Honoring a pioneer in Milford Memorial’s history

The Hollands have a long-standing history in the Milford community. At age five, Dr. Ilona Holland moved to southern Delaware with her mother, Ilona T. Szucs, MD, who was hired to work as a pathologist at Milford Memorial Hospital. She met the Honorable Randy Holland at Milford High School. They would later marry and raise their family in Milford.

Ilona Holland received her master’s in reading from the University of Delaware in 1978, and then completed her doctorate at Harvard University. She later commuted from Milford to teach at Harvard Graduate School. Today, she is an author of children’s books.

Randy Holland has an equally impressive resumé. He is the youngest person to be appointed to the Delaware Supreme Court and also the longest serving justice in Delaware history — serving for more than 30 years. Prior to his work for the Delaware Supreme Court, he served as legal counsel for Milford Memorial Hospital. He is currently a member of the Bayhealth, Inc. Board of Directors and the author of numerous publications.

A pioneer in the medical field 

The Hollands credit many of their accomplishments to life lessons they learned from Dr. Szucs, who was the first female member of the Milford Memorial Hospital medical staff.

“She was a pioneer,” said Ilona Holland. “Under her leadership, the Milford Memorial laboratory became the first in the state to be accredited by the College of American Pathologists. My mother was not a complainer, but I know it wasn’t easy. She paved the way for many professional women with grace, determination, and very high standards. The work she did in the lab really made a difference.”

Dr. Szucs’ love for Milford Memorial Hospital is one of the reasons the Hollands chose to make a donation to the Campaign for Bayhealth — Phase III. “While she made a tremendous impact on the hospital, she also appreciated the many opportunities the hospital granted her. She was a role model and a mentor for many,” said Randy.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better role model,” said Ilona. “We are so pleased to dedicate space in the new Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus to acknowledge her work.”

Visit BayhealthSussex.org for more information about the new Bayhealth Sussex Campus.