SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 17, 2016) ― The San Antonio Cancer Foundation, formerly the CTRC Foundation, has pledged $17 million to support the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, which is a new affiliation between The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from Houston. The affiliation will become operational in the summer of 2017.
Announced Nov. 1, the affiliation brings together the Cancer Therapy & Research Center of the UT Health Science Center San Antonio and MD Anderson to create a comprehensive and clinically integrated cancer care program in San Antonio. The affiliation will maximize each institution’s expertise and strengths for the benefit of South Texas cancer patients.
The landmark $17 million gift will be used for physician and faculty recruitment.
Gary V. Woods, chairman of the board of the San Antonio Cancer Foundation, said, “With this gift, the San Antonio Cancer Foundation wants to provide some of the resources needed to help support this affiliation. We are proud to be a part of the new UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center.”
Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, M.D., FACP, said, “The San Antonio Cancer Foundation has been an exemplary partner to the CTRC throughout its history. The foundation’s commitment to our success in this new affiliation as the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center will continue the tradition of leadership support for our lifesaving mission for cancer patients. We are indebted to Gary Woods and to the entire board of the San Antonio Cancer Foundation for once again stepping forward to lead the way with this remarkable gift. Every patient will benefit because of their generosity.”
Through this new affiliation, the CTRC will collaborate with MD Anderson as part of an international network of hospitals and health care systems to end cancer globally. The affiliation will bring to San Antonio increased access to MD Anderson’s treatment protocols, standards of care, extensive clinical trials and translational research. Patients also will have access to the MD Anderson model of patient-centered, comprehensive care provided by multidisciplinary teams that will provide a new dimension in innovative care and treatment.
The agreement also will bring additional new funding to improve the infrastructure of the CTRC, including a newly renovated Patient and Family Welcome Center, an expanded and more efficient pharmacy, an infusion center designed around the patient experience, a diagnostic suite and a wayfinding system to help patients more easily navigate.
“These improvements will take time, which is why we will not offer the collaborative services until the middle of next year,” President Henrich said. CTRC patients, however, will continue to receive cancer care and have medical appointments at the CTRC during the renovations.
UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven said the affiliation aligns with his vision of to create a “quantum leap” by building collaborative teams of UT System institutions based on the institutions’ respective strengths and expertise. To support this mission, the UT System Board of Regents has committed $12 million in Permanent University Funds for this affiliation. Funding also will come from philanthropy and operating revenue, altogether totaling an investment of approximately $60 million to $70 million through 2019.
Over the past nine years, the San Antonio Cancer Foundation, known until recently as the CTRC Foundation, has contributed approximately $48 million to support the CTRC, with grants made for faculty recruitment, research programs, equipment purchases, patient support, National Cancer Institute support and general CTRC operations.
In addition to its chairman, Gary Woods, foundation members include Louise Beldon, Jim Callaway, Barbara Dreeben, James W. Gorman Jr., John Kauth, Judy Palans, Tom Ransdell, W. Lawrence Walker Jr. and Mark E. Watson Jr.
# # #
For current news from the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, please visit our online newsroom, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
# # #
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, with missions of teaching, research and healing, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities. Its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have more than 33,000 alumni who are advancing their fields throughout the world. With four campuses in San Antonio and Laredo, the university has a FY 2016 revenue operating budget of $801.8 million and is the primary driver of its community’s $30.6 billion biomedical and health care industry. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.