Huntsman Cancer Institute's Next Expansion for Cancer Patients Nearly Doubles in Size Thanks to a $30 Million Gift from the Huntsman Foundation

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Jan 11, 2019, 12:58 ET

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Peter Huntsman, CEO of the Huntsman Foundation and chairman and CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation (HCF), announced today a transformational $30 million gift from the family's foundation. This donation allows Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U) to better plan for and address the future needs of cancer patients in the Mountain West. The gift is in addition to the $40 million already raised by HCF to support the construction of the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women's Cancers at Huntsman Cancer Institute.

A conceptual rendering of the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) campus. The 200,000 square foot expansion of HCI, the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers, is shown on the far left.

The gift will allow the planned HCI expansion to grow from 102,000 square feet of new space to 200,000 square feet, and from four to eight stories. Since the initial announcement of this new expansion, the Huntsman family has worked in cooperation with the U of U and U of U Health to address HCI's longer-term needs.

After a Huntsman Foundation board meeting, members unanimously decided to commit further resources for additional capabilities. "My mother Karen, our family foundation's chairwoman, my siblings, and I, are honored to continue to invest in the future of HCI. Combined with the more than one million donors who help support this globally recognized institute, we are committed to eradicating this disease," said Huntsman.

Susan Sheehan, president and COO of HCF, noted, "The Huntsman family has once again extended immense generosity and kindness to help our community in an area of critical need. As it has done since HCI's founding in 1993, the family is looking toward the future and anticipating ways they can offer hope and optimism in the face of this dreaded disease. We are very grateful for the family's vision and loyal support."

Other major donors to the expansion are the Spencer and Kristen Kirk family, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and doTERRA International.

The major expansion of HCI is projected to cost $129 million, of which more than $70 million will come from philanthropic funds. The new patient care facility will include four floors of clinical space, an expanded wellness center, two floors to house faculty offices, and two floors available for future build-out based on cancer patient needs. Pending final approval by state and university entities, construction is slated to begin December 2019 and the building is anticipated to open to patients in September 2022.

About Huntsman Cancer Foundation:

Huntsman Cancer Foundation's sole purpose is to raise funds to support the mission of Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI): To understand cancer from its beginnings, to use that knowledge in the creation and improvement of cancer treatments, to relieve the suffering of cancer patients, and to provide education about cancer risk, prevention, and care. Huntsman Cancer Foundation is dedicated to ensuring excellence in these endeavors through the development and prudent stewardship of private resources. All HCI fundraising initiatives happen through Huntsman Cancer Foundation, which is a public, functionally integrated, Type 3 501 (c)(3).

About Huntsman Cancer Institute:

Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is the official cancer center of Utah. The cancer campus includes a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital as well as two buildings dedicated to cancer research. HCI treats patients with all forms of cancer and is recognized among the best cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, HCI serves the largest geographic region in the country, drawing patients from Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at HCI than at any other cancer center in the world, including genes responsible for hereditary breast, ovarian, colon, head, and neck cancers, along with melanoma. HCI manages the Utah Population Database, the largest genetic database in the world, with information on more than 11 million people linked to genealogies, health records, and vital statistics. HCI was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.