The Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) is a Chicago, Illinois-based public charity and a coalition of more than 50 medical specialty societies representing nearly 1 million physicians and professionals. It supports collaboration among specialty societies and funds projects that develop and disseminate resources and programs addressing issues in healthcare.
Key facts about Council of Medical Specialty Societies
In short: Council of Medical Specialty Societies gave $550K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $50K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 36-2868605
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $550,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- Average grant
- $50,000
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $6,473,440
- Primary geography
- Illinois (64% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$6.5M
+14.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$550K
-94.0% YoY
Grant Count
11
-57.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$50K
-85.8% YoY
How Council of Medical Specialty Societies gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
CMSS’s stated mission is to support and strengthen member societies as they address future challenges, and to catalyze improvement through convening, collaboration, collective voice, and action across specialties. Its 2024 filing describes its main purpose as providing a forum for collaboration to influence healthcare, medical education, and accreditation from a broad, cross-specialty perspective.
CMSS’s diagnostic excellence grants support specialty societies developing and sharing resources and programs to improve diagnostic outcomes, including timeliness, accuracy, safety, efficiency, patient-centeredness, and equity. Its website also describes grants to member societies for projects that provide clinicians with diagnostic-performance feedback through clinical registries.
The 2024 grantees included organizations whose stated missions concern, among other things, pathology and laboratory medicine, kidney disease, care for critically ill and injured patients, vascular disease, chest diseases, epilepsy, and dermatologic care. For example, the American Society for Clinical Pathology says its mission is to provide education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and medical laboratory professionals. The Society of Critical Care Medicine says its mission is to secure the highest quality care for critically ill and injured patients.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, CMSS reported 11 grants totaling $550,000. Each was $50,000. The stated purpose for all 11 was a Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables. Among the recipients were the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American Academy of Dermatology, each receiving $50,000.
CMSS’s website says the Promoting Diagnostic Excellence Across Medicine program has awarded 22 grants since its 2022 launch, in amounts up to $100,000. The program is funded by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, with additional support from The John A. Hartford Foundation. This funding supported by CMSS is distinct from the grants CMSS itself gave to specialty societies.
A 2023 request for proposals for a round of diagnostic-excellence awards described grants of up to $100,000 for CMSS member societies, with grantees selected through external review. The website also announced an age-friendly specialty ambulatory care awards cycle, with applications due December 5, 2025; that deadline is past. The announcement described awards of $150,000 to 5–7 specialty societies.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (64%), Maryland (18%), Texas (9%), and Washington, DC (9%). These figures describe the locations of the listed recipients, rather than a stated geographic eligibility area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2020) to $9.1M (2023). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $550K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Society for Clinical Pathology ($50K). Together the top 10 received $500K.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 40 grants of 62 (65%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Society for Clinical Pathology Chicago, IL | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| American College of Emergency Physicians Irving, TX | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| American Academy of Dermatology Rosemont, IL | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| American Epilepsy Society Chicago, IL | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| American College of CHEST Physicians Glenview, IL | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| Society for Vascular Surgery Rosemont, IL | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| American Urological Association Education and Research Inc Linthicum Heights, MD | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| American Gastroenterological Association Institute Inc Bethesda, MD | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| Society of Critical Care Medicine Mount Prospect, IL | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
| American Society of Nephrology Washington, DC | Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,473,440 | $13,836,018 | $13,287,262 | $550,000 (11) |
| 2023 | $5,637,479 | $12,471,540 | $12,488,428 | $9,149,746 (26) |
| 2022 | $4,541,583 | $5,516,538 | $5,187,307 | $2,913,037 (18) |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,473,440 | $5,637,479 | $4,541,583 |
| Revenue | $13,836,018 | $12,471,540 | $5,516,538 |
| Expenses | $13,287,262 | $12,488,428 | $5,187,307 |
| Net Investment Income | $35,193 | $15,157 | $16,766 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing were Patricia Turner, MD, President; Clifford Hudis, MD, President-Elect; Mary Post, MBA, CAE, Secretary; Ken Slaw, PhD, Treasurer; Sue Sedory, MA, CAE, Past President; and Michael Sheppard, CPA, CAE, Past President. At-large members were Steven McLeod, MD; Mark Del Monte, JD; Tracy Sereiko, MBA, CAE; and Sual Levin, MD.
Council of Medical Specialty Societies is led by Helen Burstin MD, CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 5 of 18 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Helen Burstin MD
CEO
Executive Vice President & CEO → CEO, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$500K (2020) → $603K (2024)
Patricia Turner MD
President
At-Large Member → President-Elect, 2023
President-Elect → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Imhoff
Senior Program Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$146K (2022) → $177K (2024)
Ashland V Ruth
Program Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$101K (2024)
Suzanne Pope
Program Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$171K (2024)
Julia Peterson
Chief Operating Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$111K (2023) → $176K (2024)
Donna Cryer JD
Public Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Sheppard CPA CAE
Past President
President → Past President, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sual Levin MD
At-Large Member
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sue Sedory MA CAE
Past President
President-Elect → President, 2023
President → Past President, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clifford Hudis MD
President-Elect
Secretary → President-Elect, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ken Slaw PhD
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Del Monte JD
At-Large Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven McLeod MD
At-Large Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tracy Sereiko MBA CAE
At-Large Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Manuel Paniagua
At-Large Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Post MBA CAE
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Gaffney
Public Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Dina Michels JD (2020–2022) — At-Large Member
- Former: Martha Liggett Esq. (2020–2022) — Past President
- Former: Maureen Phipps MD (2020–2022) — At-Large Member
- Former: Paul Pomerantz FACHE (2022) — Treasurer
- Former: William Thorwarth MD (2022) — Secretary
- Former: Bill Thorwarth MD (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Darilyn Moyer MD (2020–2021) — Past President
- Former: Sue Sedory (2020–2021) — At-Large Member
- Former: Thomas Stautzenbach (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Michael Sheppard (2021) — President-Elect
- Former: Tod Ibrahim (2020) — Past President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $603K, to Helen Burstin MD (CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 633 N St Clair Street 2400, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (202) 539-7168
Website: https://cmss.org
Frequently asked questions about Council of Medical Specialty Societies
How much does Council of Medical Specialty Societies give each year?
Council of Medical Specialty Societies gave $550K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $9.1M across 26 grants.
What is Council of Medical Specialty Societies's typical grant size?
Council of Medical Specialty Societies's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $50,000, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Council of Medical Specialty Societies give grants?
Council of Medical Specialty Societies gives mostly in Illinois: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (18%) and Texas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Rosemont, IL (2 grants).
Does Council of Medical Specialty Societies give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Council of Medical Specialty Societies's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Diagnostic Excellence Grant project with deliverables" (11 grants).
Who are Council of Medical Specialty Societies's largest grantees?
Council of Medical Specialty Societies's largest 2024 grantees include American Society for Clinical Pathology ($50,000), American College of Emergency Physicians ($50,000) and American Academy of Dermatology ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Council of Medical Specialty Societies?
Council of Medical Specialty Societies reported $6.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.8M.
What does Council of Medical Specialty Societies fund?
CMSS’s stated mission is to support and strengthen member societies as they address future challenges, and to catalyze improvement through convening, collaboration, collective voice, and action across specialties. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Council of Medical Specialty Societies?
Council of Medical Specialty Societies has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cmss.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Council of Medical Specialty Societies's EIN?
Council of Medical Specialty Societies's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2868605. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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