Niagara will soon have another Golisano Center – one in which lives will be saved.
Ann Costello, Director of the Golisano Foundation today announced that philanthropist and businessman Tom Golisano is committing $1.5 million to support a new $2 million medical oncology center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical center to improve access to cancer treatment for people in Niagara County.
The new center will be operated by Memorial in affiliation with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the top cancer centers in the United States. It will be named the Golisano Medical Oncology Center in Golisano’s honor.
“I am very pleased to announce that Tom Golisano will commit $1.5 million to construct the new Golisano Medical Oncology Center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, bringing a better system of cancer care to the people in Niagara County,” said Costello. “The new Medical Oncology Center is poised to become a center of excellence for providing cancer care for all residents including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a population that often falls through the cracks of complex health care systems, and specialty care including early detection, cancer screening and treatment.”
Costello added, “We commend Memorial’s history of outreach and community collaboration as demonstrated in the Golisano Center for Community Health and now in this new endeavor with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
“We are profoundly grateful to Tom Golisano, Ann Costello and the Golisano Foundation for their vision, dedication and support, and to Roswell President & CEO Dr. Candace Johnson for embracing the vision of regionalizing cancer care to improve access to expert care in Niagara,” said Memorial President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo.
“Everyone deserves access to outstanding cancer care. This collaboration between a top cancer center, a quality-driven regional medical center and a visionary philanthropist will ensure that people throughout this community will have convenient, appropriate, evidence-based care available close to home in a beautiful and welcoming setting,” said Dr. Johnson, who established the Roswell Park Care Network in order to expand access to comprehensive cancer care across the state.
The $2 million Golisano Medical Oncology Center will make Roswell’s expertise – including immunotherapy, hematology, chemotherapy infusion, clinical trials and the newest cancer curing drugs – readily accessible to those who live and work in Niagara County. Currently under construction on the fourth floor of Memorial’s Schoellkopf Building, the 6,085-square-foot facility is scheduled to open next spring.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is ranked No. 14 out of nearly 900 cancer centers across the United States, placing it among the top 1.5 percent of cancer centers in the nation. The Golisano Medical Oncology Center will mark the next step in a series of joint efforts by Roswell and Niagara Falls Memorial under a collaboration agreement signed in February.
That collaboration already includes integrated cancer screening and treatment, especially for lung and thoracic cancers. In May of this year, Memorial joined the Roswell Park Care Network, a collaborative that builds on existing clinical relationships to connect patients to medical treatment in their own communities.
Niagara County has the 6th highest cancer incidence rate among New York State’s 62 counties. Worse yet, Niagara’s cancer death rate is higher than 76% of the state’s counties and is nearly 36% higher than the New York State average rate. For people with intellectual disabilities who are now living longer, cancer is one of the three main causes of death.
Area residents will no longer have to make the 40-mile round trip to Roswell’s Buffalo campus to receive cancer treatment. Bringing the best cancer care to our community will result in improved compliance with treatment protocols and lead to a decrease in cancer mortality.
Memorial also enjoys a longstanding relationship with Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation dating back to the June 19, 2016 opening of the Golisano Center for Community Health on Memorial’s downtown campus. That very busy center has become a hub of activity for the provision of primary care, child and adult health home care management, community outreach, social services, and comprehensive integrated health service to all who walk through its doors, including adults with special needs and their families.
Golisano donated $3.5 million to build the Golisano Center for Community Health, bringing his gifts to Memorial to more than $5 million. The Golisano Foundation has also supported dentistry training programs at Memorial to increase access to dental care for people with intellectual disabilities.
About Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is a full-service 171-bed regional medical provider offering extensive inpatient and outpatient services at 10 sites in Niagara and Erie counties including The Heart Center of Niagara, Niagara Wellness Connection Center, Wound Center of Niagara, Diabetes & Endocrinology Center of Niagara, Niagara Metabolic & Bariatric Services, OB/GYN Center, and UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. We strive to improve the health of the Greater Niagara region by meeting standards of excellence in each of our services, by providing care to all those in need regardless of their ability to pay and by actively linking patients to community-based services that will promote continued wellness. To learn more, visit NFMMC.org.
About Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.
