Our Mission

Improving the lives of patients. Making strides toward a cure.

The mission of the Scleroderma Foundation is focused on three critical goals:

1. SUPPORT: To help patients and their families cope with scleroderma through mutual support programs, peer counseling, physician referrals, and educational information.
    
2. EDUCATION: To promote public awareness and education through patient and health professional seminars, literature, and publicity campaigns.
    
3. RESEARCH: To stimulate and support research to improve treatment and ultimately find the cause of and cure for scleroderma.

Whether you're a scleroderma patient, have a loved one struggling with scleroderma, or just want to learn more about the disease, we have resources, education events and fundraisers you'll love!

Contact Information

Stephanie Somers Gresh, Executive Director
Melissa Kuhr, Marketing & Fundraising Manager

Scleroderma Foundation Greater Chicago Chapter
125 S. Clark, 17th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 312-660-1131
Email: GCchapter@scleroderma.org 
Facebook: facebook.com/gcscleroderma

Board of Directors 
Tony Cogan, President 
Jennifer Bryson, Vice President
Eliisa Capstick, Secretary 
Dan Clarin, Treasurer

Mary Carns
Jules Cogan
Julie Drewniak
Cleetus Friedman 
Carol Goldman 
Peter Goldman
David Helfand
John Varga, M.D. 

Medical Advisory Board
Richard Burt, M.D.
Jane Dematte, M.D.
Ikuo Hirano, M.D.
Amy Paller, M.D.
Stuart Rich, M.D.
Dean Schraufnagel, M.D.
Nadera Sweiss, M.D.
John Varga, M.D.

Spring Patient Conference and Scleroderma 101
The Scleroderma Foundation Greater Chicago Chapter is dedicated to keeping the scleroderma community informed, connected and supported.

The Scleroderma Foundation takes very seriously the threat the coronavirus (COVID-19) presents to individuals living with scleroderma, who are immuno-compromised. Given the recent developments in the U.S. and around the world, we are cancelling our Patient Education Conference on April 18 in Oakbrook and our Scleroderma 101 event on May 7 in Chicago. We want to do what's best for our scleroderma community. Your health and safety are of utmost importance to us.

STAY TUNED! Even though the conference will not take place, we still want you to have this valuable information. We are currently working on ways to deliver as much of this educational content as possible via webinars, videos and other online material. It is important to us that we continue to provide you with the knowledge you need to manage scleroderma and live better, and we are making every effort to do that.