From the Director, UVA Cancer Center
Dear Friends,
An important part of UVA Cancer Center is the community we serve, and in recent months I have been overjoyed at the support that this community has shown us. From the giving of one’s time, to the gift of financial resources, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the generosity I have witnessed.
In this issue of Investing in Hope, you’ll read about how some of that generosity will fuel exciting new pursuits in research and patient care. Our investigators are asking the bold questions that will have real and lasting impacts on a variety of cancers, and our clinicians are providing the compassionate, specialized care that Virginians need. Thank you to all who have helped make UVA Cancer Center what it is today.
I’d also like to express my gratitude to the entire UVA Cancer Center team. Your dedication and hard work in service of our patients and their families each and every day is truly a gift. In fact, some of our colleagues have recently been recognized for this dedication. Congratulations to the 3 West hematology-oncology staff, who received the 2020 Pinnacle of Excellence Award from Press Ganey—an honor which is based on patient feedback and celebrates excellence in the patient experience.
Please join me in welcoming researchers Drs. Enrica Marchi and Owen O’Connor. With their arrival, UVA Cancer Center is now the global headquarters of the T-Cell Lymphoma Consortium. Under the leadership of Drs. Marchi and O’Connor, the consortium will work with partners worldwide to enroll more patients in clinical trials and help researchers more quickly determine better ways to treat this rare disease.
Finally, as we go to print on this issue of Investing in Hope, I am excited to share that UVA Cancer Center learned just last week that it has been awarded Comprehensive Cancer Center designation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the largest funder of cancer research in the world. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and we share this honor with our patients, volunteers, donors, and members of our Cancer Center team who have made this possible. Thank you! I am so grateful for your support, which has enabled UVA Cancer Center to take its place as one of only 52 outstanding cancer programs in the nation to receive this designation and the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in Virginia. We will continue to keep you updated in the coming weeks and months about what this designation means for our patients, but for now, we are delighted to share this breaking news with you.
There are great days ahead. Thank you for your commitment, which is helping to shape UVA Cancer Center. It is an honor to serve you.
Yours,
Dr. Thomas P. Loughran
Director, UVA Cancer Center
