Women's Guild Inspires Innovation
Philanthropic group raised $20 million for lung treatment and research
For more than 60 years, Women's Guild has been supporting pioneering research and care at Cedars-Sinai. Its members, who share a powerful commitment to innovation and education, have raised more than $40 million to fund critical work in a variety of medical areas. That includes $20 million for the creation of a world-class research and treatment center for lung diseases.
Founded in 2012, the Women's Guild Lung Institute now provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care at Cedars-Sinai for diseases of the esophagus, chest, lungs and airways.
Led by director Paul W. Noble, MD, the Lung Institute has made significant strides in the treatment of pulmonary illness. Its achievements include:
- Advancement of research in genetic links to lung cancer
- Establishment of a repository of biomarkers (characteristics that can indicate disease or disease risk to facilitate ongoing research)
- Doubling the number of lung transplants performed at Cedars-Sinai
- Development of the first medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
The Lung Institute was also among the first to create a computed tomography (CT) screening program for people with a higher-than-average risk of developing lung cancer. This screening is now a standard of care nationwide.
Other Projects
Women's Guild has led the way in providing resources for a wide range of programs at Cedars-Sinai. It established the Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Center—A Project of Women's Guild at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. And it endowed the Women's Guild Chair in Women's Health, which supports the work of C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center.
In 2013, Women's Guild embarked on a new fundraising effort—a $10 million pledge to fund the Women's Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills. Equipped with the latest in patient simulators and medical devices, this training center provides an immersive environment in which a wide range of professionals, from surgeons to nurses, can practice working together and prepare for medical procedures.
A donation to Women’s Guild supports patient care, vital programs and equipment, and research and education. Your gift can be designated to honor or remember a loved one, mark a special occasion or fund a specific center.