During FY 2026, which ended June 30, more than 9,400 donors supported the academic medical center’s operations, programs and initiatives. Three out of every four of these donors received care at Cedars-Sinai prior to contributing.

“The extraordinary commitment of our donors is a wonderful validation of the dedication and expertise of Cedars-Sinai employees as well as the remarkable generosity of the people we are privileged to serve,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai and the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair.

Emma Geller is an example of a patient whose family showed gratitude with a donation. The 13-year-old is cancer-free after being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s. Despite financial strain caused by major damage to their home in the January 2025 Palisades Fire, the Gellers remain committed to their annual support of pediatric hematology/oncology research and pediatric nursing at Cedars-Sinai.

“Our daughter received such tremendous care from amazing doctors, and we wanted to know how we could give back,” said Jordan Geller, Emma’s father. “If there was a way to make other people’s lives a little better as they were going through something like this, we wanted to do it.”

Some of the most meaningful philanthropic investments in Cedars-Sinai are unrestricted gifts to The Fund for Cedars-Sinai.

One example of unrestricted support this past year was a $10 million gift from the Ashkenazy family, providing flexible resources that can be directed where they will have the greatest impact. This support enables Cedars-Sinai to respond to emerging needs, invest in strategic priorities and pursue promising opportunities, helping advance our mission both now and in the years ahead.

“Unrestricted gifts are the fuel powering vital community health initiatives and the highest level of patient care,” said Heather Renshaw Vučetin, vice president of Development for Cedars-Sinai. “Gifts of every size improve our community’s health, which is priceless.”

Other recent major gifts included but were not limited to:

• The Cedars-Sinai Cayton BRCA Center: A $30 million gift from the Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation to create a center for research, diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of illnesses linked to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
• The Cedars-Sinai Holoman Health Equity Center: A $13 million gift from Eric and Terri Holoman to establish a center that will shape the future of equitable healthcare at Cedars-Sinai.
• A generous bequest from the estate of Joanna Carson, demonstrating the enduring impact of planned giving. By including the organization in her estate plans, Carson created a legacy that will strengthen our mission for future generations.

“Philanthropic support is a powerful catalyst for healing,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “Whether expressed through volunteering or making a financial gift, the simple act of giving is fundamental to Cedars-Sinai’s vision to make a meaningful and lasting difference in the Los Angeles community and beyond.”

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: Strengthening Children’s Health

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, the medical center supported organizations through 169 grants to address critical needs, including access to healthcare, housing stability, food security and other essential resources.

A $300,000 grant to the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will strengthen regional food access through CalFresh outreach and enrollment efforts. The funding will also support the infrastructure of local farmers markets and coordinated strategies to protect food-purchasing power and access to healthy, culturally relevant food for low-income residents.

The medical center has invested in regional food systems by backing local growers and issuing grants to programs such as FeedLA through the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles as well as YMCA Center for Community Well-Being locations.

A grant to ALMA Backyard Farms helped expand the urban agriculture infrastructure, workforce training opportunities and fresh food distribution in communities with limited access to healthy food and green space. This contribution includes aid toward the development of a new farm hub in Carson.

Shifts in public program protocols continue to reshape the social services landscape. Cedars-Sinai has pledged to expand its investments in community-based organizations.

The latest round of grants also included $250,000 to Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County to assist residents navigating programs like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, Covered California and Medicare.

To support healthy aging and quality of life programs, Cedars-Sinai awarded two grants to expand services for seniors and their caregivers. A grant to Comprehensive Community Health Centers will help increase behavioral health engagement and ensure those in need can receive effective medical treatment.

Watts Healthcare also received a grant to aid its Healthy Aging and Wellness Program that promotes physical, emotional and social wellbeing through preventive care, fitness and nutritional support, and mental health resources.

Cedars-Sinai funded two initiatives focused on homeless prevention and long-term support to those facing housing instability. According to the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, more than 72,000 people experience homelessness on any given night across L.A. County.

A grant to the housing advocacy organization Brilliant Corners supported the Los Angeles County Homeless Prevention Unit’s efforts to provide flexible financial assistance to at-risk young adults in danger of losing housing.

A grant to local nonprofit Housing Works will fund enhanced training, professional development and wellness support for frontline staff serving those who have faced homelessness.

A Cedars-Sinai grant to Planned Parenthood Los Angeles will support care through the organization’s network of health centers, school-based wellbeing centers and its community outreach efforts.

“Cedars-Sinai is deeply compelled to continue providing support to organizational partners in their dedication to helping communities across this region,” said Andrea Iloulian, MPP, executive director of Grantmaking at Cedars-Sinai. “These organizations are on the front lines of improving access to medical care for everyone as well as providing food and housing assistance. This will help ensure vulnerable populations have the support and supplies they need to survive and thrive.”

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: $13M Gift Creates Cedars-Sinai Holoman Health Equity Center

The Holoman gift establishes the Cedars-Sinai Holoman Health Equity Center and endows the Holoman Chair in Health Equity, to be held by Christina Harris, MD, vice president and chief health equity officer at Cedars-Sinai.

“We are grateful to Eric and Terri Holoman for their civic-minded vision to help balance the scales in health equity reform,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. “This gift reflects deep alignment between the Holomans’ values and Cedars-Sinai’s.” 

Health equity has been a bedrock of Cedars-Sinai’s mission to offer hope and healing to all, regardless of factors including, but not limited to, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.

Yet, evolving challenges in healthcare access and delivery, in combination with long-standing systemic barriers, make this a pivotal time that calls for re-evaluation and restructuring of processes and procedures, Harris said. Many people still face obstacles including coverage and affordability gaps that are inextricably tied to social determinants of health such as income, housing, transportation and education.

Harris said she will use her platform as the Holoman Chair in Health Equity to drive comprehensive programs and research.

“This endowed chair is, in many ways, a commitment to the profound legacy of the late Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN,” Harris said. “She became Cedars-Sinai’s first chief health equity officer after launching the Office of Health Equity in 2019. I am honored to carry this mission forward, standing on the shoulders of her esteemed leadership.”

Cedars-Sinai hosted a dinner in honor of the Holomans at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills on May 27. Highly regarded nationally for their philanthropy, the Holoman family is a long-time supporter of Cedars-Sinai. Over the past decade, they have contributed to the medical center to support the Neurosurgery Scholars Program and The Brain Trust, a volunteer group that advances fundraising and awareness in support of the work of Keith Black, MD. Black is chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and the Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience.

Eric, an insurance and finance entrepreneur, sits on the Cedars-Sinai Board of Directors. He is also minority owner of the Washington Commanders, managing partner of the Los Angeles Sparks and a member of the WNBA Board of Governors.

Terri, a collector of African American art, is on the board of the California African American Museum and a founding member of its foundation. She also sits on the boards of the USC Black Alumni Association and St. Anne’s Family Services, a Los Angeles nonprofit.

“I invest for a living and I feel like we’re investing in something important,” Eric said. “Terri and I are fervently dedicated to helping local communities thrive, and that is exceedingly difficult without coordinated health services and patient support delivered not only in the hospital but, just as importantly, across Los Angeles neighborhoods.”

Terri added, “This donation is one way we can effect positive change in marginalized communities across the region we call home.”

As a data and innovation engine, the Cedars-Sinai Holoman Health Equity Center will identify opportunities to accelerate solutions for combatting health equity deficiencies by meeting goals, including:

• Expanding Cedars-Sinai’s research equity infrastructure to increase inclusion in clinical research
• Deepening partnerships with local nonprofits and community resources, and advancing coordination of health services for comprehensive patient support
• Upgrading processes like data analytics to measure healthcare disparities
• Strengthening patient care and navigation through an equity dashboard interactive tool
• Equipping field teams to partner on health equity programs
• Enhancing the framework for care that links hospital affiliates across the Cedars-Sinai Health System

Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, said the medical center remains committed to upholding the highest standards of equitable care.

“Through this amazing gift, Cedars-Sinai will cultivate and sustain a stringent system of checks and balances to optimize health equity,” said Slavin, the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair. “This will hold us accountable—as it should—across the board in clinical settings, research labs, conference rooms and local communities.”

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: Inspiring Community Health by Meeting Patients Needs

Now, thanks to a $5 million gift from the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation, Graham enters updates into an app on his phone every few days and his care team can view them in real time.

“I use it every other day, at different times of the day, and I hope that helps the care team have a better idea of how my medication is working,” Graham said. “I enjoy it. It keeps me thinking about what I might be able to do better to help myself.”

Cedars-Sinai is helping Graham and other patients by expanding its use of the app, called Kneu Health.

Doctors all over the world who care for patients with Parkinson’s disease face the same dilemma, said Michele Tagliati, MD, vice chair of Neurology and director of the Movement Disorders Division at Cedars-Sinai.

“At each checkup you ask a patient who has a neurological disorder and may be in their 70s or 80s how they’ve been doing for the past three to six months,” Tagliati said. “And you base your whole treatment plan on what they tell you.”

The Kneu Health app, which Tagliati is testing with Graham and other patients, gives doctors more frequent updates. Every few days patients use the app to perform exercises—such as holding the phone in front of their face to check for tremor, walking so the phone’s accelerometer can check their balance, or performing exercises that test their memory or reaction time.

Patients also can enter information about their sleep quality and other symptoms of the movement disorder, in which brain cells progressively deteriorate.

The information feeds directly into the Cedars-Sinai electronic medical record (EMR) and the app produces a summary for doctors to review. It also sends an alert if the data suggests a patient is at risk for falling or other serious issues.

“This allows us to intervene instead of waiting for the patient’s next visit,” Tagliati said. “Rather than unknowingly having a patient spend months on a medication that isn’t working or having them end up in the emergency department because of a fall, we can change their medication or have them use a walker.”

Graham was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. He takes daily medications, uses an online speech pathology program, practices yoga and Pilates, and sees Tagliati every three months for botulinum toxin injections to help control his involuntary spasms.

Graham said he finds the app intuitive and easy to use and likes the fact that he can check in whenever he wants—and choose what he would like to work on.

The Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation’s gift will fund the hiring of three physician assistants or nurse practitioners to help monitor the large population of patients with Parkinson’s disease followed at Cedars-Sinai, which currently number more than 800.

“We're supporting Cedars-Sinai's Parkinson's disease program because it addresses a critical gap in care by ensuring that patients maintain their quality of care even in outpatient settings,” said Elaine Saverin, chairwoman of the foundation. “Technological innovations like the Kneu Health app can have profound ripple effects for thousands living with Parkinson's.”

The additional staff funded by the gift will also help patients with Parkinson’s disease who are hospitalized for reasons unrelated to their condition, such as an infection or the need for emergency surgery.

“When a patient with Parkinson’s disease is admitted to Cedars-Sinai, we want to make sure the neurology care team knows about it,” Tagliati said. “These patients are at risk of prolonged hospital stays or other complications if their prescribed medications aren’t given on time, or if they are prescribed medications that can be harmful when taken with Parkinson’s medications.”

Cedars-Sinai has created an electronic dashboard to track and improve the care of these patients. The additional dedicated staffing will mean a nurse practitioner or physician assistant is available to monitor the dashboard and ensure hospitalized patients with Parkinson’s disease are receiving the best possible care.

Kneu Health participated in Cedars-Sinai’s Accelerator Program in 2024, and the Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company recently invested in the company.

“This innovative approach to treating people with Parkinson’s disease is something that is done at only a few hospitals around the country,” said Nirdesh Gupta, PhD, managing partner in the Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company. “Thanks to the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation, the participation of our patients and advances in technology, we now have the opportunity to improve the standard of care for Parkinson’s patients here at Cedars-Sinai and, ultimately, on a global scale.”

Read More on Stories and Insights: Understanding Parkinson’s Disease

Cedars-Sinai has received a $30 million gift from the Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation to establish the Cedars-Sinai Cayton BRCA Center, a first-of-its-kind in Southern California. The state-of-the-art center will concentrate on the research, diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of illnesses linked to mutations in the genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2.

These genes, when functioning properly, help repair damaged DNA to prevent tumors from forming. However, mutations in the genes can significantly increase the risk of certain inherited cancers, including breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic malignancies.

“We can help prevent harmful BRCA mutations from being passed down from carriers to their children and grandchildren and work toward ending the cycle of inherited cancer risk,” said foundation trustee Barry Cayton.

Trustee Andrea Goldrich Cayton added, “Our family has personally been affected by BRCA gene mutations, so we feel especially compelled to make a transformative mark in the healthcare space linked to holistic BRCA research and care.”

The Cayton and Goldrich families are longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai. In 2019, the Goldrich Family Foundation donated $10 million to establish the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders at Cedars-Sinai. The center was named for the late patriarch of the Goldrich family, who was a Holocaust survivor and prominent Los Angeles real estate developer and philanthropist.

“Cedars-Sinai is truly humbled and honored by our continued visionary partnership with the Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai and the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair. “They embody humanitarianism and hold a strong belief in science’s ability to transform healthcare and improve human life.”

About 1 in 400 people in the U.S. carry a BRCA mutation. Males are less likely to be tested for the mutations, and female carriers are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. BRCA mutations increase cancer risk in both genders, but the specific forms of cancer and rates of diagnoses differ.

Some population groups are more prone to BRCA mutations, including people of Eastern European Jewish, Korean, Mexican, and African American ancestries. Currently, there is no comprehensive BRCA clinical and research center in Los Angeles to serve high-risk communities. Cedars-Sinai leaders said the new center will play a major role in advancing research, education and clinical innovation.

“The Cedars-Sinai Cayton BRCA Center will offer patients personalized guidance and timelines for their care, including risk-reducing procedures, genetic testing, specialized screenings and reproductive medicine services to help break the cycle of genetic cancer risk,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences, dean of the Medical Faculty and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine. “We will develop a hub of translational discovery science devoted to eradicating the cellular underpinnings of BRCA mutations.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: 7 Tips to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk

More than 1.5 million people in Los Angeles County struggle with meeting the most basic nutritional needs. Since 2020, Cedars-Sinai has donated $10 million to food equity efforts and to organizations including Food Access L.A., Food Forward, Hollywood Food Coalition and the Karsh Family Social Service Center. Because of the Cedars-Sinai grants, critical resources have reached more than 400 nonprofits, food pantries, soup kitchens and churches. November 16-22 is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which recognizes two regional challenges Cedars-Sinai works to address through its grantmaking.

“Cedars-Sinai knows that food access is not just a health issue,” said Andrea Iloulian, MPP, executive director of Grantmaking at Cedars-Sinai. “Our commitment is to health beyond hospital walls, including around dinner tables and in the connections between food security and overall wellbeing. We will keep working alongside community organizations doing the vital work to advance food equity every day.”

Grant recipients include:

• Food Access L.A. aims to build sustainable food systems and ensure that people have access to fresh, affordable, locally grown foods. Every week, eight farmers markets across Los Angeles support small-scale agriculture as well as food and beverage businesses while improving food security in local neighborhoods.
• Food Forward provides fresh surplus fruits and vegetables to those in need. Funding from Cedars-Sinai enables the organization to test and implement new, efficient methods of moving produce from the warehouse to more than 100 of Food Forward’s partnering organizations.
• Hollywood Food Coalition both prepares nightly meals for the unhoused in Hollywood, and routes surplus donations and other food throughout Los Angeles as the lead of a four-organization Collaborative Food Hub. Following the devastating January wildfires, the hub was able to mobilize to target areas with the greatest food shortages. More than 50 organizations that provide assistance to immigrant and low-income communities are on the waitlist for aid from the coalition. Cedars-Sinai has pledged support to help reduce that number.  

“Funding from Cedars-Sinai has been a lifeline for Hollywood Food Coalition,” said Arnali Ray, the organization’s executive director. “As our community faces economic uncertainty, SNAP instability and the aftermath of the wildfires, Cedars-Sinai’s flexible support has helped us expand warehouse operations, strengthen local networks and elevate our nightly meal service with our first professionally-trained chef so we can bring nutritious, culturally-relevant meals to those who need them most.”

Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, said Cedars-Sinai’s food equity initiatives will continue to follow a community-driven, two-part approach that supports both immediate relief and long-term sustainability.

“We care deeply about the people of Los Angeles and Southern California,” said Slavin, the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair. “We understand that good health and wellbeing require a variety of needs, including effective medical care and the most fundamental necessities, like food and shelter. Our initiatives reflect Cedars-Sinai’s time-honored mission to care for our community and many others around the world.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Supports Local Nonprofits with $21 Million in Grants

Endowed chairs are faculty honors funded by donors to support the chairholder’s research or patient care programs at Cedars-Sinai. These positions further drive our medical advancements, said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences, dean of the Medical Faculty and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine at Cedars-Sinai.

“Endowed chairs are among the highest honors a medical center can bestow,” Melmed said. “Each of these healthcare professionals is a respected leader in their field and works tirelessly to make scientific discoveries that can save lives, improve health outcomes, train the next generation of physicians and scientists, and set the standard for pioneering medical science.“

The LuEllen Margaret Edwards Chair in Otology and Neurotology is a newly established chair, with Mia Miller, MD, serving as its inaugural holder. Miller is director of the Acoustic Neuroma and Lateral Skull Base Program at Cedars-Sinai. Her research focuses on disorders of the ear, inner ear and vestibular system, which affects a person’s balance and spatial orientation. The acoustic neuroma program was created to further the expertise of Cedars-Sinai specialists who treat patients diagnosed with the non-cancerous, potentially devastating tumors. These growths can lead to hearing loss and vertigo and, progressively, can impact nerves that regulate speech, swallowing, and facial and eye movement.

Neil Bhowmick, PhD, research scientist at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, has been designated the Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research. The chair was formerly held by Phillip Koeffler, MD. Bhowmick, a professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, focuses on the role of certain cells in cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance as they relate to cancers of the lungs, bladder, pancreas and prostate.

Xue (Sean) Li, PhD, now holds the Board of Governors Chair in Cancer Research, formerly held by Leland Chung, PhD. Li is director of the Center of Sex and Gender Cancer Research at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. His research examines gender differences in bladder cancer as well as sex hormones, sex chromosomes, immunity, metabolism, microbiome and sex epigenetics—the study of certain inherited changes in gene expression.

Anjaparavanda Naren, PhD, has been named the Geri and Richard Brawerman Chair in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, formerly held by Zab Mosenifar, MD. Naren is director of Cystic Fibrosis Research at Cedars-Sinai and a professor of Medicine. He aims to develop better therapies to treat Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. In this work, he is studying unique Cystic Fibrosis mutations in patients identified as more at risk of experiencing those rare anomalies—and who may not respond to the most traditionally effective treatments. 

Stephen Shiao, MD, PhD, now holds the Barth Family Chair in Cancer Genetics in honor of Beth Y. Karlan, MD. The chair was formerly held by Simon Gayther, PhD. Shiao is director of the Division of Radiation Biology, co-leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Program, professor of Biomedical Sciences and professor of Radiation Oncology. In his efforts, he analyzes the cells of some difficult-to-treat cancers, before and after radiation therapy combined with immunotherapy, to determine the most effective tumor-fighting immune responses prior to surgery.

“We could not make these merited distinctions without the contributions of our visionary donors,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “They are pillars of the Cedars-Sinai community whose impact can’t be measured by the value of their contributions alone. We thank them for their respective investments in the health of our community and beyond.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Ranks Among Top U.S. Hospitals for 10th Consecutive Year

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, Cedars-Sinai supported organizations working to reduce homelessness, increase access to healthcare and provide healthy and locally grown food to people across Los Angeles who are experiencing food insecurity.

“Cedars-Sinai is grateful to partner with nonprofits who understand that the health of Los Angeles relies on our steadfast commitment to each other,” said Erin Jackson-Ward, DrPH, executive director of Grantmaking and Social Impact for Cedars-Sinai. “From responding to the impacts of wildfires across the city to making sure every family experiences a healthy and joyous birth to housing and feeding our neighbors, we will continue to assist organizations showing up every day for our communities.”

As part of Cedars-Sinai’s Black Birth Equity grantmaking initiative, the medical center awarded $2 million to 13 organizations offering free or low-cost access to doulas and midwives, lactation support, mental health treatment and birth worker retention strategies. The funding included $200,000 to the Charles Drew University Black Maternal Health Center of Excellence. The center is developing a postpartum support program to train 100 students and providers in community-based models of care and to enable home visitation and behavioral health services for 400 families.

Cedars-Sinai earmarked $1.2 million in grants for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles to strengthen local social safety nets that are supporting a growing number of older adults experiencing homelessness. Services provided through the United Way include coordinated health and homelessness services, rental assistance, shared housing assistance and multigenerational housing opportunities.

A $500,000 grant to Pukúu Cultural Community Services and the Relatives Home Collaborative is supporting local Native American community-based organizations, Tribes and Tribal entities, also with the goals of decreasing homelessness and improving housing opportunities in Native American communities.

Since 2020, Cedars-Sinai’s grantmaking blueprint has focused on ensuring no Angeleno goes hungry. The medical center’s approach addresses food access not only as a health issue but as a tool to connect those in need to many vital resources.

Eleven organizations received $775,000 in grants to help eliminate food insecurity in South Los Angeles. The funding included $250,000 to the L.A. Food Policy Council to create a South L.A. food hub and farm cooperative, and $25,000 to ALMA Backyard Farms to broaden distribution of healthy food to vulnerable community members. 

In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires in January, the medical center allocated more than $250,000 toward wildfire relief and recovery efforts. That included contributions to the Los Angeles Fire Department Wildfire Emergency Fund and the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California Essential Workers Fund. Cedars-Sinai has pledged to continue collaborating with its many partners to assist with recovery needs throughout the long rebuilding process.

“As part of our enduring mission, Cedars-Sinai works shoulder-to-shoulder with community-based nonprofits that are building a better future for all Los Angeles residents,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai and the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair. “We pledge to continue bridging gaps to improve healthcare access and sustain vital services where people need it most.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Builds Community Partnerships to Address Health Equity

New volunteers are always welcome and needed, said Michele Prince, director of Volunteer Services for Cedars-Sinai.

“Last year, volunteers donated more than 200,000 hours of service,” Prince said. “Along with providing emotional support to our patients, visitors, and staff, they are often an extra set of hands for our busy clinicians, saving them time to do higher-level clinical tasks.”

Jody Simon and Stuart Smith are two of the medical center’s 3,600 volunteers. They both say they receive far more than they give.

Simon began her volunteer service at the medical center’s flower delivery desk 10 years ago. During her three-hour shifts, she helped manage the intake of all manner of bouquets—flowers, fruit and balloons—that friends and family sent to patients.

“It was so busy, it would take three of us to handle the desk and deliveries to patient rooms,” said Simon.

Since then, she’s juggled a wide range of duties, alternating between the Beverlywood main campus and Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Some days, Simon calls patients to confirm appointments. Other days, she serves as the legally mandated layperson on the Institutional Review Board to make sure patients participating in clinical trials are fully consented.

Her favorite volunteer post? The Emergency Department. There, she admittedly encounters fewer smiles than at other posts, but relishes the same patient gratitude for having offered a sympathetic ear, a status update or the occasional cup of water and blanket. Her bedside manner brings such comfort and positivity to patients that she earned a Circle of Friends pin—one of Cedars-Sinai’s highest honors--after an anonymous patient donated in her honor.

“It’s my most prized possession and I wear it proudly,” said Simon.

She recalls the day a simple gesture brought one emergency patient to tears. “I wrapped a blanket around her as she awaited treatment, and she started to cry,” Simon said.“ She said, ‘I’m a single mom. No one ever takes care of me. Thank you.’”  

Cedars-Sinai also holds a special place in Simon’s heart for personal reasons. Both she and her mother were born at the former Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. All three of her children were born at Cedars-Sinai, and her aunt and grandmother both have ties to the medical center, dating back the late 1970s.

Stuart Smith's history with Cedars-Sinai also could fill the pages of a book. Until this past February, and for more than 42 years before that, he worked as a Cedars-Sinai microbiologist in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. His meticulous work focused on identifying bacteria growing in clinical patient cultures, and helped determine the appropriate antibiotics to treat infections. Smith, a clinical laboratory scientist, was on the frontline in the Microbiology lab during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, often requiring 12- and 13-hour days.

Over the years, Smith volunteered to play piano every Tuesday during his lunch break—standards and show tunes, mostly—for visitors in the Plaza Lobby. His shy personality meant he appreciated any recognition, but was challenged by it.

"I never wanted to be the center of attention," said Smith. "It always made me very self-conscious when people would clap or acknowledge me because I then realized, they're actually listening to me."

Smith knows that music can offer comfort during difficult times. Once, as he played, a visitor passing through the lobby paused to listen, clearly touched by the melody. Smith later learned the song had been a favorite of the man's mother—a song he hadn't heard since before she'd passed away.  "That was really moving for me," he said.

For more information on joining the Volunteer Services program at Cedars-Sinai, click the link to complete the online application.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: A Tale of Two Cedars-Sinai Volunteers

It was in 2023, when Sarah underwent brain surgery with Keith Black, MD, that her mother, Dana, began to uncover the depth of her family’s ties to Cedars-Sinai. What Dana thought were fragments of family history—memories of her grandmother Reba Dubin’s volunteer work and her aunt Maxine Dunitz’s philanthropy—turned out to be a remarkable story of multigenerational dedication to advancing healthcare, championing women’s leadership and transforming a city.

The Pioneering Spirit of Reba Dubin and Maxine Dunitz

Dana’s childhood revolved around Cedars-Sinai, largely because of Helping Hand, which her grandmother Reba founded. The medical center was a constant presence in the family’s conversations, and visits to her grandmother’s house were filled with stories of philanthropy and service. Reba’s impact had started in 1929 when she’d created Helping Hand at Cedars of Lebanon—decades before the hospital merged with Mount Sinai—as a volunteer-run gift shop that was the first woman-run non-profit in Los Angeles. But her contributions went far beyond selling gifts. She was a trailblazer dedicated to supporting women and children in need. Inspired by her own mother’s activism and leadership, Reba, who was a college-educated pharmacist at a time when the roles of women were constrained, was determined to make a difference.

Through Helping Hand, she led initiatives to assist immigrants and refugees, provide medical support to the underserved and offer aid to low-income and expectant mothers. In an interview nearly 60 years after she established Helping Hand, Reba recalled visiting a woman’s apartment where a newborn slept in a dresser drawer for lack of a crib. She saw to it that the woman received a crib. Helping Hand also provided essentials for people in need, such as eyeglasses, artificial limbs and baby supplies—small gestures with big impacts. Over the coming decades, Reba’s work not only supported those who needed it most but also helped cement Cedars-Sinai as a major force for good in Los Angeles. One prominent example: In 1984, Helping Hand funded the first full-time endowed chair at Cedars-Sinai, the Miriam Jacobs Chair of Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Reba’s example inspired her niece, Maxine Dunitz, who first volunteered at Cedars-Sinai in 1948 as a teenager. Years later, Maxine took Reba’s dedication even further. Her generosity helped establish Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and endow the position held by Black, who serves as the institute’s director. Maxine donated the funds the same year her great-niece Sarah was born. She could not have known that one day, Sarah would walk through the doors of that institute and that Black would free the young woman of a brain tumor. 

Dana and Sarah: A Legacy Comes Full Circle

Dana and her siblings were born at Cedars-Sinai in the 1960s, but her relationship to the medical center became far more personal in 1996. That year, her newborn son Daniel was rushed to Cedars-Sinai for emergency cardiac surgery with Alfredo Trento, MD. Born with an exceedingly rare condition that entailed seven heart anomalies, Daniel underwent a life-saving operation at just 24 hours of age. Dana had never wavered on where to turn for his care.

Then, some 25 years later, her daughter Sarah faced a medical crisis of her own. Athletic, independent and full of life, Sarah had always taken care of her health and rarely needed to see a doctor. She had grown up with a sense of perseverance, shaped by the knowledge that her brother Daniel had defied the odds—and that her mom had borne two other girls, both of whom succumbed to medical conditions in the early months of their lives. When Sarah began having seizures—the same symptom that had presaged the tragic deaths of the sisters she never knew—her family reached out to Cedars-Sinai again. “Through gasps and tears, I asked if we could meet Dr. Black,” Dana recalls.

Uncomfortable in medical settings, Sarah was anxious until she met Black. Unlike in previous medical encounters, where she often felt dismissed, here was a doctor who treated her with respect and compassion. “Dr. Black made me feel seen as a person, not just a case,” said Sarah, recalling that the Patient Relations Department also supported her parents as they dealt with the terrifying prospect of another severely ill child. Sarah was diagnosed with a ganglioglioma, a type of growth that accounts for only 0.4% of all brain tumors.

In July 2023, she successfully underwent surgery with Black. While Sarah lay recovering in her room, Dana, a historian by training, wandered into Helping Hand. What happened next was one of the most powerful experiences of her life. She unexpectedly met a 91-year-old volunteer who remembered her grandmother, Reba, and who brought out scrapbooks dating back to 1929. As Dana turned the pages, she discovered a treasure trove of stories, images, programs and more, and learned the full scope of both Reba and Maxine’s roles in the medical center’s growth. “It was both surreal and deeply nourishing,” said Dana. “My aunt was the reason that the institute existed and that my daughter could see the famous Dr. Black right here in L.A.”

A Sense of Connection

Since receiving her diagnosis, Sarah had been asking herself existential questions: Who am I? Where do I fit in? As her mother shared her discoveries about the family’s history with Cedars-Sinai, Sarah felt an overwhelming sense of belonging—she was part of something bigger than herself. And she had survived a serious health threat thanks to the skill of a surgeon whose position was endowed by her great-aunt. Her own progress was inextricably linked to Cedars-Sinai’s century-long story of progress and growth, highlighting the ties between each patient’s journey and the journey of the institution itself.

Knowing what her ancestors had achieved—and what she owed them—made her even more determined to keep fighting. It deepened her commitment to giving back and embracing life fully. Four months after her surgery, Sarah went bike riding in India. Her remarkable recovery is yet another testimonial to the resilience that runs through her family—and to Cedars-Sinai’s commitment to providing the very best care, and to making progress toward that goal by making sure each patient makes progress in their own health journey.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Faces of Cedars-Sinai--Neurosurgeon Keith Black

Select artists are invited to sell their work at the Recover Art Exhibit and Sale, which will be open to the public Feb. 20–22, at Cedars-Sinai Thalians Health Center. All proceeds from those sales will go directly to the individual artists. Cedars-Sinai donors and employees can preview and purchase artwork on February 18 and 19.

The event is the brainchild of the medical center’s Advisory Council for the Arts, whose members are embedded in the tightknit Southern California creative community. Local arts organizations supporting the effort include Grief and Hope Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art Projects Council, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, the Hammer Museum and the Bendix Building.

“During the fires, each time I’d log on to social media, I’d discover another friend who’d lost their home or another artist who’d lost their studio, or another who’d lost irreplaceable art and it was just devastating,” said John T. Lange, curator of the Cedars-Sinai art collection and arts program manager. ”The sale is our way to give back in a meaningful way, with artists displaying and selling their work to help get back on their feet.”

As part of the event, Cedars-Sinai also will sell artwork from the institution’s private collection of more than 5,300 museum-quality pieces. Those proceeds will benefit Grief and Hope Los Angeles, a fund organized by L.A. artists and gallery workers committed to helping peers impacted by the fires.

The exhibit and sale will feature more than 100 pieces of art. Prices start at about $20. The sale is open to the public from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on Feb. 20–22. Admission and parking are free at Cedars-Sinai Thalians Health Center, located on the medical center’s main campus at 8730 Alden Drive in Los Angeles.

Read More on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Employee Art Exhibit Spotlights Creativity

In his new role on the Pacific Council board, Ochoa, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai, will work alongside fellow board co-chair Robert W. Lovelace of Capital International, Inc., to bolster awareness of international policies centered around human rights, inclusivity, climate change and technology, among other key issues. 

“I’m honored and privileged to help drive the conversation about forward-thinking strategies and principles that guide global policy,” Ochoa said. “Organizations like the Pacific Council for International Policy help to strengthen the effectiveness of subnational diplomacy, bringing California’s vital perspective to the global policy debate.”

Ochoa has more than three decades of leadership in philanthropic outreach, community engagement and health equity under his professional belt. He began his career as a tax attorney, representing major corporations and nonprofit organizations. He later transitioned to healthcare, and now oversees all aspects of Cedars-Sinai’s fundraising campaigns that, to date, have raised more than $2 billion to support the medical center’s growing academic research enterprise.

“We are thrilled to welcome Art as our incoming board co-chair,” said Rich Goetz, board director and former board co-chair of the Pacific Council. “His exceptional leadership, experience and dedication to the Pacific Council make him the ideal person to help guide our organization into the future.”

Founded in 1995, in partnership with the University of Southern California and the Council on Foreign Relations, the Pacific Council on International Policy engages people from different industries and backgrounds to join foreign policy discussions to bring about global change. The council hosts roundtable discussions, participates in international delegations and covers foreign policy in its online magazine. 

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Builds Community Partnerships to Address Health Equity

Cedars-Sinai announced today a $10 million gift to establish the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair, building on a history of visionary impact and dedication to advancing healthcare leadership and innovation across Los Angeles.

The inaugural holder of the chair is Cedars-Sinai President and CEO Peter L. Slavin, MD. The gift supports his leadership vision to continue to advance Cedars-Sinai’s mission as a model for quality care, research, education, and community service.

Slavin is completing his first 100 days at the helm of Cedars-Sinai. Over the last year, the nonprofit academic medical institution announced the creation of the Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University, surpassed a billion-dollar milestone in its fundraising campaign, developed plans for 56 additional beds to treat inpatients, worked to expand the Emergency Department and partnered with local nonprofits to bring greater visibility to critical issues like health equity.

“Meredith and I are so passionate about the cause of healthcare, specifically as it relates to Cedars-Sinai, and the David and Meredith Kaplan Foundation fully supports the direction Dr. Slavin is taking to elevate existing healthcare enterprises and brainstorm new ones,” said David Kaplan, co-founder of global investment management company Ares Management Corporation and chair of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Directors.

Meredith Kaplan, who co-leads the family’s philanthropic efforts, added, “What Dr. Slavin has shared about his goals and priorities for Cedars-Sinai, including plans for expansion in crucial areas like the Emergency Department, are touchpoints for us from a philanthropic standpoint. Our reasons for giving align with Dr. Slavin’s choices for allocation of resources.”

The Kaplans are longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai, most notably donating $5 million in 2020 to establish the David and Meredith Kaplan Distinguished Chair in Children’s Health, held by Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, executive vice dean of Children’s Health and executive director of Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s. In 2015, the family donated $1.5 million to create the David and Meredith Kaplan Endowed Care Navigator in Emergency Medicine.

 “This continuing partnership with the Kaplans is so meaningful to Cedars-Sinai and to me personally as the holder of this new leadership chair,” Slavin said. “Their contributions have fortified our efforts as an academic medical center to bring the best care, training, and scientific research to our patients, our community, and the world. We thank them for the past and present achievements that their transformative gifts and volunteer service have facilitated, and we also thank them for the impact their philanthropy will have on the future of this temple of healing.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Celebrating the Season with Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s

The contribution names The Todd M. Morgan Family Lobby, the area where Emergency Department patients await treatment. The department’s ongoing expansion project is part of the medical center’s longstanding commitment to enhancing capacity, access and efficiency to best serve patients and the community.

“My entire family and I understand the escalating need for adequate resources to meet demand in the Emergency Department,” said Todd Morgan, a founding member of investment firm Bel Air Investment Advisors LLC, and a lifetime member of Cedars-Sinai’s Board of Trustees. “We want to aid in that effort and hope that this gift speaks to our dedication to doing our part for the Cedars-Sinai community.”

Sam Torbati, MD, co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, and the Levin/Gordon Chair in Emergency Medicine in honor of Joel M. Geiderman, MD, said the gift comes at a pivotal time.

“The Morgan family’s vision and responsiveness to the needs of our Los Angeles communities is unwavering,” said Torbati. “They have an acute awareness of the provisions required for those depending on our ED for timely, compassionate and lifesaving care.”

Phases of the Emergency Department expansion project, scheduled to be completed in late 2026, include adding 16,550 square feet and constructing 40 additional care rooms. New features also will include a critical care suite with six state-of-the-art rooms equipped to provide care for critically ill patients, a dedicated room specially designed to treat critically ill children, and a behavioral care unit to treat patients with mental health needs.

“When people walk through the Emergency Department doors, The Todd M. Morgan Family Lobby is their first stop before seeing a physician for critical care,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “The Morgan family’s incredible gift helps ensure that patients will be as comfortable as possible as they await much-needed care. They will certainly feel the impact and influence of the Morgans’ selfless contribution.”

Read More on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Behind the Scenes: Cedars-Sinai Emergency Room

The Karsh family’s contribution will advance care and research across the field of interventional cardiology at the medical center. Interventional cardiology is a branch of medicine focusing specifically on minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures to correct structural heart problems such as leaking valves. The gift is in honor of Martha’s mother, Sybil Lubin, a now-healthy and active 94-year-old who experienced a catastrophic mitral valve rupture two years ago. She credits Raj Makkar, MD, and the interventional cardiology team at Cedars-Sinai with saving her life.

Makkar is the inaugural director of the Karsh Division of Interventional Cardiology and will also serve as the Karsh Distinguished Chair in Interventional Cardiology. An authority in advanced catheter-based therapies, Makkar’s team of experts treat more than 10,000 patients annually. Makkar says his mission is to perform and teach other physicians how to perform these advanced therapies so that many more patients can and will benefit.

“Our interventional cardiology programs are available around the clock to provide urgent care to those who need it most,” said Makkar. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Karsh family, we not only are able to sustain this critical service but also enhance and grow it. Their gift makes them true partners in our mission, helping us continue to provide the highest level of care, and we are deeply grateful for their support.”

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, as cited by the World Health Organization. Cedars-Sinai ranked #1 in California and #6 nationally for Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery in U.S. News & World Report’s "Best Hospitals 2024-25" listings. The newly established interventional cardiology division will treat conditions including valvular defects, electrical rhythm disorders, heart muscle dysfunctions and congenital heart disease.

The Karsh family says mindful merging of a common mission is the basis for their partnership with Cedars-Sinai. “’Education, Community, Democracy’ is a motto of our foundation,” the family said. “With this gift, we aim to amplify our commitment to both our community and medical education. Ultimately, what we hope to contribute to the world of medicine on a global scale with Cedars-Sinai is a powerful testament to what results from intention put into action.”

Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, expressed his gratitude for the Karsh family’s generosity and commitment to the highest quality care.

“The Karsh family has an enduring commitment to transformative medicine, and they’re building an even more profound legacy of philanthropy with the Karsh Division of Interventional Cardiology,” said Slavin. This new gift adds to their past visionary contribution that birthed the nationally ranked Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Both enterprises address vital areas primed for innovative, groundbreaking advancements with the resources required for our patients.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Smidt Heart Institute Advances Valve Replacement

Schaeffer and his wife, Irina—entrepreneurs and philanthropists—are longtime Cedars-Sinai supporters. They give from the heart, for the heart. Over the last 15 years, the couple has donated $20 million to Cedars-Sinai’s Smidt Heart Institute. In 1996, George underwent a quadruple bypass at the medical center, performed by Director Emeritus of Thoracic Surgery, Alfredo Trento, MD, who is also vice chair of Outreach and Business Development in the Department of Cardiac Surgery, and the Estelle, Abe and Marjorie Sanders Chair in Cardiac Surgery.

“That was 28 years ago, and the plumbing is still good,” said Schaeffer, who, along with his wife, owns and operates People’s Trust Insurance Company in Florida and Aloxxi International Corporation, a beauty brand in Los Angeles. He’s also the founder and former owner of OPI nail products.

“Cedars-Sinai treated me very well and, more importantly, contributed to my longevity,” added Schaeffer. In fact, he said the surgery saved his life and compelled him to make “a little bit of a contribution.” That transformative $10 million gift, made in 2011, named the George W. Schaeffer Lobby inside what would become the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion at Cedars-Sinai. The pavilion houses Smidt Heart Institute as well as the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center.

In 2019, the Schaeffers donated another $7 million to create the Irina and George Schaeffer Cardiothoracic Surgery Fund and $3 million to establish the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery in honor of Alfredo Trento, MD, held by Joanna Chikwe, MD, chair of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. The Schaeffers also donate to medical centers across Southern California and causes around the world, including a hospital and underground emergency shelter in Haifa, Israel.

When asked why he gives so generously, Schaeffer replied, “America has given me and my family so much, and this may sound corny, but this is my and Irina’s way of saying ‘thank you’ to the greatest country in the world.”

“The Schaeffers exemplify selfless and visionary giving, and the Cedars-Sinai family and the patients we serve are so grateful for their many contributions to advance heart care and research,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai.

“I’m very happy when I can change somebody’s life for the better, not only through better healthcare, but other life experiences as well,” said Schaeffer, who routinely awards scholarships and computers to employees and their children. “Irina and I feel that education is the key to a better quality of life that is, sadly, beyond the reach of many families.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Planned Giving—An Enduring Legacy

Each year, Cedars-Sinai provides grant funding—$27.2 million during the last fiscal year—as part of its community outreach initiatives supporting dozens of nonprofit organizations across Los Angeles. The medical center was recognized as the largest non-foundation grantmaker to L.A. County charities in 2023, as part of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual Corporate Philanthropy rankings.

In the latest sign of its commitment, Cedars-Sinai recently convened more than 80 nonprofit grant recipients to culminate a multi-year Health Equity Grant Program. The gathering featured groups including LA Family Housing, the Venice Family Clinic and Homeboy Industries—nonprofits working to improve the lives and opportunities of Angelenos.

“All of these organizations represent a crucial part of the picture of services offered in our L.A. communities and are deeply committed to equitable health outcomes in partnership with Cedars-Sinai,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai.

The grant program and its capacity-building efforts address health equity by examining the changing landscapes of Cedars-Sinai’s community partners, including those centered on recruitment and retainment of a diverse workforce, data intelligence to inform equity outcomes, and adherence to healthcare policies to provide high-quality services. The recent convening of nonprofits underscored this shared mission.

“Gathering to celebrate the work of these nonprofits and troubleshoot issues impacting them provides invaluable insights for identifying actionable solutions that make a difference across the health and social service sectors,” said Erin Jackson-Ward, DrPH, executive director of Grantmaking and Social Impact for Cedars-Sinai.

Moving the needle toward greater equitability in care is also a credit to alliances formed across the Cedars-Sinai Health System, which is expanding its health equity efforts across the L.A. region and beyond.

In 2022, Cedars-Sinai launched a Black Birth Equity program, providing grants to local, community-based organizations focused on reducing inequities in Black maternal and infant health. A groundbreaking hypertension study led by Cedars-Sinai’s Smidt Heart Institute, starting in 2015, also was the first to scientifically prove the effectiveness of bringing medical treatment directly to patrons of Black barbershops.

“The medical center is working to galvanize partnerships across the community to ensure that we are delivering inclusive care and addressing structural disparities,” said Christina Harris, MD, vice president and chief health equity officer for Cedars-Sinai.

Cedars-Sinai will continue to develop these community partnerships as part of an institutional effort to expand grantmaking and health equity. Future convenings will serve as an outlet for community clinics, homeless services providers and social service organizations to reflect on shared successes, challenges and lessons learned while helping underserved communities. 

“Cedars-Sinai values the shared, mission-driven health equity initiatives with our nonprofit partners for the benefit of all Southern Californians,” Ochoa said.  

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: A Giving Mission - Cedars-Sinai Community Benefit Program

Cedars-Sinai has exceeded a $1 billion benchmark in a fundraising campaign anchored by three impactful gifts that directly support innovation in medical research, clinical care and academic leadership. The campaign, launched in 2018, is an essential part of the medical center’s patient-focused mission to provide the highest-quality care while training future generations of medical professionals and pioneering scientific breakthroughs.

“This is a transformative time for Cedars-Sinai as an academic medical institution,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “Every dollar raised through this fundraising campaign solidifies our legacy and mission of healing and uplifting our patients and the community.”  

Cedars-Sinai received three major donations in as many years—each totaling $100 million or more. These major gifts reinforce the medical center’s status as a global leader among academic medical institutions. The campaign continues to be bolstered by the generosity of donors of all levels and from all over the world.

In August 2022, a $100 million gift from the Shapell Guerin Family Foundation established Cedars-Sinai’s Guerin Children’s, a major initiative in children’s health that provides a continuum of advanced care, from newborn to adolescent ages to adulthood. Physicians and scientists at Guerin Children’s deliver highly specialized multidisciplinary care, conduct pioneering research and oversee education and training programs across Cedars-Sinai’s network of hospitals and affiliates throughout the region.

A $143 million planned gift, from the estate of Susanne and Ervin Bard, became the largest in Cedars-Sinai history, in March 2023. In honor of the Bards’ generosity, Cedars-Sinai renamed the former Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion as the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion—home to internationally renowned institutes, centers and research facilities, including Smidt Heart Institute and the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center.

In June, a $100 million gift from philanthropists Jim and Eleanor Randall established the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery. The impactful gift will propel advances in surgical care, training and research. Cedars-Sinai is internationally known for its leading-edge surgical innovation across many disciplines, with surgeons performing more than 32,000 operations annually. These include lifesaving cancer, gastrointestinal, transplant, vascular, chest, trauma, otolaryngology (ENT) and reconstructive plastic surgeries.

Cedars-Sinai tied for #1 in California two years in a row and has been named to the Honor Roll for the ninth consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2024-25” rankings.

President and CEO Thomas M. Priselac charted the course for this success. After 30 years at the helm, Priselac is retiring in October from the role he helped define.

“My tenure has been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the millions of people we are privileged to care for and to making a difference in the lives of the physicians and staff of Cedars-Sinai,” said Priselac, the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “It’s deeply and personally profound to appreciate what this historic, billion-dollar campaign has achieved and will continue to achieve for our exceptional institution.”

James Lippman, fundraising campaign chair and immediate past chair of Cedars-Sinai’s board of directors, agreed. “Cedars-Sinai is making an indelible impact in the healthcare space on a local and global scale, and this is greatly attributed to our dedicated staff and community leadership,” said Lippman. “Part of this enduring legacy is our fundraising campaign, which has seen four record-breaking years that will benefit the collective health of our treasured Los Angeles community.”  

Read more on the Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Secures Global Healthcare Accreditation

has galvanized its commitment to helping historically marginalized communities, allocating $27 million in grants to support programs providing housing stability, food security, accessible care and health equity across the Los Angeles region.

The medical center’s community benefit priorities for the fiscal year that ended June 30 reflect its deep commitment to the health and wellbeing of all Angelenos. 

A $1.35 million grant to the Center for Care Innovations will bring together a cohort of street medicine teams, community clinics and housing providers to design and pilot interventions that meet the immediate medical needs of people experiencing homelessness, while connecting them with ongoing health and housing resources.

The medical center also awarded $750,000 to The People Concern and Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System (HOPICS). They will pilot an innovative housing acquisition strategy—a cost-effective approach to making units quickly available for people experiencing homelessness so they can move from shelters to long-term housing.  

These community investments come at a critical time for the Los Angeles region, where, after five years of increases, the most recent homeless count showed a slight decrease across the county. 

“The crisis of homelessness has been decades in the making, but we are heartened by collective efforts to turn the tide in Los Angeles,” said Erin Jackson-Ward, DrPH, executive director of Grantmaking and Social Impact for Cedars-Sinai. “Joining forces with nonprofits in this region bolsters our mission to be change-makers through healthcare and community outreach.”

Cedars-Sinai also granted $450,000 to True Colors United to launch a project developed by a group of youth leaders who have experienced homelessness in Los Angeles. This initiative focuses on LGBTQIA+ young people and youth of color. The project will identify opportunities to prevent and respond to youth homelessness, while training a network of young people to advocate for local housing solutions in their neighborhoods.

Eradicating food insecurity also remains a focus of Cedars-Sinai’s giving. A $100,000 grant to the nonprofit Food Forward will strengthen a network of more than 250 organizations at 300 fresh produce distribution sites across the county. The partnership will help ensure Angelenos have a healthy and adequate food supply.

This year, the medical center’s Black Birth Equity grantmaking initiative included a $750,000 grant to the LA Partnership for Early Childhood Investment. The funding will establish a Doula Hub infrastructure to train and reimburse doulas hired to support women during childbirth—an effort that will bolster public-private momentum around connecting people with birth workers.

Additionally, Cedars-Sinai is helping to implement trauma screening and care practices through $100,000 in funding to the nonprofit ONEgeneration’s Grandparents As Parents (GAP) program. GAP addresses the barriers and challenges faced by grandparents working to gain guardianship of their grandchildren to avoid foster home placement.

“Cedars-Sinai is fortunate to have the financial resources to provide assistance and forge stronger relationships with hundreds of local nonprofits,” said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai. “Our goal has always been to bring greater visibility to outstanding causes and their impactful work.”

Read more on the Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Health System Generates Broad Economic Impact

Funded by a gift from the Lippin Family Trust and launched by the Tower Cancer Research Foundation, The Ronnie Lippin Cancer Support and Navigation Project is part of Cedars-Sinai Cancer’s Community Outreach and Engagement. Eligible patients do not need to receive their cancer care from Cedars-Sinai to participate.

The project was established in honor of the late trailblazing music publicist and manager Ronnie Lippin, who died of breast cancer in 2006. Her husband, Dick Lippin, founder of The Lippin Group public relations firm, established the grant in collaboration with the foundation.

“I see Tower Cancer Research Foundation and Cedars-Sinai as my partners in a pioneering venture that I believe enriches the lives of people needing a guiding hand through this very difficult period in their lives,” Lippin said.  

The project funds two “navigators”—multilingual specialists who are fluent in Spanish, Korean, Tagalog and Swahili. The navigators guide patients through all stages of cancer treatment—including arranging transportation to and from medical appointments, accompanying patients to those appointments, and scheduling screenings and treatments. If mental health assistance is required, navigators also offer referrals to qualified professionals. 

“Cedars-Sinai Cancer serves one of the most diverse patient populations in the country,” said Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the PHASE ONE Foundation Distinguished Chair. “This new program is in line with our commitment to serve all patients, and will provide patients with a trusted partner who understands their culture and can guide them through this challenging diagnosis in their primary language.”

Any Los Angeles County resident is eligible to participate in the program, free of charge, regardless of financial or citizenship status, age, sexual identity, belief system or education level. Project leaders are intending to reach geographic areas and groups across Los Angeles County that are documented as having higher rates of late-stage diagnoses.

A 2022 Cedars-Sinai study published in Frontiers of Oncology showed that ethnic groups in Los Angeles had high rates of particular cancers. For example:

• Black people have higher rates of prostate cancer, triple-negative breast cancer and pancreatic cancer than people who identify with other groups.
• Latinos have higher incidence rates of certain cancers, including liver cancer and late-stage melanoma than non-Latino white people.
• Rates of breast cancer among Koreans have increased more significantly than among people who identify with other groups.  

“This project’s whole-person approach to helping cancer patients will chip away at disparities by providing timely access to treatment, and equitable allocation of survivorship tools—all provided by trusted navigators working in the community,” said Zul Surani, associate director of Community Outreach and Engagement, and an administrator of the Cancer Research Center for Health Equity at Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “Culturally tailored navigation across the cancer continuum is a massive undertaking and has proven effective through decades of research, and this program aims to reduce the cancer burden across Los Angeles neighborhoods.”

To participate in the program, patients should fill out the Ronnie Lippin Cancer Support and Navigation Project application.  

Read more from the Newsroom: Annual Report Highlights From Cedars-Sinai Cancer

The gift establishes the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery and marks a milestone in the medical center’s mission to serve the specialized needs of patients in Los Angeles and beyond.

“Eleanor and I believe deeply in Cedars-Sinai’s vision and the exceptional work being performed by the Department of Surgery team,” said Jim Randall. “We wish to continue fostering lifesaving campaigns and extend this gift with that full intention.” 

Cedars-Sinai is internationally known for its leading-edge surgical innovation and research across many specialties, including major lifesaving cancer, gastrointestinal, transplant, vascular, chest, trauma, otolaryngology (ENT) and reconstructive plastic surgeries. The medical center performs more than 32,000 operations each year across all disciplines and also is well known for its clinical expertise in gastroenterology, cancer, neurology, cardiology and pulmonary care.

“This amazing gift strengthens our research and training programs and provides critical resources to push the boundaries of surgical medicine,” said Cristina R. Ferrone, MD, chair of the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery and the Linda and Jim Lippman Chair in Surgical Oncology.

The Randalls are longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai and have partnered on several campaigns and enterprises. This gift also establishes the Jim and Eleanor Randall Chair in Surgery in honor of Edward H. Phillips, MD.

Phillips is executive vice chair of the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery and the Dolly Parton Chair in Surgical Innovation in honor of Edward H. Phillips, MD. A pioneering authority in surgical medicine, Phillips has spent more than four decades leading Cedars-Sinai’s programs and is an internationally recognized developer of novel surgical techniques and laparoscopic instrumentation used in minimally invasive procedures.

“We are inspired by the dedication and trailblazing work of Dr. Ed Phillips, whose extraordinary commitment to excellence in patient care serves as an example to the medical world at large,” Jim Randall said.

Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai and the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership, added, “This amazing gift from the Randall family reinforces Cedars-Sinai’s position as a leader in academic medicine. It also ensures we remain at the forefront in training future generations of surgical specialists. The Randalls’ visionary investment builds on this institution’s quest to pioneer new surgical methods and technology that will save lives.”

The S. Mark Taper Foundation Rabbit Garden is one of four gardens that make up a 5,000-square-foot outdoor area. The garden features rabbit-shaped seating and fresh greenery, providing a relaxing environment for inpatients and their families to enjoy.

“The impact of childlike touches at Guerin Children’s, like the S. Mark Taper Foundation Rabbit Garden, should not be underestimated,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “The garden delights and uplifts the spirits of young patients every day—such a significant part of what we strive to do at Cedars-Sinai.”

Guerin Children’s is full of other whimsical touches, from a video wall and vibrant artwork to an interactive playroom.

Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, executive director of Guerin Children’s and executive vice dean of Children’s Services, said the garden is an example of the importance of balancing treatment with emotional support.

“Successfully caring for patients medically is just part of what we work so hard to achieve at Guerin Children’s,” said Klein, the David and Meredith Kaplan Distinguished Chair in Children’s Health. “We want children to be well physically, but also to be happy and hopeful, as they receive the best-quality, most compassionate care.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: How to Choose a Pediatrician

Cedars-Sinai memorialized the day with its 40th Annual Yom Ha’Shoah Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration at the medical center on May 6th. An endowment from the Roya and Joel Geiderman Family Trust supports the hospital’s annual tribute, as well as The Joel Geiderman, MD, Lectureship.

“Cedars-Sinai sincerely thanks the Geiderman family for their generous support of this annual commemoration,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “Especially now, the remembrance of one of the darkest chapters of human history is critically important.”

Geiderman is co-chair of the Cedars-Sinai Department of Emergency Medicine, medical director of the Emergency Department and professor of Emergency Medicine. He also serves as vice chair emeritus of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

“Events like the Yom Ha’Shoah commemoration, the Martin Luther King Day celebration and other community outreach efforts, including those for the unsheltered, exemplify this institution’s commitment to working for the greater good,” said Geiderman. “My family considers it a gift to be able to contribute to those efforts.”

This year’s keynote speaker was Malka Z. Simkovich, PhD, a respected scholar and authority on Jewish history and the Hebrew Bible. Simkovich is director of Catholic-Jewish Studies, as well as the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies at Catholic Theological Union. She’s also a Leon Charney Fellow at the Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies and a Kogod Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. She’s authored numerous books, receiving the 2019 Association of Jewish Libraries Judaica Reference Honor Award for one of her works. Her latest book, Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity, will be released in June 2024.

“With profound sincerity and deep sorrow, Cedars-Sinai stands with the world in remembrance of the many souls lost during the horror of the Holocaust,” said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, and the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “As an institution founded on the tenets of the Jewish faith, we share in the dedication of this day to eschew the spirit of hate that resulted in the Holocaust.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Kindertransport Saved This Volunteer from Nazi Germany | Cedars-Sinai

On Christmas Eve 1976, outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Lipman, a bright-eyed 14-year-old, tagged along with her mother to the movies. On the marquee: A Star Is Born, featuring Academy Award winner Barbra Streisand.

That day marked the genesis of a lifelong Streisand admirer committed to helping others in the entertainer’s honor. Mesmerized by Streisand’s captivating performance, Lipman saved every penny from after-school and weekend babysitting and lawn mowing jobs to see the film, totaling 163 trips to the theater.

“I used to take two buses to the mall where the theater was located,” said Lipman. “Then, I would stay to see, like, four showings at a time, and get emotional every time. I’d just cry my eyes out.”

Decades later, Lipman’s biggest dream would come true. She’d been socking away every spare dollar from paychecks and birthday gifts to attend all of Streisand’s rare and coveted tours over the years—across the U.S., Europe and Israel.

One day, on a whim, Lipman wrote a message on a hotel towel: “Thank you, Barbra. We love you!” She planned to sneak away from her nosebleed seat—the only ticket she could afford—and hoist the sign near the stage in hopes that Streisand would glimpse her heartfelt message. It happened at a show in Madison Square Garden. Mid-performance, Streisand spotted the towel and gave a shout out to Lipman on the spot. On a tour stop in Amsterdam, after several towel sightings, one of Streisand’s representatives approached Lipman to extend an invitation to meet the icon.

“They escorted me backstage and all of a sudden, I look over and she’s standing right next to me,” Lipman shared. “She was the nicest, most down-to-earth person.” Lipman says Streisand asked why she set aside so much money to see her shows, to which Lipman replied, “there’s nothing I’d rather spend my money on.”   

It wasn’t long before Lipman launched her peer-to-peer fundraising effort to support the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center—both as a nod to the entertainer and a way to help end gender disparities in cardiac care. Lipman had learned that was the catalyst for the center coming to fruition in 2012. Streisand partnered with C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, the center’s director, and a nationally recognized expert in women’s cardiac care, to establish the eponymic enterprise. Streisand has long championed Cedars-Sinai’s initiatives, funding women’s heart disease research and underwriting the Barbra Streisand Women's Cardiovascular Research and Education Program, the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center, and the Women’s Heart Alliance.

“Cedars-Sinai is both honored and grateful to build upon our relationship with Barbra Streisand to effect positive change in the diagnosis and treatment of women impacted by heart disease,” said Bairey Merz, who holds the Women’s Guild Endowed Chair in Women’s Health. “Robin’s efforts are so heartwarming, and reinforce our objectives to advance medical discovery and equitable treatment of women seeking cardiac care.”

Lipman’s fundraising began with a symbolic wink to the entertainer’s birthday of April 24^th. Her target goal that year was exactly $4,024.24. Lipman leveraged the power of social media, announcing her campaign to her network of friends. She would far surpass that initial target amount. This year, on Streisand’s birthday, Lipman presented a novelty check to the Streisand center for $24,424.24, with the cumulative amount raised topping $27,000.

“Robin Lipman set a goal, then worked exceptionally hard to raise more than six times that number,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. “I can proudly say, on behalf of the entire Cedars-Sinai family, Robin has developed her very own fan base in the hearts of everyone benefitting from her selfless philanthropy, and every member of our healthcare community.”  

Lipman has deemed the Streisand center her forever cause and says the campaign will continue indefinitely. Ageless and evergreen.

Read more in Discoveries: Women’s Health Research Draws First Lady’s Attention 

Bela Bajaria runs the show at Netflix. Gillian Zucker holds court for the Los Angeles Clippers. Both Bajaria and Zucker are trailblazing forces in industries traditionally dominated by men.

With A-list celebrities, including host Kevin Hart and presenter Mindy Kaling celebrating the guests of honor, the Board of Governors held its 2024 event on Saturday, April 20th, with generous support from lead financial sponsor, City National Bank, and host sponsor, Warner Bros. Discovery. 

Adam Selkowitz, chair of the Board of Governors, says the honorees were thoughtfully selected based on their records of excellence in leadership roles. “We’re incredibly lucky to be honoring Bela and Gillian—decision-makers known for their dynamic, creative and innovative thinking that is emblematic of the research we support at Cedars-Sinai,” said Selkowitz. “Our last campaign to support the Board of Governors Innovation Center was like building the rocket; now, with this new campaign, it’s time to blast off.”

Bajaria, chief content officer for Netflix, is this year’s recipient of the 2024 Visionary Award. Born in London to South Asian parents, Bajaria moved to the U.S. with her family when she was 9. She’s held several leadership roles since joining the streaming service in 2016, including head of Global TV, the division that manages shows like the Emmy award-winning Squid Game. She’s been recognized by The Hollywood Reporter in its 2023 Women in Entertainment Power 100 list, was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022 and also made Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women four years consecutively, beginning in 2020. Bajaria serves on the Paley Center’s L.A. Board of Governors and the board of L.A.’s Saban Community Clinic, a Cedars-Sinai partner that offers free health services to those in need.

“I was an Indian immigrant growing up in America. Not seeing myself on screen and what that meant is very personal to me,” said Bajaria. “The vision of authentic and very culturally specific storytelling is our goal at Netflix. Now, more people from underrepresented groups are behind the camera and when you have that, you really see that represented in front of the camera.”

Gillian Zucker is president of the L.A. Clippers and Intuit Dome, the team’s new arena. She is this year’s recipient of the 2024 Inspirational Leadership Award. Her rise to the top has literally been on the fast track. Before accepting her position with the Clippers in 2014, she spent nine years as president of the Auto Club Speedway racetrack in Fontana. Zucker was recently named to Los Angeles Magazine’s L.A. Woman list. She’s lent her expertise to numerous boards, including the Los Angeles Sports Council and the Young Presidents’ Organization.

“I’m very proud to say that I think female leaders are a lot less rare than they used to be,” said Zucker. “If you have a calling or passion about something, just go for it. You don’t necessarily have to look for someone who looks like you in that role.”

The Board of Governors is Cedars-Sinai’s primary fundraising group. Proceeds from the Sunset Soiree will benefit the board’s Innovation to Impact initiative. The campaign’s goal is to raise $60 million to accelerate research and development of treatments for challenging illnesses impacting children, cancer, diabetes, neurological conditions and autoimmune disorders.

“Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors is so fortunate to showcase the impactful leadership of these two honorees,” said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, and the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “We applaud the myriad achievements of our honored guests and look forward to the tremendous strides they will continue to make in their personal and professional lives.”  

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Study Identifies How Diabetes Slows Healing in the Eye

The leading periodical of the philanthropic sector ranked the $143 million planned gift from the estate of Susanne and Ervin Bard as the 18^th largest donation of the year.  

To honor the Bards, one year ago, members of Cedars-Sinai leadership, including president and CEO Thomas M. Priselac, participated in the ribbon cutting for the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion at Cedars-Sinai.

“We continue to celebrate this monumental occasion, which honors the history of Cedars-Sinai and galvanizes the future of an institution known for pioneering scientific research, educational programs to help define the future of healthcare, and forward-thinking community initiatives,” said Priselac, the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “We have the Bard family to thank for that.”

The Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion is home to the Smidt Heart Institute and the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, as well as the Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills. The Bards’ donation also supports groundbreaking translational and clinical research advanced in the laboratories and clinics of our Neurosciences program.

“The generosity of the Bard family allows Cedars-Sinai to broaden its mission to provide compassionate healthcare and advance biomedical discovery for the benefit of Los Angeles, its surrounding communities and beyond,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai.  

Natives of Hungary, Susanne and Ervin Bard were longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai and believed deeply in the Hebrew concept of giving, known as tzedakah. Mrs. Bard spent years volunteering in various Cedars-Sinai departments after her husband’s passing in 2006 and prior to her death in 2021. The Bards’ impactful and visionary gift is now part of their profound and enduring legacy.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Planned Giving: An Enduring Legacy

After the doctor delivered the news that she had invasive lobular carcinoma, a type of breast cancer, O’Brien didn’t even want to know the stage or type of cancer she was up against. “I didn’t want to give it any power,” she said.

O’Brien’s oncologist attributes that to her bounce-back nature and resolve to turn lemons into lemonade.

“Rebecca was like no one else,” said Arash Asher, MD, director of the Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship Program—part of the Patient and Family Support Program at Cedars-Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Cancer Center. “She had a laugh so boisterous, it was hard not to laugh with her,” he added. “As I got to know her, it seemed that her humor was a big part of her reason for living.”

Monica Mita, MD, associate director for Breast Medical Oncology at Cedars-Sinai, agreed. Mita also treated O’Brien and says her willingness to expose her vulnerabilities with humor and emotion, even in front of an audience, is admirable.

“This is her calling,” Mita said, “and it’s the first time I have had a patient creating a show based on their health challenges and victories.”

Following surgery to remove a cancerous mass, O’Brien began six rounds of intensive chemotherapy, seven weeks of radiation treatments and a year of infusion treatments. Without the use of a car or loved ones living nearby, O’Brien rode the bus alone to the hospital. Each day brought new encounters with strangers. To pass time and keep her emotions from swinging to negative thoughts, O’Brien jotted down the impromptu conversations on a notepad. Fellowship with her newfound bus buddies became a silver lining during a difficult time. On the commute from Los Angeles’ bustling Fairfax District to the Cedars-Sinai campus, O’Brien launched her most inspired work.

She was determined to push past fear and depression. On mentally and physically taxing treatment days, she people-watched and fish-gazed—the hospital waiting area had a giant fish tank at the time, that served as a soothing distraction for patients.

“I didn’t know I was writing this show,” O’Brien said. “I was just keeping myself in the present moment instead of worrying. I wrote to entertain myself, not knowing those stories would ultimately entertain others.”

Staying in the moment was something O’Brien learned while participating in an improv program at Cedars-Sinai, designed by Emmy-nominated writer, comedian and breast cancer survivor Shelly Gossman, a Second City alum whose credits include Saturday Night Live.

The end results: A poignant and hilarious one-woman show aptly titled, “Getting There!” Last June, O'Brien's breakout production beat out 150 competitors to earn Best Solo Performance at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival, as well as a coveted platinum medal for her stellar work. LA Magazine said, “'Getting There!' is a gem!” 

Now, O’Brien is raising money to restage the show inside L.A.’s Hudson Theatres. After paying for the theatre rental, as well as small stipends to the cast and crew, proceeds will go to the Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship Program led by Asher.

The program provides support to cancer patients, including classes on exercise, nutrition, cooking and art.

“My chief goal with developing these programs was to relieve some of the suffering and distress that our cancer survivorship community experiences,” said Asher. He added, “to have challenges like fatigue, chemo brain, neuropathy, insomnia and anxiety detract from roles with their families and communities compounds the problem—we want to do everything in our power to enable our patients to live their best life possible.”

O’Brien is still creating, working on a memoir about growing up in Tennessee. She hopes that she can help other cancer survivors navigate their cancer journeys.

To learn how you can support Rebecca O’Brien’s one-woman show, “Getting There!,” please email rebeccaobrien2u@yahoo.com.

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Blog: What’s My Breast Cancer Risk?

For years, she experienced chest pain so intense, she thought she’d pass out. Yet every physician she went to failed to diagnose her symptoms, with some even suggesting that the acute angina she was experiencing was all in her head.

“When you’re treated poorly for a long time and then suddenly someone says, ‘No, it's not in your head, you actually have a heart condition,’ it changes your life,” Ziebart said.  

Those life-changing voices belonged to Cedars-Sinai’s C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Smidt Heart Institute, and Janet Wei, MD, associate medical director of Cedars-Sinai’s Biomedical Imaging Research Institute—both experts in women’s heart disease.

Bairey Merz and Wei identified Ziebart’s condition as coronary microvascular dysfunction. Defined as dysfunction of blood vessels so microscopic that they are invisible to the naked eye, coronary microvascular dysfunction can decrease blood supply to the heart, which can lead to heart attacks and heart failure.

“In the past, when women, in particular, complained of chest pain but had angiograms showing no blockages in the large arteries, their symptoms would be dismissed,” Wei said. “The reality is, women are more likely than men to have heart disease due to coronary microvascular dysfunction.”

Equipped with an accurate diagnosis, Ziebart started on her road to recovery—and found a unique way to express her gratitude.

Formerly a professional photographer, Ziebart has always had a knack for the creative. She’s dabbled in painting as a hobby over the years and, this time, decided to express her gratitude on canvas. What she calls “intuitive” brush strokes morphed into images that resemble the human heart.

Ziebart decided to give the artwork to the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center.

“Jane’s gift is special because of the creativity expressed in her art, in gratitude to the women’s heart center for the care she has received,” said Bairey Merz, the Irwin and Sheila Allen Chair in Women’s Heart Research.

Wei agreed. “Everyone experiences chest discomfort in a different way,” Wei said. “Through these beautiful paintings, I could almost visualize what Jane was experiencing during an angina episode—in the artwork, the little vessels in her heart look as though they’re spreading across the canvas.”

Earlier this year, Ziebart moved back to her native Minnesota. Though she is happy to start a new direction in her life’s journey, she still looks back gratefully on her time under the care of Bairey Merz and Wei. She says she still feels the impact of their dedication, even as she continues treatment in Minnesota, because her new cardiologist came recommended by Bairey Merz.  

“I want to thank Dr. Wei and Dr. Bairey Merz from the bottom of my heart,” Ziebart said. “For the longest time, I was floating around in an ocean without a diagnosis, and it felt like they didn't simply throw me a lifeline. They pulled me onto a lifeboat and for that, I’m forever grateful.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: What is MINOCA? A Type of Heart Attack Mostly Affecting Women

, studies a spectrum of age-related disorders that can impact a healthy lifespan. His acclaimed work has earned him an appointment as inaugural holder of the Kathi and Gary Cypres Chair in Diabetes Research.

Musi joined Cedars-Sinai in 2022 as director of the Division of Endocrinology—Diabetes and Metabolism, director of the Diabetes and Aging Center, and vice chair of Translational Research. He is a sought-after reviewer of high-level scientific publications and an elected member of the Academy for Health & Lifespan Research, an organization of leading scientists and clinicians working toward breakthroughs in the study of factors determining a healthy course of life. 

His research team explores mechanisms underlying common metabolic and age-associated conditions, including diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. In one pivotal clinical trial, Musi’s research team is testing whether removing senescent, or biologically aging, cells that accumulate in our bodies as we age, leads to improvements in glucose (sugar) metabolism and physical function.

“We are at the forefront of the development and testing of interventions to improve metabolic outcomes and promote healthy aging,” Musi said. “I sincerely thank the Cypres family for this vital support that enables us to open new avenues of investigation in critical areas that address challenges faced by patients with diabetes. This new source of funding will also elevate the education and training of young scientists who will continue our mission to advance diabetes research for years to come.”

Kathi and Gary Cypres are longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai, with Mrs. Cypres formerly serving on the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors and, over the years, remaining committed to volunteer work. Mr. Cypres spent his career in the finance and travel industries and founded the former Sports Museum of Los Angeles, believed to have contained the largest private collection of sports memorabilia in the world. In addition to the Cypres family’s numerous contributions to Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors campaigns, they also lent rare sports memorabilia posters for the medical center’s special exhibit, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game, 100+ Years of Baseball Movies & Entertainment.”

“Kathi and Gary Cypres are stellar examples of how visionary support and shared intention contribute to scientific advancement,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “Everyone here at Cedars-Sinai is immensely appreciative of their incredible philanthropy and how their generosity galvanizes our critical research in this specialized field of medicine.”

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: COVID-19 Infection Increases Diabetes Risk

The Walter and Shirley Wang Treatment Area East will feature private rooms with specialized equipment to help patients with medical emergencies ranging from infectious illnesses, gynecological concerns and ophthalmologic disorders to ear, nose and throat-related traumas.

“This treatment area provides the resources and accommodations to care for a significant group of patients in the Emergency Department,” said Sam Torbati, MD, co-chair and medical director of the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Levin/Gordon Chair in Emergency Medicine in honor of Joel M. Geiderman, MD. “That significantly widens the breadth of care we’re able to provide in one of the most critical patient areas. We are so grateful to the Wangs for their generosity.”

The Wangs have supported numerous Cedars-Sinai programs, including COVID-19 initiatives, such as providing face shields that were a critical need at the dawn of the pandemic. They also established the Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in Pediatric Surgery, held by Andrew Freedman, MD. The couple began their longstanding partnership with Cedars-Sinai through a friendship with former Wang chairholder Steve Chen, MD, a pediatric surgeon in the Department of General Surgery.

The Wangs were the guests of honor at a luncheon hosted by Cedars-Sinai to recognize their generous contribution to the Emergency Department. “It’s a genuine honor for Walter and me to contribute to this cause, ensuring that the Emergency Department has the resources necessary to deliver the outstanding and leading-edge healthcare that Cedars-Sinai is known for—at any hour of the day or night,” said Shirley Wang.

Globally, the Wang family is recognized for supporting public health, educational and environmental causes—and the family’s commitment to healthcare is generational. Mr. Wang’s father, Yung-Ching Wang, founded the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital system, one of the largest and most technologically advanced health networks in Taiwan. The Wangs’ commitment to worldwide philanthropic causes is aligned with Cedars-Sinai’s mission to advance medicine and healthcare around the world.

“Cedars-Sinai’s relationship with the Wangs began 21 years ago, and since that time, so much important work has been done in Shirley’s and Walter’s names,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. “It’s a beautiful reflection of who they are—a loving and visionary couple who really devote their lives to the wellbeing of others.”

Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, and the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership, said of the Wangs, “The difference you are making around the world—here in America, in Taiwan and across Africa—is an inspiration to so many of us. Cedars-Sinai has many priorities, but none more important than the Emergency Department. The essence of Cedars-Sinai is represented by the Emergency Department, and the Wang family has never wavered from their conviction to contribute to this health system and the many communities it serves.”

Read More on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Behind the Scenes: Cedars-Sinai Emergency Room

“Young people with great potential and ambition can see a clear path forward to possible careers, where options may have once been limited, because of the generosity of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “Cedars-Sinai is honored and so thankful to continue this transformative partnership.”

 The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation is a longtime supporter of Cedars-Sinai, committing $30 million to establish the Chuck Lorre Allied Health School at Cedars-Sinai in 2024. Support from the foundation, led by President and Chief Giving Officer Trisha Cardoso, has powered YED since 2014. The two-year YED program allows students from Fairfax High School to earn 10 high school credits as well as a paycheck, with many graduates going on to become Cedars-Sinai employees.

“It has been inspiring to meet so many of the current and past YED students and learn about their personal journeys,” said Lorre, who established his foundation in 2013 to expand his philanthropic projects. “The YED program is key to igniting students’ passions for the medical field and for providing a clear avenue to these careers. It just made sense to ensure that a program of this caliber would be able to provide these same opportunities for generations of students to come.”

There are currently 50 students in the YED program and 1,400 YED alumni. Lorre and his foundation team recently met with Timothy Islam and Gloria Arrenquin, two of the program’s success stories. Islam joined the YED program in 2014, shadowing specialists in the Spine Center and the Department of Neurosurgery. The program was instrumental in his decision to pursue a career in medicine. After graduating from UCLA in 2020, with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Biomedical Research, Islam was hired by Cedars-Sinai as a research associate.

He says the program changed the trajectory of his life. “Working in the YED program helped me pay for school supplies, exams and applications in high school, and helped offset some of the cost of living and tuition at UCLA,” Islam shared. “Most importantly, though, it provided me opportunities to explore different career paths at a young age.”

Arrenquin trained under the Teen Line program as a YED student. She was hired by Cedars-Sinai in 2008 and worked her way up to research operations manager for Biomedical Sciences. “Before YED, working in healthcare didn’t feel possible, but thanks to the program, I found my calling and am thankful every day for having that opportunity as a teenager,” shared Arrenquin. “I hope Mr. Lorre knows the incredible impact his generosity and vision have had on my life and livelihood.”

That impact is growing. Each student who passes through the YED program, with support from The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, amplifies the program’s mission to improve college access and success for Los Angeles youth, and ensure career readiness for the next great medical minds to enter the healthcare field.   

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Blog: YED Program Adapts and Continues to Help Students

Cedars-Sinai also is giving $1 million to the nonprofit community health center to help fund the mobile healthcare program. Healthcare professionals staffing the mobile unit focus on providing care in the area surrounding Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital in addition to neighborhoods in South and West Los Angeles.

"This is one of the ways we at Cedars-Sinai are helping address the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles," said Jonathan Schreiber, Cedars-Sinai’s vice president of Community Engagement. “Everyone deserves quality healthcare. That's one of the reasons why we work with partners like Venice Family Clinic in the community. They are able to uniquely serve people experiencing homelessness. It means that we're able to help connect people, not only to permanent and primary healthcare, not only to behavioral healthcare and to dental care, but also to the coordinated entry system, which is the on-ramp to homeless services here in Los Angeles.”

“Cedar-Sinai’s generous support for Venice Family Clinic’s Street Medicine program will expand our ability to provide high-quality healthcare to people experiencing homelessness,” said Mitesh Popat, MD, Venice Family Clinic CEO. “Venice Family Clinic was the first community health center in L.A. County to send healthcare providers into the streets to provide care to our unsheltered neighbors, and it continues to lead the pack by training medical residents, students and other healthcare providers through our Street Medicine curriculum and providing hands-on experience in the field, for which this new mobile unit provides additional opportunities.”

Venice Family Clinic Physician Assistant Carrie Kowalski knows how to help people who find themselves without housing.

“It’s gaining their trust and getting them to really know that you’re on their side that’s crucial,” said Kowalski. “The patients need to know you believe in them as a human and that you believe in their health and their wellness. That’s the key to getting them to accept care and come back.”

At the mobile clinic, Kowalski and other healthcare workers treat patients for a wide range of problems—everything from foot infections and flu shots to high blood pressure and mental health issues.

With the new mobile unit from Cedars-Sinai, Venice Family Clinic now has three mobile units, enabling clinic staff to care for more patients around Los Angeles. While Venice Family Clinic has as many as nine “street medicine” teams who work with people experiencing homelessness, the mobile units enable healthcare professionals to treat patients–especially those in need of in-depth care–in a private, safe setting.

“When I see the newly wrapped van with both Venice Family Clinic’s logo and Cedars-Sinai’s together, it epitomizes the partnership that we have in supporting the community,” said Erin Jackson-Ward, director of Community Giving at Cedars-Sinai. “Improving access to care for the most disadvantaged is a cornerstone of Cedars-Sinai’s community benefit effort and it’s what Venice Family Clinic lives and breathes every day.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Supporting Homeless Patients in the Emergency Room

Alfred E. Mann Charities, Incorporated, has just announced a $25 million gift to the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors, which marks the organization’s largest single pledge to an individual institution. The gift will establish the Alfred E. Mann Single Cell Precision Medicine Center at Cedars-Sinai, which will accelerate single cell biology research being advanced at the Board of Governors Innovation Center.

“This generous gift will propel groundbreaking research at the innovation center,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of the Medical Faculty. “Single cell biology is a rapidly growing field in medicine and Cedars-Sinai continues to position itself as an innovative leader in this exciting field, driving clinical innovation for our patients.”

The Mann center will house laboratories where researchers will focus on the causes of developmental, neurological, immunological, cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as develop curative treatments for patients diagnosed with these challenging illnesses.

“What an incredible honor for Cedars-Sinai to receive this unprecedented gift to the Board of Governors,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. “The name Alfred Mann characterizes what selfless humanitarianism and scientific brilliance can accomplish.”

This transformative donation also enables the Board of Governors—a community of philanthropic leaders supporting innovation in healthcare—to conclude and celebrate its current $50 million fundraising campaign five years ahead of schedule.

“We are so grateful to Alfred E. Mann Charities for their generous support and for being the catalyst to closing this crucial chapter of the Board of Governors fundraising campaign,” said Jeffrey Golden, MD, vice dean of Research and Graduate Education and director of the Burns and Allen Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

Alfred Mann was a prolific inventor who dedicated his life to utilizing technology and innovation to improve health outcomes for millions of people. Some of his most renowned accomplishments include pioneering the development of pacemakers, insulin pumps, inhalable insulin powder, and cochlear implants for the deaf. During his lifetime, he founded 17 companies, all focused on bridging medicine and engineering.

Today, his visionary influence carries on through the work of Mann Charities and its officers and directors, Michael Dreyer and Anoosheh Bostani, valued members of the Board of Governors who are dedicated to facilitating pioneering medical discoveries that result in better treatments and compassionate care of patients. This significant gift from the charitable organization will help to fully realize the shared mission of Mann Charities and Cedars-Sinai.

“There’s no question that this contribution is what Alfred Mann would have envisioned in his unwavering commitment to furthering health care with new and innovative treatments and technologies,” Dreyer said. Bostani added, “As invested Board of Governors members, we look forward to supporting forward-thinking initiatives that will now come to fruition at this new center."

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: New Tools at the Innovation Center

The philanthropy of the Gourrich Foundation will strengthen and galvanize Spiegel’s pioneering studies in digital health innovation. The late George Gourrich, MD, and his wife Dorothy have been loyal supporters of Cedars-Sinai—Dr. Gourrich practiced internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai for most of his storied career spanning five decades.

Spiegel is a widely-respected authority in gastroenterology and health technology, spearheading groundbreaking research in digital health and the use of virtual reality to help patients manage pain and anxiety. His research shows that using virtual reality environments can help relieve discomfort and support positive emotions. Earlier this year, Spiegel gained widespread attention for his theory that gravity may be a causative factor for irritable bowel syndrome, the most common gastrointestinal disorder.  

“I thank the Gourrich family for their incredible vision and legacy in supporting our research at Cedars-Sinai,” Spiegel said. “We’re working to find ways to deploy digital technologies in ways that are equitable and cost effective so that all populations can benefit from them.”

Ethics, Spiegel adds, factor prominently in these developing technologies. “As we unlock new methods of treating patients, particularly with massive advances in artificial intelligence, we must ensure that these technologies are used in an ethical and equitable manner,” he said.

Spiegel’s work has helped broaden a new field of medicine called Medical Extended Reality, or MXR, in which doctors use immersive tools like virtual reality goggles to help treat a patient’s pain, anxiety, depression and other medical conditions.

Spiegel leads the Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education, a multidisciplinary team investigating the clinical uses of digital health technologies—from wearable biosensors and smartphone applications to social media. Spiegel and his team are exploring the role these technologies play in establishing greater levels of understanding and empathy between doctors and patients.

The team brings together specialists, including clinicians, computer scientists and health services researchers to test and implement digital therapies to improve the health of patients at Cedars-Sinai and around the world.

“Dr. Spiegel is well poised to accelerate his national leadership in this rapidly evolving field of medicine,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai.

Spiegel has published several best-selling medical textbooks, including VRx: How Virtual Therapeutics Revolutionize Medicine. His scientific findings also have been featured in more than 260 peer-reviewed articles.

“Dr. Spiegel’s impactful research underscores the value of establishing this endowed chair and highlights how deserving he is of this recognition,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “Cedars-Sinai is so thankful to the Gourrich Foundation for this incredible gift that promises to sustain research in the burgeoning field of digital health ethics today and far into the future.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Virtual Reality in Healthcare: Pain Relief

Medina-Kauwe is associate director for Basic Research in Cedars-Sinai Cancer, co-director of the PhD Program in Biomedical and Translational Research at the Cedars-Sinai Graduate School, and a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.

Widely recognized as a leading authority in nanomedicine, Medina-Kauwe has created nanoparticle therapies engineered to target and halt cancer growth. She seeks to develop advanced technology that delivers therapeutic agents to triple-negative breast cancer cells that metastasize to the brain.

“I'm honored to hold this new position,” said Medina-Kauwe, who joined Cedars-Sinai in 2003. “I would like to thank the Carol Moss Foundation for recognizing that it takes creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and innovation for the multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary work that has the potential for translating into the clinic.”

Medina-Kauwe’s commitment to discovering viable new cancer treatments stems from personal experience—she lost both her mother and grandmother to drug-resistant cancers.

A native Angeleno, Medina-Kauwe earned a bachelor’s degree at Occidental College and a PhD in molecular biology from UCLA. She later pursued postdoctoral training at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. She has received competitive funding from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the American Cancer Society.

“Dr. Medina-Kauwe’s creative work on the use of nanoparticles to target therapies directly to malignant cells has propelled her terrific career accomplishments,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine. “We are delighted to recognize her pioneering work and look forward to many more years of her innovative discovery here at Cedars-Sinai.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Uterine Cancer—What Women Need to Know 

Cedars-Sinai has received a gift of more than $140 million—the largest gift in the hospital’s 121-year history—from the estate of longtime supporters Susanne and Ervin Bard. This gift will propel clinical and research innovation in the medical campus’ newest building.

The gift will name the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion, home to internationally renowned institutes, centers and research facilities, including the Smidt Heart Institute and the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center.

The unprecedented gift will allow Cedars-Sinai to elevate and broaden its mission to provide unparalleled healthcare, advance biomedical discovery and educate future medical professionals for the benefit of Los Angeles and the world. The official ribbon cutting for the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion takes place on March 27. 

“The generosity exhibited by the Bards was extraordinary throughout their lifetimes and now as part of their legacy,” said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, and the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “This amazing gift has cleared new pathways to continue the pioneering research and thoughtful care that Cedars-Sinai is dedicated to delivering.”

Located in the heart of Cedars-Sinai’s main campus, the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion is a 450,000 square foot state-of-the-art healthcare facility that opened in 2013. In addition to offering the highest quality of treatment through outpatient clinical care, Bard Pavilion laboratories and clinical areas generate groundbreaking translational research and medical expertise through the Neurosciences Program, along with Smidt Heart Institute and Samuel Oschin Cancer Center.

“Our outstanding employees in every division of the pavilion work tirelessly to save lives every single day,” said James Lippman, chair of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Directors. “With the generous support of Susanne and Ervin Bard, we will continue to build on this abiding commitment to healing.”

Natives of Hungary, the Bards were longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai and believed deeply in the Hebrew concept of giving known as tzedakah. Mrs. Bard spent years volunteering in various Cedars-Sinai departments, even after her husband’s passing in 2006. She passed away in 2021.

“The Bards have and will continue to touch the lives of so many of our patients through their generosity,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. “Cedars-Sinai is humbled and eternally grateful for this historic gift that allows us to allocate funds where needed most in the advancement of medical science and care.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Generations Ahead