UPMC Cancer Centers and
The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute announced last week that they will establish The Mario Lemieux Center for Blood Diseases at The Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside. The center will bring cutting-edge research and treatment to the region
for blood diseases in adults, serving an estimated 25,000
patients per year and with a staff of some of the best medical talent
around.
The center is made possible by the successful completion of a five year, $100 million capital campaign that was kickstarted by a $20 million gift from
The Hillman Foundation and matched by UPMC, bringing the total funds raised to $200 million.
"A key component in moving innovative cancer research out of the
lab and into the treatment rooms, and a pillar for recruitment of
world-class investigators and clinicians to Pittsburgh,"
says Nancy E. Davidson, director of UPCI and UPMC Cancer Centers.
The center's creation is due in part to a $3 million donation from
The Mario Lemieux Foundation. "This is a new opportunity for my foundation to focus on patient care for those experiencing the same things I did during my journey with Hodgkin's disease, and I am very pleased to be a part of creating this facility," says Mario Lemieux.
The project has been tentatively planned for over a year, but UPMC Cancer Center's media relations manager, Courtney McCrimmons, says that they had to wait until the funds were secured before planning the architectural details, overall costs, and construction timelines, which should all become more concrete in the coming months.
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Writer:
John FarleySource: Courtney McCrimmons, UPMC