Advisory board

The advisory board's focus

A central mission of the integrative medicine initiative is to examine which complementary and alternative therapies consistently benefit children.

To build on the seed grant given by Judith Nan Joy and the Miller Family Foundation, the program established a hospital-linked "informed advocacy group" that has as its primary focus the advancement of the integrative medicine initiative. We believe it is important to integrate the ideas and wishes of the patients, their families and surrounding communities with the staff's to create an integrative medicine program that truly reflects the needs, beliefs, and culture of our patients and families.

The advisory board is a partnership of staff, families, and the community at large that concentrates on education and philanthropy of integrative medicine. The board consists of various interest committees and an auxiliary board which meet three times a year. Planning committees meet during the year, and all board members are encouraged to attend educational and retreat opportunities of the integrative medicine initiative. The advisory board will be a vital asset in helping the initiative grow and become an integral part of the comprehensive care at Children's Memorial Hospital.

The advisory board's mission

To advise and support the work of the integrative medicine initiative to achieve their goal of a safe, healing medical environment for children and their families from a holistic perspective.

The board's goals

  • Support: Through visits with alternative and complementary practitioners and round table discussions at committee meetings, board members will be provided with a supportive environment to discuss recent advances in clinical service and research strategies.
  • Advocate: Through opportunities to attend the pediatric integrative medicine conference, participation in education interest groups, updates from scientific journals on recent research articles, and presentations on current research projects at Children's Memorial Hospital, board members will have the opportunity to become educated representatives for the initiative at the hospital.
  • Succeed: The board will, on behalf of the integrative medicine initiative at Children's Memorial Hospital and in conjunction with the Children's Memorial Foundation, help identify, cultivate and solicit members of the prospective donor community who are interested in pediatric integrative medicine.

Board members:

Eric Achepohl, Chief Executive Officer, The Benida Group, LLC
Beth Bollenbach, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Don Camp, Administrator, Children's Memorial
Aimee Crow, MD, Pediatric hospitalist, Evanston Northwestern Hospital
Helga DeBontin, Community member
Rosalyn L. Bruyere, DD, Director, Healing Light Center
Virginia Cooke, President, Phoenix Perth Institute
Leon Epstein, MD, Head, Neurology, Children's Memorial
Jim FioRito, Family Services Advisory Board, Children's Memorial
Lynn Getz, Executive Director, Globe Foundation
Sue Horner, RN, MSN, Developmental Specialist, Children's Memorial
Judith Joy, Philanthropist, Children's Memorial Hospital
Kathi Kemper, MD, MPH, Professor, Wake Forest University Health Science
Morris Kletzel, MD, Head, Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant, Children's Memorial
Karen Koffler, MD, Director, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Integrative Medicine
Claudia Lubin, Consultant, Healthy Alternatives
Dena Mendes, Consultant, Healthy Alternatives
Mike Miller, MD, Director of Clinical Services, Immunology/Rheumatology, Children's Memorial
Kirk Moulton, LicA, Director, Healing Junction
Steve Porges, PhD, Director, The Brain-Body Center, Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago
Melinda Ring, MD, Medical Director, Resurrection Center for Integrative Medicine
William Schnaper, MD, Vice-chair, Dept. of Pediatrics, Children's Memorial
Loren Sorce, PPN, NP, Children's Memorial
Santhanam Suresh, MD, Dept. of Anesthesia, Children's Memorial
Carol Swegle, Community member
Leslie Mendoza Temple, MD, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Integrative Medicine
Pieter Van Heule, DC, Director, Integrated Holistic Health Care
Xiobin Wang, MD, Director, Smith Child Health Research Core, Children's Memorial
JoAnna Weinstein, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Children's Memorial
Leonard Wisneski, MD, FACP, FACN, Medical Director, Integrative Medical Communications, George Washinton University Medical Center
Tita Zeffren, Philanthropist, Children's Memorial