SMH to expand cancer research with donation

A recent donation to the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System hopes to bring physicians closer to a cure for women’s gynecological cancers.
 
On Monday a donation for $5.3 million was announced as a gift from the Kolschowsky Foundation to help expand research in women’s gynecological cancers at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. 

The first phase of the gift included an additional $1.3 million that makes the total donation more than $6.5 million. 

A pilot program in women’s cancer research was launched in 2010 with a grant for the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation. The initial gift provided funding to get the program off the ground to build a model for women seeking treatment locally could receive advanced care, access to technology and improved drug therapies. Medical Director of the Women’s Gynecology Cancer Research Program at Sarasota Memorial and gynecologic oncologist, Dr. James Fiorica hopes to use the new funds to continue that goal. 

“We will continue to find ways to enhance the quality of our research, ensure the safety and well-being of patients, measure the effectiveness of treatment with accurate clinical outcomes data and hopefully one day find a cure,” Fiorica said in a press release. 

Along with the expanding cancer research, Sarasota Memorial will also be launching a new medical residency program in 2017. Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation CEO Alex Quarles spoke about the upcoming growth. 

“The need for private philanthropy to accelerate medical research and innovation has never been greater and addresses a critical gap that industry and government cannot fulfill,” Quarles said in a release.