WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital to benefit from $50 million state grant to WVU Cancer Instutie

Jun. 16—PRINCETON — More and better access to cancer treatment and research is coming to a Mercer County hospital where West Virginia's governor and West Virginia University leaders announced Thursday a $50 million allocation aimed at helping the university's cancer institute earn a National Cancer Institute designation.

Gov. Jim Justice, WVU President Gordon Gee and other dignitaries came to WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital to announce $50 million allocation from state surplus funding that will help the WVU Cancer Institute attain National Cancer Institute Designation, which would be a first for West Virginia.

Justice made the announcement at the hospital while flanked by Gee, WVU Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Albert L. Wright, Jr., WVU Health Sciences Chancellor and Executive Dean Dr. Clay Marsh and WVU Cancer Institute Director Dr. Hannah Hazard-Jenkins.

"I am thrilled to deliver this $50 million check to the West Virginia University Cancer Institute in their pursuit of an official cancer center designation by the National Cancer Institute," Justice said during the presentation.

Gee said the designation would help improve cancer care across the state.

"Our goal is to place the WVU Cancer Institute in the top two percent of cancer centers nationwide, which will improve the health and wellness of the people in our state, particularly in southern West Virginia, by reducing cancer occurrence rates and increasing cancer survival," Gee stated.

WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital will benefit from WUV Cancer Institute's drive to provide better care.

"The state did a $50 million appropriation for the WVU Cancer Institute to move towards NCI, National Cancer Institute designation," said Albert L Wright Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System. "When I talk about WVU Cancer Institute, I'm talking about all of the WVU cancer sites around the state, from Morgantown to Princeton and everywhere in between."

"We actually did a $15 million expansion here where we're going to add some beds, we're going to add a new infusion center, we're going to add new cancer offices right here on campus, so we're renovating part of the campus and bringing and adding significant cancer services here," he said. "The two events I spoke of are related but unrelated at the same time. We're already moving forward with this (PCH renovations), but the bigger step we're celebrating here today is moving toward that NCI designation status."

Karen Bowling, president and CEO of WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital, said the fact that the announcement was made in Princeton was exciting.

"We've just affiliated with WVU Medicine as you know Jan. 1 of 2023. We've been affiliated with the Cancer Institute actually starting in 2022," Bowling said. "And so the fact we are so tied to the Cancer Institute and the resources our patients could get because of that connection to the Cancer Institute, it's really exciting to think today was the day they made the announcement here in this area."

"The Governor, the Legislature, the fact that they appropriated this $50 million actually gives us this opportunity to see all the things that could happen with that money to begin this NCI (National Cancer Institute) designation," she stated. "Remember, NCI designation, what it does is it actually allows WVU Medicine the Cancer Institute to be able to get more researchers, more funding for researchers over a period of years. It doesn't happen overnight. Remember, if you're participating in clinical trials, that's something we want to be part of because cancer care is challenging."

Work on the renovations is scheduled to begin in July, Bowling said.

An oversized check was part of the celebration.

Marsh told the audience that were is a cancer epidemic in West Virginia.

"As West Virginia's land grant institution, it's our duty and honor to make sure our state's citizens have access to the most advanced clinical trials, treatments and care for cancer, and we are working closely with our WVU Medicine and state partners to bring this level of care to West Virginians," he said. "We are grateful to our state legislature and governor for recognizing the need that exists and for supporting a solution."

Currently, there are 71 NCI-designated cancer centers in 36 states, and centers with this designation represent the top two percent of cancer centers in the country. The WVU Cancer Institute would be the first NCI-designated cancer center in West Virginia.

"Our long-standing mission is to provide excellent care to patients with cancer, and their families, while strengthening our research, education and service programs to address the cancer health inequalities unique to the state of West Virginia and Appalachia," Hazard-Jenkins stated. "Together, we will work to build science that saves lives."

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com