$2.1M Gift Establishes the Hayden Family Endowed Chair for Cancer Research

CINCINNATI—A $2.1 million gift from the Hayden family of Cincinnati will establish the Hayden Family Endowed Chair for Cancer Research at the Cincinnati Cancer Center, supporting efforts of CCC Director Shuk-Mei Ho, PhD, and its members.

This fund, created by John and Carrie Hayden, Joe (J.P. Hayden Jr.) and Lois, and Jay (Joseph P. Hayden III) and Teresa, will be used to advance the CCC toward National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

NCI-designated cancer centers are institutions dedicated to research in the development of more effective approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The majority of cancer centers with NCI designation are affiliated with university medical centers that include the following in their mission:

• Research that spans laboratory science, clinical and population-based investigation.
• Clinical programs that offer patients the latest forms of treatment for a wide range of cancers and access to clinical trials.
• Training for scientists, physicians, surgeons and other professionals seeking specialized training or board certification in cancer-related disciplines.
• Public education and outreach about cancer prevention and screening, with special attention to the needs of underserved populations.

·      "I am grateful for the Hayden family’s generosity and vision,” says University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono, PhD. "They truly understand the tremendous need for our Cincinnati region to have a world-class Cincinnati Cancer Center and a National Cancer Institute. The primary beneficiaries will be families throughout our region.”

John Hayden, retired president and CEO of the Midland Company, says an NCI-designated center in Cincinnati is crucial both for patients and for the economic development of the city.

"We want our gift to springboard NCI designation for the CCC and advance the cancer landscape in Cincinnati,” he says.

"Our entire family has been touched by cancer,” says Carrie, adding that she is a two-time cancer survivor. "We understand the importance of being treated at an academic medical center that supports research and the training of physicians in addition to cutting-edge cancer treatments.

"It’s because of research that we now know some of the major causes of cancer, have effective preventive and diagnostic tests and have discovered some successful treatments; however, there is much more to be done. Research and academic medicine have been shown to improve outcomes for patients, and we have that strength at UC.”

John says there are several reasons NCI designation for the CCC is important to him.

"It can have a significant impact on saving and improving lives within and beyond our region, and it will have a driving impact on our regional economy. It is unacceptable that Cincinnati is the only city of its size that does not have an NCI-designated cancer center,” he says.

"Our gift is designed to enhance the opportunity for families to receive world-class care right here in Cincinnati,” adds J.P., former chairman of the board of the Midland Company.

Ho, an established researcher known for her work in prostate and breast cancer biomarkers, says the hope is that UC physicians will one day be able to customize cancer care for every patient, and with funding support like that provided by the Hayden family, the hope will become a reality.

"I am so grateful to the Hayden family and am honored to hold this chair in the Hayden family name,” says Ho, who is also Jacob G. Schmidlapp Chair of Environmental Health and professor at the UC College of Medicine. "With generous and important gifts like this, we will be able to advance the center’s mission of excellence in research with the goal of discovering better therapies and treatments for cancer.”

"The impact from this donation will be realized by CCC practitioners and patients for years to come,” says Rod Grabowski, UC Foundation president and vice president for alumni relations. "Generosity from donors such as the Haydens positions UC to better serve the community through research, patient care and education.”

The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and UC Health make up the Cincinnati Cancer Center—a joint effort designed to leverage the strengths of all three organizations in order to provide the best possible cancer diagnostics, research, treatment, and care for individuals in the Tristate region and the nation. To learn more, visit cincinnaticancercenter.org.