St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is celebrating its fiftieth year of operation; in that time the hospital has conducted important research and cured / saved the lives of numerous children with cancer and other diseases. This paper reviews the organization from a number of important perspectives.

Board of Directors and Governors

The chairman / president of St. Jude's Board of Directors is Camille Sarrouf, who is an attorney in Boston with the law practice, Sarrouf Law. The First Vice Chair is Richard "Rich" M. Unes, from Memphis, Tennessee. Second Vice Chair is Paul Ayoub and the Secretary of St. Jude's Fred R. Harris. As to the Board of Governors for St. Jude's, Robert Breit is the chairman and president and Terry Burman is the First Vice Chair. Martha Perine Beard is the Second Vice Chair for the Board of Governors and Fred P. Gattas, Jt., is the Secretary.

St. Jude Hospital has three Ex-Officios: Richard C. Shadysc, Jr., is CEO / ALSAC; William E. Evans, PharmD, is Director and CEO; and Helen B. Wood is Executive Administrator to the Board (www.stjude.org). There are other boards, including the Scientific Advisory Board (11 doctors as members) and the Cancer Center Advisory Board (with 9 doctors serving the research on cancer).

What is the Mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital?

Advancing cures for cancer and other catastrophic diseases is at the top of the list of goals for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Also, finding means of prevention for various "…pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment" is part of the mission of the hospital. The hospital does not deny treatment for any child "…based on race, religion, or a family's ability to pay" for the services rendered. In terms of the vision of the hospital, St. Jude's strives to be not just respected but also to be a "world leader in advancing the treatment and prevention of catastrophic...

Jude's Hospital?
Along with the Mission Statement and the vision of the hospital, the stated values of the hospital are an important component as well. Values at St. Jude's begin with the importance of ethical behavior -- which helps define "who we are" -- and helps to back up the Mission Statement while "…simultaneously strengthening" the reputation of the Hospital.

St. Jude values include: a) committing to patients that they will receive the "highest quality of medical and supportive care" -- and their families will receive all available information and support necessary to make "informed decisions" about their children; b) respect for the "ethnic, cultural, religious and lifestyle differences of patients" as well as their families, the contributors to St. Jude and "our colleagues"; c) a commitment do donors that money will be spent wisely; and d) a commitment to succeed; to achieve excellence; to be honest and accountable; to respect patients and employees; to develop trust and embrace diversity; and a commitment to social responsibility at a local, state, national and international level (www.stjude.org).

What kind of services does St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Provide?

First it should be noted that St. Jude's is the only facility of its kind that specializes in pediatric approaches to cancer -- and is funded by the National…