Bower Foundation commits $10M to UMMC cancer center construction

The Bower Foundation has committed $10 million to support construction of a new home for the University of Mississippi Medical Center Cancer Center and Research Institute, UMMC said in an online post. The gift is being called historic by the university and is intended to bring advanced care and research together for patients across Mississippi.

The investment is expected to help centralize clinical services and research activities, increasing access to specialized cancer treatments and clinical trials for communities statewide, UMMC said. Hospital leaders have said combining care and research in a single facility can shorten the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to reach patients.

UMMC, the state’s academic medical center, provides clinical care, education and biomedical research and serves patients from across Mississippi. The Bower Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports health and community initiatives, according to the university post.

The commitment is likely to influence recruitment of researchers and clinicians and could expand treatment options for patients statewide. We will provide more information as it becomes available.