Nora Cooney Marra

                    The Compassionate Care Awards

 

 

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Nora.

 

 

 

 

By Megan McKinney

 

Nora Cooney Marra  was a rare magical spirit, loved by all whose lives were touched by hers for 52 years. After her death from pancreatic cancer in 2013, The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital named its Compassionate Care Awards in her honor.  The annual formal recognition of medical professionals for their empathetic care of cancer patients was established  in 1991, following the heartbreaking cancer deaths of two other cherished board members, Martha McCormick Hunt and Jean Ruggles Romoser, two years earlier.

This January, 75 guests gathered for a cocktail reception preceding a ceremony to applaud  2017 award recipients, Jonathan B. Strauss, MD, MBA; Craig S. Boddy, MD and Mary Ellen Maher, RN, MSN, APN. The awards were presented by Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD, Director, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

The event also celebrated the 120th anniversary of The Woman’s Board, which was founded on January 30, 1897  In celebration of the milestone, Joan Moore, immediate past president of the board, presented a check for $120,000 to Frank Giles, MD, Chief of Hematology/Oncology, for the Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Program.

 

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.orgImmediate Past President Joan Moore presenting the $120,000 check to Dr. Frank Giles.  

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Standing: James Chandler MD, Mary Ellen Maher RN, Bharat Mittal MD, Jonathan Strauss MD, Craig Boddy MD and Barbara Pro MD. Seated: Woman’s Board President Stephanie McKean and Leonidas Platanias MD.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

At the  reception preceding the Awards presentation: Stuart Mesires, Beth Hughes and Laura Davis.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Charenton Drake, Leonidas Platanias  and Holly Gibout.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Elizabeth Pruett and Katie Hale.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Doug Greef and Sarah Schrup.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Randy Wessler; Mary Ellen Maher and Emily Deitrick.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Bharat Mittal ,Theresa and Jonathan Strauss.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Jim Wilkin, Holly Gibout and James Chandler.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Louise Study and Langdon Neal.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Frank Giles and Abra Wilkin.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Stephen Falk, Mary Ellen Maher and Randy Wessler.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Wendy Wood-Prince, Whit Annibali and Lucia Steinwold.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Annie Hambleton and Cassie Hutton.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Langdon Neal and Dwight Cleveland.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Ken McKean, Will Kernahan and Charles Moore.

The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Compassionate Care Awards Ceremony and 120th Anniversary Lauren Mellen Philanthropy Coordinator Northwestern Memorial Foundation The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital 251 E. Huron Street Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.926.4020 direct line 312.926.9138 Woman’s Board office lmellen@nm.org nm.org

Happy Anniversary to the Woman’s Board.

Photo Credit:

Ken Carl Photography

Author Photo:

Robert F. Carl