SEATTLE — May 11, 2020 — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and its clinical-care partner, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, announced today the organizations are receiving a $500,000 grant from Bank of America for COVID-19 relief.
A portion of the funds will support critical parts of Fred Hutch’s COVID-19 response by accelerating efforts for the development and evaluation of rapid testing and point-of-care tests, to help get both the Fred Hutch and greater Seattle community, back to work safely. Part of the grant will also fund the purchase of personal protective equipment and UV sterilizer for SCCA staff to safely provide the best care for cancer patients during the pandemic.
“We’re honored to partner with Bank of America to accelerate our mission and drive our renowned scientists to better understand and eventually find a cure for COVID,” said Dr. Thomas Lynch, president, and director of Fred Hutch and holder of the Raisbeck Endowed Chair. “This underscores the power and importance of investing in Fred Hutch’s life-saving research.”
Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Fred Hutch researchers have played an important part of a collective, international scientific response — tracking the virus's spread, developing diagnostic tests, designing vaccine trials, and working to prevent future outbreaks.
As one of the first cancer centers in the country to confront the outbreak, SCCA continues to provide world-class cancer treatment while rapidly adjusting its approach to care to include testing patients and staff for the virus, fast-tracking telehealth offerings for appointments when medically appropriate, and actively working to safely resume patient care across its clinics.
“Despite the challenges COVID-19 presents, I’m proud of the SCCA team’s resilience and selflessness in caring for our patient community,” said Dr. Nancy Davidson, president and executive director of SCCA and senior vice president and director of Fred Hutch’s Clinical Research Division. “We applaud Bank of America for doing its part to keep our providers and patients safe.”
The grant is part of Bank of America’s $100 million national effort to support local communities in need. Since announcing their efforts in March, Bank of America has awarded grants to 13 Puget Sound area organizations, addressing immediate needs such as emergency support services, affordable housing, food insecurity, and childcare for frontline workers.
Bank of America awarded the grant to Fred Hutch based on the organization’s collective expertise in global health threats, making them ideal partners in the fight against COVID-19.
“This unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis has placed enormous challenges on our healthcare community,” said Kerri Schroeder, Seattle Market President for Bank of America. “We are committed to helping by delivering financial resources that support Fred Hutch’s efforts to deploy more testing and ensuring our healthcare workers are safe so they can continue to innovate and focus on serving those who need help the most.”
For more information on Fred Hutch’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit Fred Hutch’s Coronavirus Overview Page. To find out how SCCA is responding to the pandemic, visit SCCA’s COVID-19 Patient Page.
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At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation’s first National Cancer Institute-funded cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) brings together the leading research teams and cancer specialists from Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s and UW Medicine — one extraordinary group whose sole purpose is the pursuit of better, longer, richer lives for our patients. Based in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, SCCA has eight clinical care sites, including a medical oncology clinic at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, Washington; medical and radiation oncology clinics at UW Medical Center – Montlake and UW Medical Center – Northwest in Seattle, Washington, medical and radiation oncology services at SCCA Peninsula and medical oncology services at SCCA Issaquah, as well as Network affiliations with hospitals in five states.
CONTACT
Fred Hutch
206.667.2210
media@fredhutch.org
Heather Platisha (SCCA)
415.676.8030
hplatisha@seattlecca.org