On the evening of Wednesday, June 11, a spirit of gratitude and transformation filled the lower level of the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute as nearly 75 guests gathered to celebrate the launch of the Patricia Gramm Cutilletta Scalp Cooling Program. The heartfelt event honored not only a generous philanthropic gift but also the personal courage and visionary leadership of Patricia and Anthony Cutilletta, M.D., whose journey with cancer has sparked a change that will impact lives across the entire OSF HealthCare Ministry.

The program opened with a warm welcome from Tom Hammerton, president of OSF HealthCare Foundation, followed by a powerful blessing from Sister Judith Ann Duvall, O.S.F., a member of the OSF HealthCare Board and its Treasurer. “Thank you for the caring and generous hearts of Dr. Anthony and Patricia Cutilletta,” Sister Judith prayed, “who are enabling us to offer this new service... to make a patient’s journey with cancer less traumatic.” Her prayer grounded the event in the Franciscan values of love, care, and hope.

Tom Hammerton introduced several OSF HealthCare leaders in attendance, including Bob Sehring, CEO; Michelle Conger, current president and incoming CEO; and Kim Russo, CEO of the Central Region. He also shared reflections on the deep personal and institutional impact of the Cutilletta gift.

“This has been a remarkable year—especially remarkable for Patricia,” Tom noted, referencing not only her recognition as one of the nation’s “Remarkable Women” but also her personal triumph over breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2023, Patricia’s experience motivated her and her husband, Anthony, to fund a scalp cooling program that helps reduce hair loss during chemotherapy—a process that, while often dismissed as cosmetic, is deeply tied to dignity and identity during an already traumatic time.

Patricia and Anthony’s investment—both financially and emotionally—exemplifies transformational philanthropy. As Tom shared, “This is one of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever been involved with… because it required real contemplation and self-reflection.” He added that hair loss often signals to the world that someone is sick. “It may seem like a trivial issue, but it’s not. It’s a visible reminder to the world, and this program gives people the option to preserve a piece of normalcy.”

Following Tom’s remarks, Ryan Luginbuhl, vice president of OSF Oncology Services, shared how Patricia’s honesty and vulnerability shaped the development of the program. “She told me, ‘No one even had a clue,’” he recalled, referring to how successful the scalp cooling was in her own cancer treatment regimen. “We want our patients to walk out into the world and feel like themselves… not defined by cancer.”

Ryan announced that the Scalp Cooling Program, which will be available not only in Peoria but also throughout OSF’s network of Cancer Centers—from Alton, Illinois to Escanaba, Michigan—is already expanding. The first patient in Rockford is set to begin treatment with the cooling system on June 23. “God had a plan for the Cutillettas to bring this program to OSF,” he said.
Patricia’s words were filled with honesty, humility, and hope. She thanked friends and colleagues from across the community, sharing candidly about her own experience. “The system isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t work for everyone,” she explained. “But it worked for me. I sat for six to seven hours every Friday, wrapped in an electric blanket while they froze my head. Hair does not ‘grow back’ as soon as a patient finishes treatment, It takes a few weeks to begin growing and then, typically, grows about one-half inch per month. The thing is that, months or years after treatment ends, your reflection in a mirror or window still says ‘you’re sick.’ Despite the discomfort wearing the scalp cooling device, Patricia was determined. “Unless I told someone, I don’t think they knew I was in treatment,” she said.

That reality—of blending into everyday life rather than standing out because of a diagnosis—fueled her commitment to bring the technology to others. “Peoria patients deserve this. They shouldn’t be told, ‘Well, it might grow back.’ We want to give them another option, and we’re just tickled to do it.”

In closing, Patricia expressed her gratitude to OSF HealthCare and the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. With her trademark grace and candor, she reminded all present that hope, like healing, often begins with empathy—and a willingness to act.  The Patricia Gramm Cutilletta Scalp Cooling Program is more than a new service. It’s a testament to resilience, love, and the belief that patients deserve not just treatment, but dignity. Thanks to Patricia and Dr. Anthony Cutilletta, that belief is now available at OSF.