Merck Foundation Announces Six Program Grant Recipients for Alliance to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care

Alliance Aims to Reduce Disparities in Access to High-Quality Cancer Care

The Merck Foundation (Foundation), announced today the selection of the six program sites and National Program Office forming the Alliance to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care (the Alliance). With $15 million in funding from the Foundation over five years, the Alliance aims to increase timely access to patient-centered cancer care for vulnerable and underserved populations in the United States.

The following organizations have been selected based on a variety of criteria, including the technical merit of their proposed programs, their organizational capabilities and experience, relationships with community partners, and ability to promote sustainable improvements in the delivery of cancer care.

• Grady Health System in Atlanta, Ga.;
• The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.;
• Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass.;
• Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill.;
• Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio; and
• The University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.

The University of Michigan School of Nursing, in Ann Arbor, Mich., will serve as the Alliance’s National Program Office.

“With 1.7 million Americans newly diagnosed with cancer each year, there is a great need to improve the quality and delivery of patient-centered care to help address the significant challenges of those facing this diagnosis,” said Julie L. Gerberding, chief patient officer, Merck and chief executive officer, Merck Foundation. “These superb program sites and the National Program Office should accelerate identification and uptake of innovations that benefit patients, improve health communications, and enhance the overall coordination of care.”

Through an independent cross-site evaluation, the Foundation will evaluate the impact of the Alliance and its programs. The evaluation findings and lessons learned will be disseminated to promote best practices in patient-centered cancer care.

About The Merck Foundation

The Merck Foundation is a U.S.-based, private charitable foundation. Established in 1957 by Merck, a global health care leader, the Foundation is funded entirely by the company and is Merck’s chief source of funding support to qualified non-profit charitable organizations. Since its inception, the Merck Foundation has contributed more than $870 million to support important initiatives that address societal needs and are consistent with Merck’s overall mission to help the world be well. For more information, visit www.merckgiving.com.

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For Merck:Media:Lainie Keller, 908-236-5036orJeanine Clemente, 908-236-5059