UAMS raises $15 million toward Cancer Institute’s NCI designation, halfway to $30 million goal
November 15-21, 2021
By The Daily Record Staff
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) announced Wednesday (Nov. 10) that it has raised more than $15 million towards NCI Designation, the halfway point toward its $30 million goal.
A recent $1 million gift from Kim and Chris Fowler of Jonesboro, who attended last week’s news conference, put UAMS over the halfway mark.
“Raising $15 million for a single cause in such a short time is remarkable, and I want to thank every single donor who has helped make this possible,” said Dr. Cam Patterson, UAMS chancellor and UAMS Health CEO. “We are humbled and extremely grateful to the Fowlers for their generosity and love for their fellow Arkansans. The Fowler family is beloved and well-known for being successful in business, but they are also known for their giving spirit. This gift is representative of that.”
“Cancer did not take a break during the pandemic, and neither did we,” said Cancer Institute Director Dr. Michael Birrer. “NCI Designation is an ambitious challenge that demands the hearts and minds of everyone you see here, and hundreds more across UAMS and the state of Arkansas.”
Chris Fowler is the president of Fowler Foods Inc. He is a first-generation Taco Bell and a second-generation KFC franchisee owner. Together, Kim and Chris Fowler own and operate over 91 KFCs and Taco Bell restaurants in an eight-state area.
The Fowlers made their gift in appreciation of Dr. James Y. Suen, who treated the Jonesboro businessman when he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2011. The gift also continues the philanthropic legacy of Chris Fowler’s parents, Wallace W. and Jama Fowler, who have given millions to support health care and education in northeast Arkansas.
“Kim and I are honored to make this donation in honor of James Suen, a truly world-class doctor,” said Fowler. “A lot of people say, I owe my life to someone, but I can truly say it, not only to Dr. Suen but the entire team at UAMS. The people of Arkansas don’t know what they truly have at UAMS until they need it. It is a diamond in the rough. We know that UAMS will continue to provide world-class treatment through not only the citizens of Arkansas, but across the world.”
“I am pleased to share that we are making strong progress toward our goal, and gifts like Kim and Chris’s are essential in helping us continue to hire bright new researchers who can bring in additional grant funding,” Birrer said. “I can’t think of a better way to impact the future of Arkansas than to invest in better health the way the Fowlers have.”
Birrer was named vice chancellor and director of the Cancer Institute in 2019 and leads all cancer-related activities for UAMS, whose cancer clinics report more than 150,000 patient visits each year. There are about 150 UAMS faculty members engaged in cancer-related research and clinical activities.
Birrer is also spearheading the Cancer Institute toward achieving its goal of receiving National Cancer Institute Designation, which is awarded through a highly competitive assessment process during which cancer centers must demonstrate outstanding depth and breadth of high-quality cancer research.
There are 70 NCI-designated cancer centers in 36 states across the country, with the closest to Arkansas being in Memphis, Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Under Birrer’s direction, the Cancer Institute has hired multiple researchers over the past year, with 10 coming in March. They are part of the first wave of research expansion and growth as the institute moves closer to applying for NCI Designation, officials said.
In the 2019 legislative session, Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a bill into law that establishes an account into which funds supporting NCI Designation can be deposited. According to UAMS officials, receiving designation brings substantial benefits, including the ability to access federal research funding and offer clinical trials not available to non-designated centers. It also is expected to result in a $72 million economic impact on Arkansas and create about 1,500 new jobs over five years.
Following the passage of Senate Bill 151, state lawmakers approved a combination of taxes that would raise $10.5 million annually for the effort. UAMS has pledged to raise $30 million in private funds to support that effort. It took just over three years to reach the halfway mark, most of which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Approximately 68% of the funds awarded by the National Cancer Institute for research and clinical trials goes to NCI-designated centers. The centers without such designation are left to compete for the other 32%, and many NCI community outreach and program grants are only offered to NCI-designated cancer centers.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation.
UAMS also includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers.
PHOTO CAPTION:
The UAMS Cancer Institute announces a major gift, moves closer to $30 million goal and NCI Designation.
