Siemens Funding Cancer Research
By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer
Siemens will be donating $1 Million to Stand Up To Cancer though its Baton Pass effort.
Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital recently hosted the one-millionth pass of “The Baton Pass,” a campaign in which healthcare information technology supplier Siemens pledged $1 for each Baton Pass. The event culminated a five-month long campaign to inspire hope for cancer patients and resulted in a $1,000,000 donation to cancer research supporter Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) to help accelerate the pace of cancer research.
Launched by Siemens on Good Morning America in March, The Baton Pass highlighted the need for increased funding for cancer research, with the Baton physically travelling hundreds of miles through the U.S. and Canada. The Baton was passed by patients, survivors, family members, doctors, scientists, healthcare providers, and advocates. In addition, the Baton was passed virtually through www.facebook.com/TheBatonPass and was fueled by online likes, comments, shares, and tweets.
“We are incredibly proud to have collaborated with Stand Up To Cancer, and as of today, to have reached the goal of ‘The Baton Pass’ campaign,” said Gregory Sorensen, MD, CEO, Siemens Healthcare North America. “Not only has Siemens engaged the general public in generating awareness to fulfill our $1 million pledge to support innovative cancer research programs, but the Baton also symbolizes the progress we’ve made in cancer detection, monitoring, and treatment, and the hope that we all share for continued progress.”
Stand Up 2 Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a charitable organization which strives to increase awareness as well as raise funds for innovative cancer research. The substantial donation from Siemens will be used to bring researchers from many institutions and disciplines together in pursuit of the common goal of eradicating cancer.
The one-millionth Baton Pass at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital coincided with observance of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, in which officials from the hospital shared the facility’s commitment to improving health through advanced medical research. High school student and cancer survivor Sarah Park made the ceremonial Baton Pass. “Penn State Hershey is thrilled to host the culminating event for The Baton Pass,” said Dr. Barbara Ostrov, interim chair of pediatrics, Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. “With the generous support of Siemens, researchers will be able to expand programs to identify new, more targeted treatments that may ultimately cure childhood cancer for so many children just like Sarah Park.”
One of the nation's premier academic health centers, Penn State Hershey Medical Center was founded in the early 1960s through a grant from the M.S. Hershey Foundation to Pennsylvania State University. Located at Penn State Hershey Hospital in central Pennsylvania, 151-bed Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital opened its brand-new 263,000-square-foot building in February. It is the only children’s medical facility between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with a Level I pediatric trauma center and offers more than 20 specialty pediatric patient services in Hershey and many specialty services at more than 30 outpatient clinic locations throughout the state. The most recent U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings recognized Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital in five specialties: cancer, urology, orthopedics, neurology/neurosurgery, and cardiology/heart surgery.
SOURCE: Business Wire