Northwest Community Healthcare celebrates 60 years with gala

Northwest Community Healthcare marked a milestone of 60 years of service to the community Saturday, Sept. 21, with a special anniversary gala at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center.

Nearly 600 business leaders, donors, friends and physicians that helped build Northwest Community Healthcare over the years attended or supported the event.

One of the highlights of the evening was an announcement that Northwest Community Healthcare is pursuing the expansion of a cancer program to better meet the needs of the community.

The goal of this expansion is to ensure that the program mirrors the voices of those Northwest Community Healthcare serves and who have supported the organization throughout the years.

"The journey that we're on is to spend the next 12 months planning and working with the appropriate groups to develop critical elements of a program, including the pursuit of a cancer center," President and CEO Stephen Scogna says.

Northwest Community Healthcare invited 130 key opinion leaders from the community to an open dialogue with the cancer care leadership team in order to better understand how Northwest Community Healthcare can elevate its cancer program to match the needs of the community.

"That input is going to be very valuable, combined with the development of our strategic plans," Scogna says.

The Northwest Community Healthcare Foundation - the philanthropic arm of the hospital - hopes to raise funds over the next few years to support the program.

Dedicated donors have consistently supported world-class cancer care at the hospital, most recently enabling the organization to bring the most advanced radiation technology - Halcyon - to Northwest Community Healthcare in January.

Northwest Community Healthcare's Cancer Program is accredited by the Commission on Cancer, symbolizing it has met rigorous standards to improve the quality of care for patients with cancer.

Proceeds from the gala, estimated to exceed $1 million, will go toward the Northwest Community Healthcare Foundation's Cancer Vision Campaign.

Visit the following websites for more on Northwest Community Healthcare's:

• Cancer Services program: www.nch.org/treatment-care/cancer-care/about

• Halcyon: www.nch.org/news/news-article/nationally-recognized-cancer-program-gets-transformational-technology

• Sixty years of care: www.nch.org/news/news-article/northwest-community-healthcare-celebrates-60-years

• Northwest Community Healthcare Foundation: www.nch.org/about-nch/nch-foundation.