Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox recently awarded Debra Robbins, the hospital’s director of marketing and communications, with the 2026 Ruth Colby Leadership Award.

Colby served as Silver Cross’ president and chief executive officer from Oct. 1, 2017, until her death on Oct. 15, 2023. She previously served as Silver Cross’s senior vice president and chief strategy officer, starting in 2005, until she became president.

Robbins received the award at Silver Cross’s leadership meeting on April 23. Her husband Michael Robbins, daughter Kelly Robbins and sister Tammy Williams were present to celebrate with Robbins, as was Silver Cross’s entire marketing and communications team.

President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Mutterer, who presented the award to Robbins, said, “No one is more deserving of this award than Deb.”

“She leads a small but mighty team with remarkable skill and heart,” Mutterer said. “Her work has earned national recognition, and I know everyone in this room is proud to celebrate her as this year’s recipient.”

Robbins, who received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, has a long history in healthcare communications and came to her current role at Silver Cross in 2018.

She previously served as director of marketing and communications for SSM St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island (2003 to 2006), a marketing communications consultant who did contract work for Ingalls Health System (2006 to 2017), and manager of marketing communications for UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial (2017 to 2018).

The Ruth Colby Leadership Award recognizes and honors “a member of Silver Cross Leadership who best embodies and personifies the qualities that made Ruth such a special leader,” such as strong mentorship, communication and community engagement skills, according to Silver Cross.

“Deb consistently embodies the Silver Cross mission, vision, and values in everything she does,” Mutterer said. “She brings positivity, creativity and unwavering dedication to her work. I am truly grateful for all she contributes to me personally, to the hospital and to everyone here.”

Robbins said the award caught her by surprise. She congratulated all the nominees, praised her team and peers, and said, “I am so proud to work with all of you.”

“I am beyond honored, and for a person who’s made a career of putting words together, I’m truly at a loss this morning,” Robbins said when she accepted the award.