UofL & UofL Health to build $25M Center for Rural Cancer Education and Research in Bullitt County, Ky, along growing I-65 corridor.

BULLTT CO., Ky., May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- UofL Health announces plans to expand the reach of its Brown Cancer Center, building a new $25 million regional cancer center and Center for Rural Cancer Education and Research, with a specific emphasis on increasing access to comprehensive cancer care in South, Central and Western Kentucky. The cancer center will be located along the growing I-65 corridor, on the campus of UofL Health – South Hospital, in Bullitt County. The project is made possible with recent funding support from the Kentucky General Assembly.

"I want to thank our state leaders for recognizing the importance of investing to improve access to innovative cancer care, education and research," said Kim Schatzel, University of Louisville President. "Building this new regional site for our Brown Cancer Center extends opportunities to benefit from our expertise, research, and innovative clinical trials. Kentuckians, particularly in our rural counties and mid-sized cities, need better access to those resources."

Kentucky has the highest death rate of cancer in the U.S. (182.8/100,000) and almost 10,000 Kentuckians die of cancer each year. Twice as many Kentuckians died of cancer than of COVID during the last three years, and cancer rates are expected to increase by 50% in the next 20 years. Cancer healthcare costs in Kentucky are $2.74 billion per year, while productivity losses from morbidity and early deaths in Kentucky cost an additional $3.1 billion per year.

"This will make a great addition to the newly opened hospital here in Bullitt County providing cancer research, training and treatment for the whole state," said Kentucky Senator Michael J. Nemes. "This location, along the I-65 corridor, will mean much easier access to quality cancer care for thousands of Kentucky residents. This is one of those transformational projects that will lead to better health outcomes, some that could mean the difference in life-or-death treatment."

"As the new Representative for the 26th District I was extremely proud to vote on this budget which included $25 Million for the cancer center on the UofL Health - South Hospital campus," said Kentucky Representative Peyton Griffee. "Bringing the cancer center here is a game changer for Bullitt County and so many more rural counties that will now have closer access to cancer treatment and research. The health and well-being of our citizens will continue to be a priority for me and our General Assembly."

Subspecialty cancer care with comprehensive clinical trials programs and multidisciplinary clinics has been proven to reduce cancer deaths. Currently, there are no comprehensive cancer centers outside of Lexington and Louisville that offer multidisciplinary subspecialist care, clinical trials, access to state-of-the-art screening, and educational and support programs for cancer patients.

"Improving access to health care is our steadfast commitment to the Commonwealth, especially in areas that are underserved," said Tom Miller, UofL Health CEO. "I applaud our elected leaders for working with us to reduce barriers to cancer care for patients in our more rural communities."

Patients from South, Central and Western Kentucky have relied on the Brown Cancer Center for a long time. In the last year alone, the Brown Cancer Center's oncologists saw patients from nearly every Kentucky county, including more than 15,000 outpatient encounters from South, Central and Western Kentucky.

"The Brown Cancer Center has one unifying mission: make cancer a disease of the past," said Jason Chesney, M.D., Ph.D., director and chief administration officer of the Brown Cancer Center. "We are getting closer. This regional cancer center brings cutting-edge cancer care and lifesaving clinical trials closer to more Kentuckians."

The new cancer center will serve as a network base for clinical trials, enhanced nursing/physician educational programs, cancer screening and outreach with partnering oncologists throughout the region. These academic pursuits will be integrated with the Brown Cancer Center's comprehensive and multi-disciplinary programs which attract cancer patients come from all over the United States for second opinions and innovative and highly effective treatment options that are not available at any other cancer centers in our region.

"After my diagnosis of a rare form of melanoma, my close-to-home treatment options were very limited," said patient Chris Sutton, from Eddyville in rural Western Kentucky. "My physician in Paducah referred me to Dr. Chesney. I was fortunate to be able to make the 400-mile round trip every three weeks, but other rural Kentuckians are not. This new center is an important first step to bringing the Brown Cancer Center's world class care to more Kentuckians. It will truly save lives."

Initial plans include space for 20 infusion rooms, five exam rooms, oncology pharmacy, and a diagnostic imaging suite. An education space will include a lecture hall, video conferencing space and conference rooms; training for oncology nurses and physicians in clinics; and offer rotations with community oncologists from South Central and Western Kentucky. A research laboratory for specimen processing and research space for data collection will support cancer clinical trials and translational research.

"For more than 30 years, the Kentucky Cancer Program has been UofL's partner, the outreach and community screening arm of the Brown Cancer Center," said Jeffrey Bumpous, M.D., FACS, interim dean of the UofL School of Medicine and UofL Physicians head and neck cancer surgeon. "Education, screening, and outreach have always been an important part of our mission to serve the underserved.

This new Center for Rural Cancer Education and Research will put us closer to community oncologists and underserved patient populations."

A patient wellness center, in collaboration with the Kentucky Cancer Program, and a cancer screening program connecting primary care providers to innovative screening technologies will provide additional cancer outreach and education to South, Central and Western Kentucky.

Final design work is underway on the new cancer center, with a groundbreaking expected in the next 12 months. The anticipated opening will be in early 2026.

For more information on UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center visit: UofLHealth.org/BCC.

About UofL Health
UofL Health is a fully integrated regional academic health system with nine hospitals, four medical centers, Brown Cancer Center, Eye Institute, nearly 200 physician practice locations, and more than 1,000 providers in Louisville and the surrounding counties, including southern Indiana. Additional access to UofL Health is provided through a partnership with Carroll County Memorial Hospital.

Affiliated with the University of Louisville School of Medicine, UofL Health is committed to providing patients with access to the most advanced care available. This includes clinical trials, collaboration on research and the development of new technologies to both save and improve lives. With more than 13,000 team members – physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly-skilled health care professionals, UofL Health is focused on one mission: to transform the health of communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care. For more information on UofL Health, go to http://www.UofLHealth.org.

About the University of Louisville
Founded in 1798 as one of the nation's first city-owned, public universities, the University of Louisville (UofL) is a vital ecosystem that creates thriving futures for students, our community and society. As one of only 79 universities in the United States to earn recognition by the Carnegie Foundation as both a Research 1 and a Community Engaged university, we impact lives in areas of student success and research and innovation, while our dynamic connection with our local and global communities provides unparalleled opportunities for students and citizens both. The university serves as an engine that powers Metro Louisville and the commonwealth and as a classroom for UofL's more than 23,000 students, who benefit from partnerships with top employers and a wide range of community service opportunities.

About UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center
Brown Cancer Center, part of UofL Health, is an academic cancer center affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. The cancer center's goal is to make cancer a disease of the past through cutting-edge care, innovative clinical trials and cancer prevention efforts. Brown Cancer Center is home to Kentucky's first and longest-accredited program by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. The cancer center is a nationally recognized center for the development of experimental cancer therapeutics and diagnostics and has the largest cancer trials program in the region. We are a global leader in the clinical trial testing of new immunotherapies that activate your body's immune system to fight cancer and have become early adopters of these immunotherapies that are reducing the cancer death rate in the U.S. Our multidisciplinary teams specialize in treating cancers of the blood and bone marrow, breast, head and neck, lungs, and skin, as well as the central nervous system (brain and spine), gastrointestinal, genitourinary and reproductive systems.

Media Contact

David McArthur, UofL Health, 502-648-3411, David.Mcarthur@UofLHealth.org, https://uoflhealth.org/

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SOURCE UofL Health