Cedars-Sinai President and CEO Thomas M. Priselac has received the Outstanding Humanitarian Award from the American Society for Yad Vashem-Western Region. The award was given Dec. 2 at the Los Angeles Virtual Gala held by the society, which supports the work of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem.
“From our perspective at Cedars-Sinai, it’s impossible to adequately express in words the positive contributions that survivors of the Holocaust have made to our lives and our institution,” said Priselac. “Their character and influence are in the fabric of our organization. My own experience with our survivors has been life-changing. Without fail, in every encounter and every conversation, the qualities I’ve mentioned have been present in their words and deeds. I owe each of them a debt of gratitude for the example they’ve set and the inspiration they’ve given me.”
The award was presented to Priselac by Vera Guerin, former chair of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Directors.
“As a leader and humanitarian, Tom has made certain that quality care was extended to this population with dignity and grace, reflective of our mission and sincere commitment to the most vulnerable in our community,” said Guerin.
Several other speakers also paid tribute to the work of Priselac and Cedars-Sinai, including Barbra Streisand, who is also a Cedars-Sinai trustee.
