Aurora Health Care Foundation Receives $250,000 Grant from Zilber Family Foundation to Strengthen Hospice and Palliative Care across eastern Wisconsin

Wednesday, December 02, 2015Milwaukee – Aurora Health Care Foundation received a generous $250,000 grant from the Zilber Family Foundationto support continued education for Aurora Zilber Family Hospice and Aurora at Home (formerly Aurora Visiting Nurse’s Association) caregivers so that patients and their loved ones receiving end-of-life care can receive the most compassionate and informed care possible.

The announcement was made Tuesday evening, Dec. 1st, at a dinner marking the 10th anniversary of Aurora Zilber Family Hospice. The event drew in more than 200 supporters, caregivers and community leaders, including formerAurora Health Care president and CEO Ed Howe and his wife Suzanne, along with Marcy Jackson and Marilyn Zilber, daughters of philanthropists Joe and Vera Zilber.

More than a decade ago, the Zilber family donated $1 million to initially build the Aurora Zilber Family Hospice. The new gift continues their legacy to improve the quality of lives of people in our community during some of the most critical times of care.

“At Aurora, we are dedicated to helping people live well throughout a person’s lifetime, and that includes providing exceptional and compassionate end-of-life care. This generous gift from the Zilber Family Foundation will provide continued training for caregivers dedicated to this specialized area of care,” said Cristy Garcia-Thomas, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Aurora Health Care and President of Aurora Health Care Foundation.

Hospice and palliative care seek to create an environment where the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of patients and their families are met. Through Aurora at Home, care is provided by teams of physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, therapists, chaplains, counselors, and volunteers in the comforts of the patient’s home, hospital room or at Aurora Zilber Family Hospice. Many caregivers, especially volunteers, require special training in the complexities of end-of-life care.

Formed in 1961, the Zilber Family Foundation is a private independent grantmaking institution dedicated to enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods, with a primary emphasis on the City of Milwaukee. Since 2008, the Zilber Family Foundation has awarded more than $28 million to support residents and nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in Milwaukee neighborhoods through the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative. For more information, visit: www.zilberfamilyfoundation.org.

Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin-area health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve health care quality. Aurora offers services at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Aurora is Wisconsin’s most comprehensive health care provider and the state’s largest private employer. Aurora serves more than 1.2 million patients every year via a comprehensive network of facilities, services and providers, including 15 hospitals, 159 clinics, 70 pharmacies and 30,000 amazing caregivers. As evidenced by more than 400 active clinical trials, Aurora is dedicated to delivering innovations to provide the best possible care today, and to define the best care for tomorrow. Get helpful health and wellness information via the Aurora MyHealth blog, our Facebook page, our Twitter account and our Pinterest account.