Support Groups

Hands-on involvement in one of Cedars-Sinai's many support groups can be very rewarding. With over 20 support groups sponsoring a variety of fundraising events and activities, there's sure to be one that will give you that special sense of belonging to Cedars-Sinai family.

Please click on any of the following support group listings or see the descriptions below for more information.

Board of Governors

The Cedars-Sinai Health System Board of Governors consists of prominent members of the community. Through their fundraising activities, board members provide critical financial support for Cedars-Sinai's medical programs and research activities. For the past 13 years, the Board of Governors has sponsored the annual Sports Spectacular. In addition, the group has raised over $8 million and provided funding for the Cedars-Sinai Medical Genetics-Birth Defects Center.

The group has increased its participation in various community outreach activities such as Project 9865 and Cedars-Sinai Lifelines program, as well as bringing patients pleasure and comfort with the Board of Governors Magazine Program. In addition, the entertaining Classic Comedy Channel on CSMC's closed-circuit television remains the most watched show by patients. The Board of Governors is continuing to reach out as Ambassadors to the community.

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Brain Trust

The Brain Trust is dedicated to supporting the work conducted at the Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr Brain Tumor Center. The funds raised by the Brain Trust have helped the center put together an exceptional team of experts led by Keith L. Black, M.D. A unique strength of the Brain Tumor Center is its ability to translate research findings from the Medical Center's own laboratory into clinical practice, thereby giving patients immediate access to the latest treatment alternatives for brain tumors, that elsewhere might be considered inoperable.

To learn more or to make a donation, visit the Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr Brain Tumor Center.

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COACH for Kids

C.O.A.C.H. for Kids and Their Families is the Cedars-Sinai Mobile Medical Program. C.O.A.C.H (Community Outreach Assistance for Children's Health) operates two fully equipped "clinics on wheels," which provide free medical and preventive services to children and adults in low-income and underserved areas of Los Angeles, such as South Central, Downtown and Pico Union. Because C.O.A.C.H. believes that a healthy child needs a healthy family, the program has a strong case management component, which includes social service assessments and referrals for job training and placement, housing and counseling.


In 2003, COACH received the prestigious NOVA award for excellence in providing free health services to disadvantaged populations whose primary care health needs are more cost-effectively managed in community-based settings. C.O.A.C.H. continues to be a training site for the Medical Center's pediatric residents, as well as a training site for advanced practice nurses and social work students.


Thanks to the passionate leadership of Chair Donna Estes Antebi, the C.O.A.C.H. support group has raised over $5 million since 1998. C.O.A.C.H. for Kids looks forward to many more exciting and successful events in the spirit of its philosophy that every child deserves the necessary care to start on the road to a healthy life.

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Diabetes Center Associates

The Firestein family founded the Alfred Jay Firestein Diabetes Center Associates in 1973. Since that time, the group has raised more than $4 million in support of diabetes research, patient care and educational programs at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC).

The Diabetes Center Associates sponsor the annual Merchant of Tennis/Monty Hall/Cedars-Sinai Diabetes Tennis Tournament.

The three-day event, now entering its 28th year, begins with a party Friday evening, followed by tennis matches on Saturday. It concludes on Sunday with tennis finals and celebrity matches held at the Playboy Mansion.

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Fashion Industries Guild

Fashion Industries Guild (FIG) was founded by Barney and Harvey Morse in 1956. Its members are individuals prominent in all facets of the fashion industry.

Since its founding, FIG has raised more than $13 million to help build the Seventh Floor South Patient Tower, Barney Morse Rehabilitation Center, Harvey S. Morse Conference Center and the Florence and "Duke" Becker Building.

FIG also sponsored the Arrhythmia Electro-physiology Research Program, purchased two two-dimensional echocardiograph machines and helped fund patient care, medical research and education at the Medical Center. FIG currently supports the Ruth Bregman Fashion Industries Guild Special Children's Program for clinical research of children with AIDS, and the Ruth Bregman pediatric AIDS Outpatient Clinic at Cedars-Sinai for patients and their families.

The GUESS?/Fashion Industries Chair in Community Child Health Endowment, dedicated in 1998, will enable the Medical Center to expand comprehensive health services for high-risk children.

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F.R.I.E.N.D.S of Neurology

F.R.I.E.N.D.S of Neurology (Friends of Research, Investigation and Education in Neurological Diseases), founded by Sally Magaram, Barbara Kalish and Judy Levine, is dedicated to supporting genetic research at the Cedars-Sinai Division of Neurology. The group also funds treatment programs in neurogenerative diseases, including new drug and clinical trials, as well as comprehensive care for patients with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit disorder, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and stroke.

To date, the F.R.I.E.N.D.S' annual fund-raising events have featured luncheons and silent auctions with celebrity guests. Many prominent members of the community are active in support of these efforts, which each year focus on a different neurogenerative disease and the Medical Center programs that address it.

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Good Beginnings

Good Beginnings is Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's support group for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The organization was founded in 1979 by a group of concerned parents who had been in the unit and saw a need for a support group to help premature babies and their families in a time of crisis. Over 26 years later, still comprised of volunteers -most of whom are former NICU parents - Good Beginnings continues to provide critical educational, emotional and financial support to families in the unit.

Premature delivery, birth defects, infections and serious illness can rapidly turn the dream of parenthood into a nightmare. But Good Beginnings is committed to offering an array of outreach services and programs to benefit both families and the NICU. The group facilitates a variety of weekly forums for parent-to-parent support and infant care education for families being discharged with special-needs infants. The organization also offers extensive bereavement support to families experiencing a loss, and subsidizes continued education opportunities to the NICU staff, as well as funding for Neonatal medical research.

In 2005, Good Beginnings launched its interactive website which allows parents locally and beyond to access critical resource materials from the privacy of their homes. A comprehensive virtual library, baby web pages, and hosted on line events are upcoming this winter. In addition to organizing our annual Reunion event, which reunites hundreds of NICU graduate families, the organization also hosts an annual Forever In our Hearts Memorial event to honor the memory of babies that have passed in the NICU. Our newly renovated, state of the art, Good Beginnings Parent Resource Library opened in 2005. Fully stocked with extensive resource materials, new computers, phone access, a kitchenette, locked storage and a resting area, it provides a little respite for families in the unit. At Good Beginnings, we are dedicated to ensuring that a good beginning is the only beginning.

To learn more, visit the Good Beginnings website.

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The Heart Foundation

The Heart Foundation was founded in memory of Steven Cohen, who, in 1995, suffered a massive heart attack and died at age 35. The Executive Board consists of a group of young professionals who want to lend support in the ongoing research of early heart disease.

Proceeds from the Family Fun Faire and Golf Tournament support research being conducted at CSMC into the detection and prevention of early heart disease in young adults.

Since The Heart Foundation's inaugural event, a black tie gala held in 1997, they have raised in excess of $525,000. To learn more, visit The Heart Foundation's website.

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Helping Hand of Los Angeles

The Helping Hand of Los Angeles, Inc, formed in 1929, supports the Cedars-Sinai Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The group helped to establish the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Program and was the first organization at Cedars-Sinai to fund an Endowed Chair at the Medical Center. The Helping Hand of Los Angeles funded their first chair, The Helping Hand Miriam Jacobs Chair in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, in 1983. The group has since endowed a second chair: The Helping Hand of Los Angeles Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The Helping Hand Gift Shop, located on the Plaza Level at Cedars-Sinai, is one of the largest and finest of its type in the country. Funds raised from shop sales, membership dues, tributes, baby photos and an annual Mother's Day Luncheon all go directly to support Helping Hand projects.

The group has approximately 1,800 members, including 165 volunteers who work in the gift shop. Helping Hand has raised more than $19 million for Cedars-Sinai and currently contributes over one-half million dollars annually.

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PROS Support Group for the Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

The PROS support group is committed to winning the battle against prostate cancer by helping to raise public awareness through their fundraising efforts. They have raised funds to support research and state-of-the-art care for patients with prostate cancer.

The PROS was founded in 2001 by the Warschaw family in memory of Louis Warschaw. The next Panache Gala will be held on March 17, 2007, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Since the founding of the group, they have raised approximately $8 million.

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The Psychological Trauma Center

The Psychological Trauma Center of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to helping children, teachers, administrators, parents and other victims who have experienced or observed a traumatic event.

The center addresses this need with short and long-term crisis interventions, consultations, proactive training, and prevention programs completed at schools and community organizations.

The center's staff focuses its attention on helping victims heal emotionally and resume their lives. Group, individual and family counseling is available for traumatized children, families and educators. The center is funded through the support of foundations, corporations and individuals.

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Teen Line

Teen Line is a telephone helpline staffed by volunteer teenagers who have completed a rigorous training program. They take calls from troubled teenagers- nightly, from 6 to 10 p.m.- under the supervision of volunteer mental health professionals.

The Teen Line program addresses such issues as suicide prevention, drug abuse, pregnancy, depression and the everyday problems of growing up. Funding comes from individual donations, corporate gifts, foundation grants and an annual "Food for Thought" luncheon. Proceeds support Teen Line's helpline and outreach services, Teen Line publications such as the Youth Yellow Pages, as well as Teen Line's toll-free, California-wide 800 number.

Teen Line offers training and consultation to organizations such as the Los Angeles Police Department, public and private schools and the media on a variety of topics, including teen suicide, drug abuse prevention, growing up gay, teen pregnancy, eating disorders, youth and violence.

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The Thalians

The Thalians was established in 1955 by a group of "show-biz" people who wanted to shed their Hollywood "fast lane" images and more accurately project themselves as dedicated performers and contributors to the community. This group is the fund-raising arm for the Thalians Mental Health Center, which was the first building to be erected on the CSMC campus. The group has approximately 150 members and has raised more than $25 million.

Each year's Thalians Ball is a media event attended by celebrities and featuring a star-studded show and auction. Other events and donations from the Presidents Club members also provide funding.

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Tom Collier Memorial Regatta

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center became a beneficiary of the Tom Collier Memorial Regatta in 1996. The "Regatta for Hope," presented by King Harbor Yacht Club in Redondo Beach, has raised nearly $200,000 since its inception. In 2003, the regatta volunteers met their goal of endowing The King Harbor Yacht Club Tom Collier Memorial Cancer Lab at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Funds raised by the annual event are dedicated to fully funding the laboratory for Phillip Koeffler, MD, director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology (who also holds the Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research at CSMC).

Dr. Koeffler's research group is currently exploring molecular causes of breast cancer and novel therapies for the disease, including the use of a derivative from the outer skin of red grapes that has demonstrated a moderately potent anti-breast cancer effect by inhibiting growth and changes in cancer cells.

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United Hostesses' Charities

United Hostesses' Charities was founded in 1942, when it provided seeded money for the Blue Baby Clinic at Cedars of Lebanon. Over the years, UHC has raised more than $9 million. In 1976, it established the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, which has continued to receive the organization's support for many years. In addition, UHC has supported the training of cardiologists from around the world through the UHC Harold J. Mirisch Fellowship. In 1992, a $2 million pledge endowed the United Hostesses' Charities Cardiac Research Floor in the Barbara and Marvin Davis Research Building-a leading-edge facility for Cedars-Sinai research staff.

The newest recipient of UHC's funding is P.K. Shah, MD, Cedars-Sinai Director of the Division of Cardiology, who is dedicated to the prevention, treatment and possible reversal of heart disease.

In addition, United Hostesses' Charities supports the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center in Culver City, the UHC Counseling Center, and the 24-hour Psychological Trauma Hotline/Suicide Prevention Center.

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Volunteer Services

Twenty-two years ago, when the dedication ceremony was held for the new Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, (at its present location) we had 250 dedicated volunteers Currently there are over 2,000. In 1976, there were just five male volunteers; in 1996, there were 300. Now teens and even pets have joined the program.

The roles of our volunteers have multiplied along with their numbers. Today, there are more than 400 different volunteer descriptions of the many ways volunteers help the Medical Center's staff and patients.

From the lower level to the eighth floor, volunteers can be found in areas as diverse as Admissions, AIDS & Immune Disorders Center, Comprehensive the Cancer Center, Heart Families Program, NSI Maternity and Pediatrics, and the Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department.

The Volunteer Services Program also supports those CSMC fund-raising programs that request volunteer staffing for their events, such as the Women's Guild Los Angeles Antique Show, and the Sports Spectacular Silent Auction and Women's Luncheon.

With all the changes in the CSMC Volunteer Services program, what has not changed is the depth and breadth of the commitment that brings people to volunteer their time and energy as Cedars-Sinai's partners in caring.

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Women's Guild

Since its founding in 1957, the Women's Guild has raised more than $12 million in support of 70 projects, including the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment and funding programs in patient care, biomedical research and education.

In 1958, the Guild created the concept of staging a movie premiere fund-raiser. In May 1996, the Women's Guild launched another innovative effort, the Los Angeles Antiques Show. In conjunction with the Antique Dealers Association of California, the show has raised well over $1.5 million since its inception. These monies have been designated for the Women's Guild Chair in Women's Health. In 1998, Claude L. Hughes, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., was named holder of that chair, which oversees programs and research in the early diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cures for a multitude of diseases affecting women.

Prior to the Chair in Women's Health, the Guild provided funding for the Women's Guild Pavilion and a special "Easy Street" environment for patient rehabilitation. The group also established, and continues to support, the Women's Guild Hospice Program, is a major supporter of the AIDS & Immune Disorders Center, and provides fellowships through its Mildred Allenberg Research & Education Endowment Fund.

Recently, the Women's Guild funded two new research projects, a study of coronary heart disease in women, and the Women's Guild Osteoporosis Project. In addition, the Guild embarked on a bold campaign to launch the Women's Guild Lung Institute.

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