Mary Kay Sheehan
Malecki Brooks Law Group, LLC is proud to continue our new communication highlighting the backgrounds and accomplishments of our clients.
Name: Mary Kay Sheehan, CEO, Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care
Organization: Formerly Joliet Area Community Hospice Corporation, Ms. Sheehan spearheaded the name change and restructuring to Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, which took effect, April 26, 2021. Remarkably, the transition preparation and implementation took only one year.
Reasons for name change: “We serve 11 counties, not just Joliet, and we provide palliative care for serious, complex illnesses along with hospice.”
From Patient to Nurse to Administrator
Background: Master’s degree in Oncology Nursing from Loyola University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
Why she chose this path: “My dad died when I was young. I wanted to save lives and become a doctor. After a stint as a hospital patient, I realized that what I really wanted was to be involved in hands-on patient care. I switched my major to nursing the next semester.”
“When I started my training, I worked on a bone marrow transplant floor caring for patients with leukemia. The treatment was brutal and few survived. The team knew when the end was near but we couldn’t tell the patient or their family or talk about it. That needed to change. My first job was with Northwestern Hospital, which had started their first in-patient hospice program. This was in the 80s, and I was mainly working with AIDS patients. I loved being able to sit with patients and hear their stories and their dreams.”
Ms. Sheehan’s passion: “Everyone should have hospice care as an option for end-of-life care. It often sounds scary but it shouldn’t be. Our motto is: ‘Through darkness, we provide light.’ We help patients understand what’s happening to them and what’s going to happen. Their families need to know, too. We want patients to live their best life possible as long as they can, and we provide an environment where they can do that. I’m proud to report that the Chicago Tribune named Lightways as one of the Best Places to work for November, based on employee surveys.”
Support from Lightways CFO: “It is a great honor to work with Mary Kay Sheehan. She has a passion for end-of-life care and her knowledge and expertise in hospice and serious illness care is unmatched in the industry. She is an inspiration to everyone in our organization. She is a motivational leader and encourages all employees to perform well and meet personal and team goals. She listens to all staff members and is constantly looking for ways to improve our services. Mary Kay always puts the needs of the organization as her first priority. When COVID hit, she took swift action to incorporate practices to ensure all patients, families and staff were protected. She is also a leader on local, regional and national levels and is very well respected by her colleagues.”
Recharging: “I come home to a miniature Golden Doodle puppy who provides pure joy. I’m also a new grandmother, and my husband and I ballroom dance several times a week. We even compete.”
Roar: “I am immediate past chair of the Illinois Hospice & Palliative Care Organization’s Board of Directors, am a President Elect of Joliet Rotary Club’s Board of Directors.”
“I would like to write a book about hospice—how to do it well and personal stories, lots of personal stories.”