Holden announces $5.1 million appropriation for cancer research

Holden announces $5.1 million appropriation for cancer research

Hershey, Pa. -- U.S. Rep. Tim Holden from Pennsylvania's 17th district visited Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on Dec. 29 to announce a $5.1 million appropriation he successfully included in the Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act for the 2006 fiscal year for the Penn State Cancer Institute at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center cancer research partnership. Holden secured $6 million in the 2004 bill and $7 million appropriation in the 2005 bill.

The event included remarks from Holden; Darrell G. Kirch, senior vice president for health affairs, dean of the College of Medicine and chief executive officer of the medical center; Henry Wagner, division director, radiation oncology, Penn State Cancer Institute; and Philip Lazarus, associate director, Penn State Cancer Institute, Division of Population Sciences and Cancer Prevention and leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., is the flagship of military health protection, graduate medical education, health care and research.

Penn State Cancer Institute is a consortium of four institutional members: Penn State, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, and Mount Nittany Medical Center. Lewistown Hospital, Wyoming Valley Health Care System and Susquehanna Health System participate as institutional affiliates. Through a unique, community-based cancer network, Penn State Cancer Institute is committed to the prevention and early detection of cancer, bringing the benefits of world-class research and evidence-based education to the residents of the communities served by its member and affiliate hospitals. Penn State Cancer Institute currently has a membership of more than 100 funded investigators and holds more than $30 million in sponsored funding, with $8 million from the National Cancer Institute.

"For the third year in a row, I am pleased that I was successful in securing funding in the Defense bill for this unique partnership between the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and the Navy," said Holden. "Penn State Hershey is a proven leader in the area of medical research. I am pleased this funding will help the medical center further in the pursuit of its mission to enhance the quality of life and serve the community through improved health, the education of health professionals and the discovery of knowledge."

Kirch said, "We are already seeing positive results from the collaborations established following the initial appropriation Congressman Holden secured for us last year. This new appropriation puts us in an economic position to build on that base. It will expand Penn State Cancer Institute and Penn State Hershey Medical Center's economic contributions to the community, the region and the state. Most importantly, the real beneficiaries will be our patients, their families and our community."

The Penn State Hershey/Navy partnership will provide a combined battery of clinicians and researchers, active collaborations between these individuals and access to the appropriate equipment tools and technology to achieve their goals. This will lead to new advances in discovery, early detection, evaluation, treatment and prevention of cancer that will benefit both the military and civilian population.