Nearly 300 members of the Brigham and Women’s family—donors, trustees, hospital leaders and several physicians—celebrated the hospital’s philanthropic success at the annual Heritage Society dinner and award presentation held on Oct. 18 at the renovated Ritz-Carlton.

The hospital bestowed the 2002 Heritage Society Award—Brigham and Women’s “Nobel Prize” for volunteer leadership and philanthropy—upon longtime BWH supporters Gerald and Elaine Schuster. Among the couple’s initiatives are leading fundraising for the Richard Wilson Chair in Surgical Oncology, establishing a gynecologic oncology fellowship and thoracic surgery lectureship and supporting a hospitality cart for radiation oncology patients.

BWH President Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA, thanked guests for their support, noting that the hospital reached its $31-million fundraising goal for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2002 in spite of the sagging economy. He also announced that $115 million has been raised toward the $200-million goal for Great Medicine in the Making, the most ambitious capital campaign in BWH history.

Contributions from the Hippocrates Society’s philanthropic-minded physicians have helped the hospital reach its fundraising goal. Founded last spring by Fred Sharf, a longtime BWH supporter and Campaign Cabinet member; Marshall Wolf, MD, vice chairman of Medical Education; and Chairman of Surgery Michael Zinner, MD, who also co-chairs the campaign, the society has contributed $3.1 million to date toward its $5-million campaign goal. Members’ contributions will support institutional priorities.

To learn more about the Hippocrates Society, contact Cynthia Campbell at ext. 2-5008.