NorthShore University HealthSystem, Edward-Elmhurst Health Finalize Merger
NorthShore University HealthSystem and Edward-Elmhurst Health have completed their merger, uniting 25,000 team members and 6,000 physicians with an unwavering commitment to serving an area of more than 4.2 million residents in communities across Illinois. While a thoughtful approach to a new name and brand for the combined entity is underway, the new system will refer to itself as “NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health.”
Foundations will remain with local hospitals
NorthShore and Edward-Elmhurst share a longstanding commitment to our communities. We believe that healthcare is best delivered locally and that by connecting with and investing in our communities, we deliver the best care and the best outcomes.
Nimble, engaged community-based boards with local representation will create an important and vital mechanism to honor our community connection and provide important engagement for board members, community stakeholders and local physicians. Our relationships with our donors and foundation board members remain critically important, and we will honor all current donor commitments. Our current foundation structure will remain intact. Donations made within the community will stay within the community.
Executive Director’s Update
Edward Foundation is very grateful to the many individuals, families, businesses and grant-making organizations that supported us last year. Your generosity not only supported legacy Foundation programs and services, but also helped fund vital capital improvements across multiple lines of care. In many meaningful ways, your gifts continue to have a profound impact on our patients and their families. During a year of immense challenges and uncertainty, your partnership was especially important and deeply appreciated.
Transforming the healthcare experience is no small objective. Gifts to the Foundation continue to differentiate the level of care Edward Hospital is able to provide. Members across the entire Edward patient care team including administrators, physicians, nurses, techs and others, benefit from the improvements you help make possible. Thanks to you, we are optimizing clinical outcomes, serving patient communities with unique needs, and advancing care that is more safe, seamless and personal.
We look forward to our continued work together in furtherance of Edward’s patient care mission.
The 31st Annual Big Gig raises more than $500,000
Due to a surge in COVID cases, Edward Foundation transitioned its 31st annual gala, The Big Gig: Parisian Soiree to an online event and charitable auction that was held November 29 - December 2, 2021.
The event raised $504,000 with a portion of these funds going towards strategic upgrades across numerous areas at Edward Hospital including advancements in stroke care, pathology, and mammography. A portion of funds raised from The Big Gig will also be disbursed to Linden Oaks Behavioral Health and will be used to purchase equipment to facilitate behavioral health education, outreach, and community collaboration.
Learn more about the services and treatment provided at Linden Oaks in the video below.
Watch for more details on plans for our 2022 Big Gig Gala.
Annual Charity Golf Tournament raises nearly $470,000
Funds raised at golf outing go toward the purchase of a mobile CT Scanner
The Edward Foundation raised $468,000 at its 28th annual Charity Golf Tournament on July 19, 2021 at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont. At the outing, 324 golfers donated funds through sponsorships, donations, the silent auction, raffles and games. Dionne Miller, weekend sports anchor and reporter, ABC7 Eyewitness News, was the event’s celebrity guest.
A portion of funds raised will be used to bring a mobile CT-scanner to Edward’s Emergency Department. This will allow doctors to scan patients right in the room, providing immediate diagnostic feedback. For stroke patients, the new scanner will shorten time-to-treatment, preserving precious brain cells that can save lives or dramatically improve clinical outcomes.
The 29th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
The 29th Annual Edward Foundation Charity Golf Tournament will once again be held at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont on Monday, July 18, 2022. In addition to 18 holes of golf, there will be numerous contests, game holes, a silent auction and food and beverages. We can't wait to see you for another fun-filled day!
"You have the best doctors and nurses at Edward..."
- A grateful patient
Staff and physicians contribute more than $138,000
Employees and physicians invest in Edward Hospital's patient centered mission by contributing to Edward Foundation’s annual Employee and Physician Giving Campaigns that were held at the end of 2021.
Thanks to the generosity of more than 350 managers, employees, and physicians, the Edward Foundation raised $138,519. These contributions are split between restricted gifts going toward a specific program or service and unrestricted gifts which fund the areas of greatest need, including critical patient care enhancements.
SHARE group serves more than 1,000 families in 2021
SHARE program adapts to help families throughout COVID pandemic
The SHARE program continues to be creative and flexible, while providing the needed support during its second year of COVID restrictions. The SHARE program at Edward Hospital exists to provide support services to families who have suffered from a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or an early infant death. This past year, the SHARE program served over 1,000 families.
SHARE was able to return to in-person support groups twice a month in July and continued to hold online meetings three times a month. By increasing the number of groups, more people participate, and feel less isolated.
Due to the most recent COVID surge, SHARE has returned to online-only sessions. Group attendance averages 10-12 participants per meeting. The group is well known, and due to member referrals, participants are joining the group from five other states! These members have also participated in our virtual community events and fundraising.
Walk to Remember raises over $34,000
In place of the annual Garden Blessing for the Wings of Hope Angel Garden, we planted artificial butterflies in the garden and invited families to post pictures on our social media of them “catching” their butterflies in June. Over 100 butterflies were placed and “caught”. Many new families participated and visited the garden for the first time.
The Walk to Remember was also held virtually for the second year. Members were able to fundraise, invite friends and family, and participate in a live-streamed reading of the names. A special Facebook page was created for the event, and registrants were encouraged to post pictures of their personal walks. While it is hard to gauge the number of participants, just over $34,000 was raised. A portion of these funds are intended to be used for the construction of a bereavement family room in the future.
Edward Foundation awards funding throughout Edward and Linden Oaks to benefit patients, staff
Numerous disbursements were awarded from the Edward Foundation in 2021. The following are items that were purchased or areas that benefited from your donations:
- Edward Hospital Care Center
- Nursing and student volunteer scholarships
- Surgery prehabilitation bands for patients
- Nursing research
- Nursing certification/continuing medical education grants
- Mother/Baby books and ink pads
- Staff care cart supplies
- SHARE program materials
- Chromebooks for Linden Oaks inpatients
- Giraffe Omnibed Care Station for NICU
- Microscope cameras for the Lab
- Linden Oaks curriculum database for staff
- Linden Oaks eating disorder certification for staff
- Linden Oaks school refusal program materials
Looking for other ways to support Edward Hospital and Linden Oaks Behavioral Health?
Join the Legacy Society
The generosity of Edward Foundation Legacy Society members will ensure that Edward remains a leading hospital well into the future. If you wish to name the Edward Foundation in your will, or make it the beneficiary of any type of estate gift, please contact Brett Skeen at (630) 527-5956.
Host a Third Party Fundraiser
Shop through Amazon Smile
Want to help make a difference while you shop on Amazon, at no extra cost to you? Simply select "Edward Foundation" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in your Amazon app. They'll donate a portion of your eligible purchases to us.
Thank you for supporting the Edward Foundation!
2021 Summary of Giving
Edward Foundation welcomed 608 new donors in 2021.
The Edward Foundation received 3,118 gifts totaling $2,138,681 in 2021. Thanks to our generous employees and physicians, as well as our supporters who participated in the Big Gig and golf outing, responded to an appeal or made a gift in support the SHARE program, you helped fulfill the Foundation's mission to provide the best and highest quality services, technology and staff to the communities Edward Hospital serves.