Anniversary Musings
Staking a claim on mixed terrain

July, 1976: The first Viking spacecraft lands on Mars. Over the next six years the rover transmits to Earth 4,500 images of salmon sky, red rock landscapes, majestic volcanoes, ancient lava fields, and vast canyons.

“We were both terrified and exhilarated,” recalled the mission’s chief solar system exploration engineer in a statement issued by NASA.

Illinois physicians were also anxious, yet full of excitement, in 1976 when they launched what would become ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company.

As other insurers retreated from Illinois over the ensuing years, fellow physicians from all corners of the state came to trust ISMIE. An exhilarating time, indeed.

Today the Mars mission continues to log the planet’s images – now numbered at more than 100,000 – while ISMIE maintains solid medical liability protection for every medical specialty throughout Illinois.

It’s been a blast.