Eileen Saffran

Eileen Saffran, BSSW '74, MSW '76

Alumna Eileen Saffran began her social work career in the health care field in the mid 70’s as a psychiatric social worker conducting case management of psychiatric and oncology patients, a role that led her to co-authored cancer booklets to provide a comprehensive guide for patients, community agencies and hospital personnel. She went on to establish a social work position in the hospital’s hematology clinic and chaired a terminal home care planning committee for Ohio’s Cuyahoga County. Eileen has worked as a public educator for the Organ Recovery, Inc., a social service director, and a community medicine coordinator.

But Eileen’s knowledge and experiences did not prepare her for the role as caregiver to both parents who were stricken with cancer.  As a medical social worker, she found it difficult to find the necessary resources to augment her parents’ physical care.  In Eileen’s own words, “If I as a medical social worker cannot find these resources, how can others find help to deal with the challenges of cancer?”  She knew the solution-- create an agency that would provide high-quality services for individuals diagnosed with cancer and their families.

With all of her vitality, energy, social work skills in practice, administration, and education and community development skills, Eileen visited cities that had similar programs, wrote grants, talked endlessly to funding agencies of the need for the program she envisioned. In 2000, she opened The Gathering Place in Cleveland, Ohio, and to date this agency has assisted free of charge over 18,000 people constituting more than 80,000 visits by people from 38 states and five countries.  The agency employs 20 permanent professional staff, including social workers, psychologist, nurses, librarians, and child-life workers.  All of the professional staff are licensed and have either a Master’s or a PhD.

However, Eileen did not stop with just one Gathering Place. She opened a satellite office on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio, in 2008 and recently celebrated it's anniversary. The Gathering Place, is mortgage free, privately funded with a budget of approximately $2.0 million, and has an endowment of $2.5 million.

 In addition to her education at Ohio State, Eileen (BSSW ’74, MSW ’76) has studied at Georgetown University in the Preceptorship  in Genetics program, the Cancer Patients Program at memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, and the Grief Counseling Program at the University of Chicago.  

The College of Social Work proudly awarded Eileen the 2009 Distinguished Career Award for making a difference in the lives of thousands of cancer patients and their families at the annual Alumni Dinner held September 11, 2009.  Eileen became the 20th Distinguished Career Award recipient placed in the College Hall of Fame.

The Distinguished Career Award is given to an alumnus/alumna for exceptional professional achievements, initiatives, or leadership in one or more of the following areas: practice/clinical excellence, community development, advocacy, education, or administration.