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H.C.R. 3
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RESOLUTION HONORING SERVICE OF
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PAMELA ATKINSON
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2002 GENERAL SESSION
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STATE OF UTAH
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Sponsor: Martin R. Stephens
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This concurrent resolution of the Legislature honors the contributions of Pamela Atkinson,
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former vice president for Mission Services at Intermountain Health Care, to the less
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fortunate citizens of Utah and recognizes her example of selfless services to others.
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Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
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WHEREAS, Pamela Atkinson was born into humble circumstances in her childhood home
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of England, where she was the third of five children;
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WHEREAS, Pamela earned nursing credentials from the University College Hospital in
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London before coming to the United States;
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WHEREAS, after 18 months at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, Pamela journeyed to
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Australia with the intention of working on a sheep farm;
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WHEREAS, instead, Pamela ended up on an island in the Torres Straits where she worked
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with Aborigine families;
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WHEREAS, after returning to America, Pamela earned a degree from the University of
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California and a graduate degree at the University of Washington;
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WHEREAS, in the early 1980's, Pamela came to Utah and spent two years as an assistant
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administrator for patient care at LDS Hospital, then took the same type of job in San Diego;
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WHEREAS, in 1986 Pamela returned to Utah as a vice president of Intermountain Health
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Care (IHC) with the specific assignment of overseeing much of the organization's charitable work
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in the community;
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WHEREAS, as executive director of the IHC Foundation, Pamela has helped direct
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foundation funds where they are most needed, assisting hundreds of community agencies in the
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provision of health-related services;
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WHEREAS, to provide enduring support to charitable clinics, Pamela helped develop the
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Intermountain Community Care Foundation, an independent endowment created with funds from
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IHC, administered by community representatives, and dedicated to providing funds to non-IHC
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community agencies that operate clinics for the homeless and low-income families;
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WHEREAS, Pamela serves on the State Board of Regents and represents the regents on
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the State School Board;
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WHEREAS, Pamela has been a "servant-leader" in the community who has inspired others
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by her own example as a volunteer, helping to mobilize volunteers among both IHC employees
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and in the community at large;
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WHEREAS, Pamela can often be found going out with medical teams to homeless camps
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or participating in opening an IHC clinic at a local or multicultural center;
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WHEREAS, Pamela has been an effective and tireless advocate for the low income and
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homeless populations in Utah, championing their cause within IHC and in the community as a
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whole;
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WHEREAS, Pamela's efforts have resulted in the creation of numerous charitable clinics
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serving people in medically underserved areas;
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WHEREAS, she is often referred to as "St. Pamela" because of her compassion, caring, and
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willingness to take action and even use her personal resources to help others;
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WHEREAS, one of the frustrations of Pamela's life was when her important assignments
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began to crowd out the time she had to provide hands-on help to the homeless and others in need;
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WHEREAS, Pamela has been particularly devoted to meeting the needs of at-risk children,
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helping to create a variety of programs such as the Children's Justice Center in Salt Lake City,
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corporate "adoption" of elementary schools, and programs for children of homeless families;
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WHEREAS, Pamela refers to her work as fun and rewarding and is quick to point out
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others who are reaching out through charitable work;
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WHEREAS, Pamela has said, "Don't ever underestimate the power of even a small amount
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of caring . . . a word of encouragement here and there has a powerful impact on people;"
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WHEREAS, Pamela couples action with prayer because spirituality is as much a part of
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her life as board meetings and homeless camps;
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WHEREAS, Pamela is widely recognized and beloved as one of the most compassionate,
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hardest-working, and selfless civic leaders in Utah; and
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WHEREAS, Pamela Atkinson set a standard for what can be done when just one person
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sincerely wants to reach out and help the less fortunate:
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
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Governor concurring therein, honors the life and service of Pamela Atkinson and her tireless acts
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of charity on behalf of those less fortunate.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to Pamela
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Atkinson and to representatives of Intermountain Health Care.
Legislative Review Note
as of 1-8-02 10:54 AM
A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.