She oversees all aspects of the organization, ensuring high-quality clinical care and managing financial operations.
DOWNERS GROVE, IL, September 26, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Mary Kay Sheehan, MBA, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Sheehan is well-versed in hospice and palliative care with over three decades of success committed to improving end-of-life care. As the chief executive officer of Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, a nonprofit health care facility, since 2016, she oversees all aspects of the organization, ensuring high-quality clinical care and managing financial operations. Ms. Sheehan's leadership has been instrumental in expanding access to inpatient hospice care across Illinois, advocating for legislative changes that increased the number of beds in inpatient hospice units from 16 to 24. This expansion facilitated the construction of a new inpatient hospice facility, significantly enhancing the availability of hospice services statewide.
Before becoming CEO at Lightways in Joliet, Illinois, Ms. Sheehan was the president of Mary K Sheehan Consulting LLC from 2013 to 2015, where she provided expert guidance to hospices nationwide. Between 2010 and 2015, she was a partner at QPC Hospice Program LLC and was a consultant for SimiTree from 2010 to 2013. Ms. Sheehan's extensive experience in this sector also included her leadership positions at Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center between 1995 and 2010, where she began as the vice president of clinical services and became the chief operative officer in 2005 and president and chief executive officer in 2007.
Ms. Sheehan began her career as a hospice nurse at Northwestern Hospice, Northwestern Medicine, from 1987 to 1992. Subsequently, she became a registered nurse case manager at Saint Thomas Hospice between 1992 and 1994.
In preparation for her career in health care, Ms. Sheehan received a Master of Nursing from Loyola University Chicago in 1992. She also garnered a Master of Business Administration in management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2001. Ms. Sheehan's academic pursuits have equipped her with clinical expertise and business acumen, enabling her to effectively lead and expand hospice care services.
Throughout her career, Ms. Sheehan has been actively involved in civic organizations. She is a member and former president of the Rotary Club of Juliet from 2022 to 2023. She also volunteers to mentor students at the school of nursing at Loyola University Chicago, sharing her knowledge and experience with future health care professionals.
Ms. Sheehan is focused on continuing her work with Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, aiming to expand support for caregivers who manage multiple responsibilities while caring for patients and their families. She emphasizes the need for better support systems for caregivers and addressing mental health crises within this group. Ms. Sheehan's vision includes assisting those caring for elderly parents who are not yet eligible for hospice care and striving to make a meaningful difference in their lives.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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