Highmark Health has announced a $25 million grant to support specialized cancer care and innovative research at Penn State Cancer Institute with a commitment to offering exceptional care close to home for those in Central Pennsylvania.
The grant will provide support for development of new cancer treatment drugs, clinical trials to test promising new therapies and recruitment of leading cancer researchers in key disciplines.
In December 2017, Highmark Health and Penn State Health announced a long-term partnership that includes a $1 billion joint investment to develop a high-value, community-based health care network designed to expand local access to primary and specialty care and enhance collaboration with community physicians.
President and CEO, Highmark Health Medical Center, David Holmberg said, “As we said last year, we believe very strongly in the team at Penn State and the clinical expertise at the Milton S. Hershey . Today, through this $25 million investment in Penn State Cancer Institute, we are affirming our commitment to a collaboration between the two strongest health care brands in Pennsylvania who share a passion for providing our members and patients with unsurpassed service and quality.”
Penn State President Eric Barron said, “Penn State is among the leading research universities in the world, and we are committed to using that work to improve the lives of people across the region who are suffering from chronic and life-threatening conditions. We are very grateful that Highmark is partnering with us in the fight to conquer cancer and to invest in the future of health care.”
The grant announcement follows other recent developments that demonstrate Penn State Health’s leadership in providing comprehensive cancer care in central Pennsylvania. On April 4, Penn State Health St. Joseph announced the expansion of its Medical Office Building in Bern Township to incorporate a new linear accelerator to treat solid tumor cancers.
Highmark’s latest $25 million grant will allow the Cancer Institute to make immediate investments in research operations and transformative science. An area of emphasis will be developing research laboratory services through new shared scientific resources, which will be available to all Cancer Institute members.
