The Compassionate Care Awards were established in 1991 to recognize medical professionals who provide exemplary care to patients at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 2014, The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital renamed it’s the Compassionate Care Awards in honor of former Woman’s Board President, Nora Cooney Marra.

Awards are presented in each of the four following categories: Allied Health Professionals, Nursing, Attending Staff, and House Officers and Fellows. Awardees are nominated and chosen by their colleagues. They serve as role models for the humanistic and compassionate care of patients with cancer. In addition to a plaque to recognizing their efforts, each recipient receives a $1,000 honorarium, and their names are listed on a plaque on the 21st floor of Galter Pavilion.