Silver Cross Hospital President/CEO Ruth Colby Named New Lenox Citizen of the Year

Ruth Colby, President and Chief Executive Officer of Silver Cross Hospital was named New Lenox’s Citizen of the Year at the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner Feb. 15. 

Colby, who has served as President and CEO of Silver Cross since October 2017, received a standing ovation as she was introduced by Emily Johnson, New Lenox Chamber of Commerce CEO. 

“The New Lenox Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award is presented to an individual in our community that has a passion for good work and serves as an inspiration to others,” Johnson said. “Ruth Colby embodies those qualifications through her leadership, business acumen, and compassion. As President and CEO of Silver Cross, she has been an integral part of making New Lenox a true healthcare destination. We are so fortunate to have Silver Cross Hospital, an award-winning institution, in our community; but beyond that, we are thankful to have Ruth Colby at its helm.” 

“When I started working at Silver Cross 17 years ago, I honestly didn’t know a soul in Will County or New Lenox,” Colby remarked during her acceptance of the award. “Since 2005, it’s been the most amazing journey for me personally, with the highlight being recognized so unexpectedly, this evening by the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce.”

Colby thanked the New Lenox community for its warm reception of the hospital, which opened its New Lenox campus in February 2012.    

“I can’t emphasize enough how fortunate I felt to be welcomed so warmly by the Village of New Lenox,” she said. “And you welcomed our nurses and physicians and all of our employees. During our open houses right before we started admitting patients, over 12,000 people toured the hospital…. Fast forward to today, more than 250,000 inpatients have been served in our location, and 1,900 New Lenox residents were inpatients at Silver Cross in 2022 alone. We can’t even count the number of outpatient visits – probably close to 25 million over 11 years.”

What’s more, Silver Cross has also been an important economic driver for the village. Nearly 400 medical staff members and employees reside in New Lenox, “enjoying all the benefits of the village,” Colby said.

“I want you to know that my colleagues and I wake up every morning with the desire to far exceed your expectations: to provide safe care, confirmed by 16 straight A’s for patient safety; to ensure outstanding outcomes as noted by our 10^th time on the 100 Top Hospitals list; and to be there when you need us most, whether it’s at the Kurtz and Vana Family Emergency Pavilion or at one of our urgent care centers in New Lenox and Mokena.”

About Ruth Colby

After joining Silver Cross Hospital in 2005 as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Ruth Colby worked with the Board of Directors to set the organization’s vision and direction as well as overseeing marketing, planning, strategy, government relations, physician relations and recruitment, employed practices, managed care and select operational areas. 

Under her leadership, Silver Cross developed strategic partnerships with leading medical centers in Chicago. These include the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, University of Chicago Medicine for cancer services and neurosciences, Rush University Medical Center for lung surgery, and Lurie Children’s Hospital for pediatric services and the Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Will County's first and only Level III NICU, which opened in August 2022. In addition, she worked with US HealthVest to build a 110-bed behavioral health hospital on the Silver Cross Campus. 

Ruth also serves on numerous community boards. She is the Chair of the Will County Center for Economic Development, is on the board of the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, and serves as the Chair-Elect of the Illinois Hospital Association. Ruth is also a member of the United Way of Will County Pillars Society, the Joliet Rotary Club and the Economic Club of Chicago.  

Ruth received the 2021 Athena Award from the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was named as one of Crain’s 2019 Notable Women in Healthcare and Notable Women Executives over age 50. 

For more information, visit silvercross.org