For more than 25 years, the Myra Rubenstein Weis (MRW) Executive Committee has hosted hundreds of guests at their Annual Benefit Luncheon each spring to celebrate the memory of Myra Rubenstein Weis, who passed away from breast cancer, and to raise funds for cancer survivorship programs at Endeavor Health.
The annual luncheon also honors an outstanding Endeavor Health healthcare team member. This year’s honoree — Catherine Pesce, MD, FACS, Division Chief of Surgical Oncology and the Board of Directors/David P. Winchester, MD, Endowed Chair of Surgical Oncology — is especially appropriate for an organization that honors the memory of loved ones lost to cancer.
A personal connection to cancer
Dr. Pesce started her career in medical education as a premed student at Duke University. There she shadowed a cardiothoracic surgeon and quickly decided she wanted to pursue a career in surgery.
After Duke, she received her medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago and was a resident at Johns Hopkins University in their general surgery training program. During her second year in residency, Dr. Pesce’s mother passed away from colon cancer.
“I knew from that point on, my heart was in oncology,” she said about her career path, which included a fellowship in Breast Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Helping cancer patients
Since joining Endeavor Health’s NorthShore hospitals in 2012, Dr. Pesce has worked to establish and expand the breast cancer surgery program and to help women diagnosed with breast cancer understand their treatment options.
Dr. Pesce became the Director of the Breast Surgical Program in 2016 and is a clinical associate professor at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She also developed Endeavor Health’s Breast Surgical Oncology fellowship jointly with the University of Chicago and serves as Program Director of the fellowship.
For every patient she sees, Dr. Pesce is dedicated to advancing breast cancer treatment, combining oncologic excellence with aesthetic outcomes to provide compassionate, patient-centered care.
“While no woman wants to hear she has breast cancer, I make it my priority to comfort, encourage and clearly communicate our plan to fight the disease so we can work together,” said Dr. Pesce.
Recognizing excellence in oncology
The MRW Executive Committee will honor Dr. Pesce for her accomplishments in breast cancer surgery at their Annual Benefit Luncheon on May 21, 2025, at the Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized by the Myra Rubenstein Weis Executive Committee, an organization that has been dear to my heart since starting my practice in 2012,” said Dr. Pesce. “The outpouring of generosity and support our patients receive is awe-inspiring, and I feel truly blessed to say I play a part in helping women with breast cancer in this community.”
The luncheon will also feature Dr. Pesce speaking as part of a panel discussion on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment options. Gabrielle Cummings, President of Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital and NorthShore Hospitals, will moderate the discussion with Dr. Pesce, along with Georgia Giakoumis Spear, MD, Endeavor Health Division Chief of the Department of Breast Imaging; Allison DePersia, MD, an Endeavor Health oncologist with particular expertise in genetics; and Poornima Saha, MD, an Endeavor Health medical oncologist.
“We’re looking forward to honoring Dr. Pesce for her outstanding career in providing compassionate care to breast cancer patients,” said Eileen Rubenstein Goldstein, Chair of the MRW Executive Committee.
These efforts would not be possible without philanthropic support. We are powered by the generosity of donors who directly impact our ability to deliver on our commitment to community-connected care.
To purchase tickets or to make a donation to support the MRW Executive Committee’s Annual Benefit Luncheon, please click here. To learn more about the MRW Executive Committee, please contact Elaine Van Dusen at (847) 926-5003 or evandusen@northshore.org.
Masthead photo: Catherine Pesce, MD, FACS, Division Chief of Surgical Oncology and the Board of Directors/David P. Winchester, MD, Endowed Chair of Surgical Oncology
Photo credit: Jon Hillenbrand
