Presented by Lanna Scannell, CFRE, Director of Strategic Philanthropy, OSF HealthCare Foundation
OSF HealthCare marked a new era on August 17 with the official groundbreaking for the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute, a 180,000-square-foot building on the campus of OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
With a goal of transforming the way cancer care is delivered, the OSF Cancer Institute will be a regional destination center offering proton beam therapy, patient education and support spaces, and a full range of cancer-related services. The facility will be just the second center in Illinois offering proton beam therapy. Proton Therapy offers advanced, precise treatment and is typically used for hard-to-reach tumors and tumors that have not spread to other parts of the body. It is also the preferred radiation treatment option for many pediatric cancers due to risk of health issues later in life from traditional treatment, including heart disease, additional cancers, and growth cognitive problems. This revolutionary new treatment option can significantly reduce treatment times and side effects, extending not only years of life, but quality of life.
Illinois currently ranks seventh in the nation for cancer cases, with downstate Illinois projected to see 10,000 new cases per year. It is still unknown how the COVID-19 pandemic could impact that number, as people have delayed seeking care and screenings during the pandemic.
The ultimate goal for the new cancer institute is to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. Other NCI designated cancer centers have resulted in thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars to the communities they serve.
Cost of the new OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute is $234 million, with a fundraising goal of $100 million. The timeline for construction will depend on continued philanthropic fundraising efforts, with a goal of providing the first treatments as early as 2023.
Planned gifts, given through a person’s Will or estate, are a wonderful way to support this and other areas within the OSF HealthCare Ministry.
At OSF HealthCare, we strive to serve you through the resources of Legacy of Hope, the planned giving program for OSF HealthCare Foundation. Resources available at osflegacyofhope.org offer ideas that can bring benefit to you, your loved ones and the charities most meaningful to you, like the Care-A-Van, Faith Community Nursing Program, Garden of Hope, and the new OSF Cancer Institute.
For more information about supporting OSF HealthCare with a legacy gift for the future, please visit osflegacyofhope.org or contact Lanna Scannell, CFRE, Director of Strategic Philanthropy at the OSF HealthCare Foundation, at (309) 566-5662 or [email protected].
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