Women’s Guild Surprises 4,500 Healthcare Workers With Gift Cards

Front-line healthcare workers at Cedars-Sinai have worked tirelessly to treat and save patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than 4,500 of them are receiving a token of appreciation from Women’s Guild, a support group that has inspired innovation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for more than 60 years.

The group has spearheaded the Women’s Guild COVID-19 Gift Card Relief Fund Campaign, raising $112,500 in just two weeks to provide healthcare workers with $25 gift cards to say thank you for their heroic efforts.

“Their unfaltering commitment to serve our community is on display every day," said Women’s Guild President Shelley Cooper. "With their compassion, these frontline heroes continue to make Cedars-Sinai a pillar of hope by providing the very best healthcare.”

Recipients of the Women’s Guild COVID-19 Gift Card Relief Fund Campaign include nurse practitioners, clinical nurses, clinical partners, licensed vocational nurses, medical assistants, mental health workers, social workers, assistant nurse managers, environmental services workers (including housekeepers and janitors), food service workers, transporters, respiratory therapists, and security/parking employees. Cards will be personally handed out to frontline staff by department directors.

Along with the gift cards, Women's Guild has delivered 1100 Bandolier phone cases for Cedars-Sinai staff.

In addition to this most recent gift, Women’s Guild also has supported the Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills, donating $10 million over five years, as well as the Women’s Guild Lung Institute, providing it with a $20-million gift over seven years. Both are critical programs that have played a significant role supporting patients and healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 crisis.

“Women’s Guild has been at the forefront to ensure Cedars-Sinai remains at the highest echelon of hospitals,” Cooper said. “It’s an honor and privilege that our centers and programs could aid the nation during these troubling times.”

At the Women’s Guild Simulation Center, teams simulate procedures with life-like robot mannequins before working with patients. The Sim Center has trained more than 5,000 doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to respond to the pandemic. Among other things, the center has provided COVID-19 training for cardiac arrest teams, airway management teams, central line teams, and also has delivered personal protective equipment training, COVID-19 system testing, and COVID-19 device design and testing.

“The Sim Center has been the hub and central focus for training healthcare staff at Cedars-Sinai, ensuring that they are prepared to deliver the best possible care to COVID-19 patients,” said Russell Metcalfe-Smith, the simulation center's director.

Additionally, the Women’s Guild Lung Institute has been instrumental in assisting COVID-19 patients, as well as being at the forefront of research for lung damage, stem cell and lung fibrosis. Physicians from the Women’s Guild Lung Institute are among the expert clinicians who are treating COVID-19 patients in the hospital and ICU.

“Words cannot really describe the dedication that our team has put forth in the last 10 weeks," said Zab Mosenifar, MD, director of the Women’s Guild Lung Institute. "I cannot praise our physician teams, fellows, respiratory therapists and nurses enough for the care they have provided for our COVID-19 patients.”

ABOUT WOMEN'S GUILD: Since 1957 Women’s Guild has been inspiring innovation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Its members share a powerful commitment to supporting world-class healthcare, research and innovation. Raising large sums of money through its legendary galas has consistently funded significant projects including state-of-the-art equipment, biomedical research and education fellowships. The enduring strength of Women’s Guild is our capacity for reinvention. Over the past half a century, we have evolved from the days of glamorous Hollywood movie premieres to a decade of successful antique shows to today’s emphasis on funding programs and critical initiatives with galas and a-list luncheons. Today, the commitment to giving is stronger than ever, thanks to the dynamic members of Women’s Guild who continue to take the lead in making a difference in the lives of patients for generations to come. Our projects include Women’s Guild Neurology Project, Women’s Guild Chair in Gastroenterology, Women’s Guild Lung Institute, Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills and the Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Center – A project of Women’s Guild at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Monica M. Jaramillo, 310.701.9714 mjaramillo@labeltheagency.com.