Advisory Board

The Advisory Board of The Craniofacial Center was formed in 1987 by a group of former patients, parents of patients, members of Chicago's business and social communities, and others whose lives have been touched by The Center. The mission of this volunteer board is to raise funds to preserve and enhance the unique health care services of The Center, to foster the team approach for patient care, and to raise the public's awareness about craniofacial conditions.

Fundraising by The Advisory Board has two goals. One is to establish a capital fund to insure that The Center has a state of the art facility and equipment to maintain the high level of care for its patients. The second is to secure funds to support programs and professional team members who provide essential care but whose services are not always covered by insurance. In this way, we may assure that all of our patients have full access to all of our services. The Board raises funds through capital campaigns, grants, gifts, and endowments from patient-oriented agencies, healthcare foundations, and private citizens as well as through fundraising events such as our annual gala.

In 1997, The Advisory Board successfully completed a capital campaign to build a new home for The Craniofacial Center. The Board cooperated with The University of Illinois at Chicago and its chancellor to raise $3 million to move The Center into its current 16,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility within the University of Illinois Medical Center. Other major partners in the building fund campaign included The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, The Arie and Ida Crown Memorial, the Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation, the Washington Square Health Foundation, The Harris Foundation, The A. Montgomery Ward Foundation, and the Blum-Kovler Foundation. Ongoing grants from the Grant Healthcare Foundation and the George M. Eisenberg Foundation for Charities enabled The Center to purchase the most up-to-date diagnostic and treatment equipment and to expand professional services, improve patient care, and expand programs for patient support and public education.

With the new clinical facility completed, The Advisory Board has turned its attention to developing named endowments to support patient care programs that are not always reimbursable and to appoint new professional staff members in order to expand the services offered by The Center. The long-term goal is to achieve financial security so that The Craniofacial Center may continue to provide quality care for all of its patients. In addition to an ongoing gift from The Eisenberg Foundation for Charities, The Board and Center have established The Pruzansky Family Endowment, The June Parsons Rader Endowment, and The Gobbato Family Bequest. To demonstrate its own ongoing support of The Craniofacial Center, The Advisory Board has established a substantial endowment in its name. We have also received generous gifts from the Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation, the Walter J. and Edith E. Best Foundation, Paul Newman Charities, The Mattie Talley Foundation, Oronova, Inc., Marshall Fields, Lottie and Florence Palka, and Ms. Joy Buddig.

In 2001, The Advisory Board established The Craniofacial Center Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes individuals or organizations that have worked to support the mission of The Board and The Craniofacial Center. The first recipient, a unanimous selection, was Marilyn Miglin, prominent businesswoman, philanthropist, and longtime loyal friend and supporter of The Center. In fact, Ms. Miglin was the driving force behind the Board's formation and served as a founding member. She continues to treat patients at The Center.

In the Fall of 2003, The Craniofacial Center announced its Partners in Care Campaign. This multiyear project seeks to raise $10 million to support allied health care services at The Center. It will allow The Craniofacial Center to expand existing patient care programs and services and to initiate new and innovative ones to better serve patients and their families. Speech Pathology, Audiology, Psychology, Nursing, Genetics Counseling, Ocular Prosthetics, and Information Technology Research will all benefit. In addition, this campaign will support the new position of Patient Advocate. This unique position will be filled by a former patient who will serve as an ongoing source of support and information for new patients and their families at The Center.

In addition to all of its fundraising activities, each December the Advisory Board also sponsors an annual Holiday Party for patients of The Craniofacial Center and their families. This event of fun, food, and presents provides much needed support to patients and families who would not otherwise be able to enjoy a holiday celebration.

Members of The Advisory Board of The Craniofacial Center include:

The Advisory Board plays an important role in the success of The Craniofacial Center. Inquiries regarding fund raising events, membership, and programs to establish named endowments are welcome. Please contact Sue LaPlaca (312) 996-4266.