Edith Rosen Strauss Organization Kicks Off Its Year

The yearly opening meeting of the Edith Rosen Strauss Organization, a charitable group dedicated to raising money for children with cancer, was held today at Sinai Hospital. The lunch event also honored Lilyann Podell, a longtime member and devoted volunteer, pictured at left.

Sinai Hospital Chief of Pediatrics Joseph Wiley, M.D., spoke to the crowd of roughly 30. The organization raises roughly $30,000 a year for Sinai.

"Because of you, we have better outcomes, better quality of life and better resources for our patients," he said.

The number of pediatric oncology patients has grown, both nationally and at Sinai. The updated Herman & Walter Samuelson's Children Hospital at Sinai, expected to break ground in December, will have expanded capacity, including an increase in inpatient beds and waiting areas for families. The Pediatric Oncology Unit will double its number of exam rooms.

"I cannot thank this organization enough," Wiley said. He is pictured above with Podell and ERS co-chairs Beverly Stappler and Dorothy (Dotsey) Roth.