emergency medicine wasn't very popular."
Northwest Community Hospital President and CEO Bruce Crowther visited with the crowd during the lunch hour, high-fiving to employees and warmly welcoming longtime supporters.
"We're in awe of what the community has done for us over the years," Crowther said. "We've worked to maintain those roots and we cherish that community legacy."
Others in line included Connie Selsky, a former "candy striper" volunteer in the 1970s who returned to work for the hospital after college. She now is director of the cardiac surveillance and post surgical units.
"Even as a teen volunteer, everyone made you feel welcome," Selsky said. "There was a feeling of compassion and everyone working together as a team."
Martha Loss, the hospital's first nursing supervisor, found her photo and short vignette in the book. Now 91 and still living in Arlington Heights, she fondly recalled her early years.
"They were busy," Loss said with a laugh.
Other key figures included Dr. Ralph Lidge, an original member of the medical staff and Betty Lou Bukowski, a longtime volunteer, whose late husband, Bob, served on the hospital board and helped start its foundation.
Even John Welzenbach, whose photo as a 7-year-old child graces the front of the book, was on hand. His father had worked for the company that was the hospital's fundraising consultant.
"His company helped to build a lot of hospitals and colleges in this area, so I modeled for a lot of his projects," says Welzenbach, an Arlington Heights photographer.
"This photo has been hanging in the hospital for years, and when I heard they wanted to use it for the cover, I thought they were kidding. But I'm proud to be a part of it."