The Cancer Wellness Center was started in 1989 in Skokie, Illinois, by three friends who were determined to build a reliable source of information and support for cancer survivors and others living with cancer.  The Center opened in a small donated space in Skokie and later moved to its present location in Northbrook. Founders Patsy Winicour, Judy Brannon, RN, and Mary DeJager, LCSW, began with a telephone hotline and three support groups – the first of their kind in the state.

Today the Center has grown and expanded its services to provide education, wellness services and psychosocial support to those impacted by cancer and their loved ones.