Honoring Our Donors

An emergency can be anything from a broken arm after a fall to dozens of casualties from a high-rise fire. Emergencies, as we’ve seen in recent years, can bring the unthinkable. Those charged with responding to these events must be able to do so quickly, efficiently and flexibly. With a $7.5 million gift, the McCormick Foundation is enabling caregivers at Rush to do just that in a new, state-of-the-art emergency center.

In 2002, Rush was one of only two hospitals in the city to be designated a bioterrorism preparedness Center of Excellence by the Chicago Department of Public Health. The new emergency services facility, to be named the McCormick Foundation Center for Advanced Emergency Response, will help Rush to better respond to biological, chemical and other catastrophes. Encompassing 50,000 square feet with 46 examination and observation rooms and 12 resuscitation rooms, the center will be able to accommodate more than 65,000 patient visits each year. This is nearly double the physical space and capacity of the current emergency department.

“Our gift to the campaign is an investment in Chicago. We believe Rush is uniquely qualified to provide health and safety to the people of this city,” said Donald Cooke, senior vice president of philanthropy for the McCormick Foundation.

The McCormick Foundation is one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations and encompasses grantmaking programs in citizenship, communities, education, journalism and special initiatives; Cantigny Park & Golf; and three world-class museums: Cantigny First Division Museum, the Robert R. McCormick Museum and the new McCormick Freedom Museum. A focus on children, communities and country unites the foundation and its many parts and keeps it true to its mission of advancing the ideals of a free and democratic society.

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