Press Releases
April 29, 2009
Lake Forest Hospital honors retired United States Navy Captain with Pauline Christie Award
Lake Forest, Il. – For Barry Davidson, service is an integral part of life. A retired United States Navy Captain from Lincolnshire, Davidson has now given nearly 1,000 hours of his time to Lake Forest Hospital. The hospital recognized his resourcefulness and reliability at a luncheon, presenting him with the Pauline Christie Award for 2008.
“Davidson exemplifies the qualities that are shared by so many of our volunteers,” said Manager of Volunteer Services Diane Tiffany. A number of volunteers were qualified for the Pauline Christie Award, Tiffany said, but Davidson stood out. The award is named for the former Women’s Auxiliary Board president who helped organize the hospital’s first volunteer program in the early 1950s.
To Davidson, his work at the hospital is more than a volunteer position. He was humbled to receive the award. “The people of Lake Forest Hospital are like a family to me,” he said. “In a way, this has been my home away from home.”
Davidson works in the main registration and reception areas where he greets guests and escorts them to other parts of the hospital. Yet he also looks for opportunities to help beyond the traditional scope, training new volunteers and serving as a troubleshooter.
Davidson’s “family” appreciates his efforts. "Barry goes above and beyond at all times,” said Jonathon Kennedy, who works in the Registrar. “He always springs to his feet to calm and escort flustered patients. He can even be found on his hands and knees restocking paper, printers and copiers. All-in-all, Barry is a pleasure to work with, to know and to honor."
In his career, Davidson navigated both the seas and the skies – as a United States Navy Captain and as a commercial airline pilot for United Airlines. He is involved with his church, Christ United Methodist Church in Deerfield, and also volunteers at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. He and his wife, Carol, live in Lincolnshire.
Lake Forest Hospital is a 215-bed community hospital with 600 physicians board-certified in 68 medical specialties, conveniently located in offices throughout Lake County. The hospital has been named the “Consumer Choice” Hospital for Lake and Kenosha counties according to a survey by National Research Corporation for five years in a row for having the best doctors, best nurses, best image and reputation, and best overall quality.
The hospital’s mission is to provide communities the highest quality health care through exceptional access to state-of-the-art clinical services with compassionate and personal care. Clinical services are delivered at the hospital’s Lake Forest and Grayslake campuses, and at facilities in Bannockburn, Glenview, Gurnee-Brookside, Gurnee-Tower Court, Libertyville, Lindenhurst and Vernon Hills. At the main hospital in Lake Forest, exemplary care is provided in Cain Family Emergency Services, the Hunter Family Center for Women’s Health, the Posy Krehbiel Breast Care Center, the Waud Family Maternity Services and the Center for Advanced Radiation Medicine. CareCoach, Lake County’s only mobile health program, provides care for the underserved at 25 locations throughout the region. For more information, visit www.lfh.org.