Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) announced that it has received the largest gift in its history, a commitment of $150 million, from long-time MSK board member David H. Koch. This unprecedented contribution will fund a state-of-the-art outpatient medical facility to be known as The David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care.
The gift is the largest single donation ever made by Mr. Koch, whose overall contributions to a wide range of organizations and causes nationwide total nearly $1.3 billion. At MSK, where he has served as a member of the Boards of Overseers and Managers since 1990, he has now made $225 million in gifts and pledges, including funds to establish the David H. Koch Center for the Immunologic Control of Cancer, endow two David H. Koch Chairs, and provide ongoing support for prostate cancer research.
“We are deeply grateful to Mr. Koch for his visionary generosity, which will help ensure that Memorial Sloan Kettering continues to set the pace for advances in patient care,” said Douglas A. Warner III, Chairman of the Boards of Overseers and Managers.
“It is my ardent hope now that the new Center for Cancer Care will transform cancer treatment worldwide, with the utmost emphasis on the needs of patients and their families,” said Mr. Koch. “The novel clinical trials that will take place within its walls, and the other vital services including interventional radiology, outpatient bone marrow transplants, and programs for patients with lung, head and neck, and hematologic cancers, promise to be medically revolutionary, and I am honored to support this important work.”
“The creation of this outstanding facility will be a real game changer for Memorial Sloan Kettering,” said Craig B. Thompson, MD, MSK’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Thanks to Mr. Koch’s landmark commitment, we will be able to offer cutting-edge therapies and an expanded roster of innovative clinical trials to more patients than ever.”
The David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care is scheduled to open in 2019. ■
