Chautauqua 2025 was held at Ojai Valley Inn at the beginning of March.

"Chautauqua" is a wonderful, informative weekend that the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation organizes every year for Foundation trustees and physician leaders at Saint John’s.

This year, the presentations focused on “Longevity - Empowering Your Best Life.” Several Saint John’s physicians spoke on subjects related to longevity, and the keynote speaker was Deepak Chopra, M.D.
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Several IDG members attended this year, including IDG President Kathy Yawitz, Sila Vokshoor, Panthea Shafipour and Kate Prudente, who are in these photos, as well as Mary Flaherty, Donna Schweers, Chris Newman, Jill Robertson, Carol Smith, Angelle Grace Wacker, Rachel Ault, Jo Ann Klein, and Maryam Movassaghi.
IDG members who attend this event are there in their capacities as trustees, spouses of trustees, or spouses of physician leaders.

On February 27th, several members of the Irene Dunne Guild attended the Collective Healing Symposium organized by the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation.

The program featured medical experts discussing grief and resilience following critical events, such as the Palisades Fire. The symposium provided enriching insights and valuable perspectives on collective healing.
Dr. Spanos, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry, delivered an insightful presentation that deeply resonated with attendees.

Guild members in attendance included Kathy Yawitz, Carol Bullock, Kate Prudente, Jill Robertson, Su-Z Schneider, Morgan Culbertson, and Tess Csiszar.

Irene Dunne Guild Kicks Off the Year with an Inspiring First Meeting.
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On January 30th, the Irene Dunne Guild (IDG) held its first meeting of the year, bringing members together for an engaging and meaningful discussion on the organization’s ongoing impact. 

A highlight of the meeting was a presentation by health center caregivers, who shared details about the various items funded through the 2024 Patron Drive campaign, chaired by IDG members Suzie Deweese and Evelyn Guerboian. It was truly inspiring to see how the generosity of our supporters translates into tangible improvements in patient care.

Another exciting moment was the unveiling of IDG’s new logo, presented by President Kathy Yawitz.

The meeting also addressed a serious topic—the impact of the Palisades fire on our local area. Members discussed ways to support both the Health center and the members of our community as they navigate the challenges brought by the disaster. This conversation reinforced IDG’s dedication to responding with compassion and action in times of need.

As we move forward in 2025, IDG members remain committed to supporting Saint John’s Health Center. We are grateful to all our members and donors who make our mission possible, and we look forward to another impactful year ahead!

For more information on IDG’s initiatives and how to get involved, visit our website.

GIFT OF EQUIPMENT, PROGRAMS & PROJECTS
Each year, we review requests from various departments in the Health Center to determine grants for programs and equipment which will have the greatest impact for patients and caregivers.  Our goal is to use all donated funds each year to help Saint John's provide leading edge medicine and unwavering compassionate and personalized care. Scroll down to learn more.
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Programs funded by the Patron Drive in 2024
In 2024, through the generous donations to the Annual Patron Drive, the Irene Dunne Guild funded the following programs and equipment:
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Cancer Center - 3 beds and 22 blood pressure cuffs.
Medical Procedures Unit - 1 Vein Finder and 1 Bladder Scanner.
Beauty Bus for the Patients with Cancer in the Infusion Center - hand massages and facials 2 times a week for a year.
Labor and Delivery Operating Room - Curvilear Probe to fit on the S11 Ultrasound System - Facilitates use on heavy women.
Laboratory - 16 Staff Lockers
Volunteer Services - Funds for a simple get-together for the NODA (no one dies alone) program volunteers, Nifty Needlers supplies, and snacks for the surgery waiting room.
Vascular Access (Hospital Wide) - re-stock for PICC line home kits and supplies for port placement kits.
Emergency Room - 1 Vein Finder


Ongoing Programs funded by our Patron Drive
​Angels of the ER
A nationally recognized program unique to Saint John's
Treats for Caregivers
Snacks distributed to hospital staff in recognition of their efforts and delivery of compassionate care.
Patient Library
Books, DVDs and CDs for patient use and waiting room magazines throughout the hospital.
Toys for the ER
Guild members purchase a number of toys and activity kits for distribution to children accompanying loved ones in the ER.

We are excited to share the latest updates, insights, and news from the IDG in our Winter 2024 newsletter!
​Scroll down to read the full newsletter.

Dr. Ora Karp Gordon gave our members an incredibly helpful talk on genetics and cancer.

All cancer is genetic- genetic mutations lead to cancer.
There are two types:
Somatic- occurs in a single cell and is NOT passed on to your children
Germline - occurs in gametes, is present in every cell in your body, and leads to hereditary cancers such as the BRCA gene for breast cancer (BRCA is also very indicative for ovarian cancer).
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Genetic testing can help you learn if you carry genes indicative of one or more cancer types. These tests are much more affordable today.

Dr. Gordon recommended the following screenings:
HPV
Mammograms
Colonoscopies
Prostate surveillance
Low dose CT for current or former smokers 
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She also mentioned an exciting new test, the Galleri MCED (multi-cancer early detection) test which can detect a shared cancer signal across 50+ types of cancers. Currently, this test is not covered by insurance.

On September 19th, the Irene Dunne Guild held its General Meeting, where members gathered to discuss the ongoing activities and initiatives of the Guild. As always, the meeting served as an opportunity to connect, share updates, and celebrate the Guild’s continued impact, including the recent "Treats for Caregiver" and the "Fiesta" events.

In addition to the reports on our regular activities, we were delighted to welcome three new members into the Guild. Christine Ofiesh, our Membership Co-Chair, introduced Panthea Shafipour and Elizabeth Mullan, who were in attendance, and we also welcomed Lauren O'Donnell, who was not present at the meeting.

Panthea Shafipour is inspired by the Guild’s philanthropic focus and commitment to caring for people. Elizabeth Mullan rejoins us as a former member, eager to contribute her talents and experience from her involvement in other organizations. Lauren O'Donnell appreciates the Guild’s speakers, programs, and the group’s enthusiasm, and she deeply values the hospital.
We are excited to welcome Panthea, Elizabeth and Lauren to our community!
With their unique perspectives and enthusiasm, we look forward to the positive impact they will bring as we continue working together to support Saint John's Health Center.

The meeting continued with the presentation on genetic testing and cancer prevention by Dr. Ora Karp Gordon of Saint John's Cancer Institute.

​Photos: Panthea and Elizabeth with Membership co-chair Christine, and Lauren.

This year’s “Treats for Caregivers,” organized by the Irene Dunne Guild, took place on September 12th and was a great success!

Nearly 1,000 ice cream treats along with hundreds of gift cards and prizes were given away during last Thursday’s annual ‘Treats for Caregivers’ event! Hosted by the Irene Dunne Guild and Saint John's Health Center Foundation, Treats for Caregivers is organized as a way to have fun and show appreciation for the hard work done by the wonderful staff across the Health Center. Caregivers got to choose between a variety of ice cream flavors from the King Kone ice cream trucks while listening to malt shop oldies and answering trivia questions or hula-hooping for prizes! There were 689 ice creams given out during the day and over 200 given out during the night shift in the cafe. Thank you to all who attended and to the Irene Dunne Guild and Foundation organizers who hosted. Another big shout-out to the local business vendors who donated prizes for the occasion including Shake Shack, Bludso’s BBQ, Dunkin’ Donuts, Randy’s Donuts, Santa Monica Seafood, Mendocino Farms, Uppers Café Bake Shop, Café Luxxe, El Cholo, Cookie Good & Petitgrain Boulangerie.

A big thank you to event chair Diane Morgan for organizing, to Morgan Culbertson for the fun Trivia, and to the amazing IDG volunteers who helped make the event possible. We also extend our gratitude to all our sponsors and give a BIG Thank you to Shake Shack for its large generous donation!
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Treats for Caregivers sponsored by:
Bludso's BBQ
Cafe Luxxe
Cookie Good
Dunkin' Donuts
El Cholo
Mendocino Farms
Petitgrain Boulangerie
Randy's Donuts
Santa Monica Seafood
Uppers Cafe and Bakeshop