The RUSH Cancer Center in the Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building is all about superior patient care, and the new Woman’s Board gift shop will play a role in that.
The shop will offer items specific to patients seeking cancer or neurological care, says Cindy Mancillas, president of the Woman’s Board, which also oversees two other gift shops on the RUSH University Medical Center campus.
"This is going to be a place where the patient can feel like there's some normalcy in their life," she said.
The new gift boutique will have a wide range of items tailored to patients’ needs, like a variety of hats, scarves and other items useful to the patients. There will be journals and inspirational books to keep patients’ spirits up for time spent receiving infusion treatments. And there will be cookbooks, with easy-to-follow recipes for when they need a nutritious meal after a long day.
To keep warm during cold Chicago winters, visitors to the gift shop will be able to browse an assortment of shawls, scarves and throws, along with other casual, comfortable clothing. Sometimes though, it’s just time to relax and unwind, so the new gift shop will also offer games and puzzles to play with family and friends, or on one’s own.
If a patient is receiving chemotherapy, she might not have extra energy to shop elsewhere. Mancillas says, “it will be a place for patients to get a thank you gift for the person that is either taking them to appointments or driving carpool for their kids."
About the Woman’s Board
The Woman’s Board mission is to support RUSH and its outstanding patient care, research and community outreach initiatives.
Through its spring and fall fundraising events, the board raises money for RUSH in many areas, such as cancer research and, most recently, cellular therapy. The Board has also supported RUSH’s community outreach programs.
Mancillas says RUSH’s gift shops play an integral role in life on campus.
“You'll hear people talk about the culture at RUSH,” Mancillas says, “in which RUSH is known to put quality patient care to the highest standards. A gift shop in which someone can go in, browse and pick up a gift may seem trivial; however, it is an added personal touch.”
