ECU Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of ECU Health, has officially completed its largest fundraising campaign in the organization’s history. Recently, the campaign reached and exceeded its $50 million campaign goal for supporting the ECU Health Cancer Care capital project, along with funding cancer programs and services.
“To achieve this milestone is truly monumental for our Foundation team and for ECU Health,” said Scott Senatore, president, ECU Health Foundation. “We, along with our extremely generous donors and community partners, have demonstrated what it means to be committed to fulfilling our mission of believing in a life without cancer. The generosity and philanthropic commitment of our donors is evident in every detail of our stunning cancer center as well as the services we provide and the resources we offer.”
More than 4,000 donors contributed to the campaign over the course of seven years. Because of the dedication and support of countless donors, as well as the generosity of the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Foundation, the facility was formally named in their honor and is now known as VECU Health Cancer Care at the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower.
The impact of this facility is far-reaching and is providing hope for cancer patients and families across the region. Three years ago, mortality rates in eastern North Carolina were 15 percent higher than the rest of the state. Since opening in 2018, these mortality rates have decreased 14.2 percent, which is less than one percent higher than the rest of the state.
“I have personally seen the impact of our donors’ generosity and commitment to investing in ECU Health Cancer Care,” said Dr. Emmanuel Zervos, executive director of ECU Health Cancer Care, and Spencer and Mary Raab Distinguished Professor of Adult Oncology and Founding Director of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. “Because of our incredible donors, we have doubled the number of patients who are able to receive chemo at one time, as well as provide additional screenings for early detection, and offer more therapeutic resources for our patients.”
Through philanthropic support, ECU Health Cancer Care has been able to provide the following programs and services:
- Patient resources, such as financial assistance for gas, food, electricity, prescriptions, transportation and child care for patients who qualify at the federal poverty level;
- Patient navigation program which helps remove any barriers to care, assures seamless care delivery and refers patients/families to needed resources;
- Diagnostic procedures, including mammograms, bone scans, colonoscopies and lung CT scans;
- Oncology outreach, including community screenings, early detection and prevention programs, as well as educational/awareness programs;
- Survivorship and support programs, such as retreats for cancer patients, as well as nutrition, exercise and equine therapy programs. Also, complimentary wigs are offered to those who are unable to afford them otherwise.
Since opening in 2018, ECU Health Cancer Care has:
- More than 90,000 new outpatient registrations
- More than 100,000 outpatient clinic visits
- Recruited top specialist oncology physicians from all over the country
- Over 77,000 patients have received radiation treatment
- Over 9,500 PET scans completed
- 1,200 support and survivorship programs hosted
ECU Health Cancer Care at the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower on the ECU Health Medical Center campus serves as the hub to provide cancer care in Greenville, as well as deliver cancer care throughout the region. Cancer care in eastern North Carolina is driven by this vision: to prevent the incidence of cancer whenever possible, diagnose the disease in its earliest stages, and ensure that every patient with cancer receives world-class care without leaving the area. The ECU Health Foundation will continue to raise funds for patient resources, diagnostic procedures, survivorship programs, and early detection/pre-screenings.
Media contact: Beth Anne Atkins, director, communications and donor relations, ECU Health Foundation, 252-847-7695 or [email protected]
