Friends,
Every day, the promise of City of Hope® is becoming more real and more tangible to the communities we serve. Our national expansion has meant that we can help more people in more places. It has given us the opportunity to connect with our philanthropic community in new ways.
As I travel around the country to talk to people about what makes City of Hope so special, there are four things our supporters say they care about most:
1. Our compassionate ethos — Compassion is at the heart of what we do. It is ingrained in every aspect of our care. Afterall, we treat people, not illness. This whole-person approach to care has been part of our ethos for more than 100 years, starting with the volunteers who created City of Hope as a refuge for people suffering from tuberculosis. Today, it is a core element of the patient experience that helped City of Hope earn the title of “top 5 best hospitals in cancer” according to U.S. News & World Report.
2. Research innovation — City of Hope is a leader in translating life-changing innovation into tangible benefit for patients. For example, City of Hope is one of the top cancer clinical trial providers in the United States. We prioritize clinical trials because we know this is how science moves forward, and more lives are saved. It means our discoveries have a real impact on real people, right away.
3. Speed — Our infrastructure is built for speed. Our drug development capabilities are the perfect example. Thanks to donor support, we have the facilities to produce new therapies in-house at a level and quality that can go right to patients, without having to wait to partner with pharmaceutical companies. That’s unheard of elsewhere.
4. Access — Finally, far too many people are not getting the advanced cancer care they need. We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity for hope, no matter where you live or receive care. Philanthropy is accelerating our efforts to scale our national system so that more patients can get the right treatment at the right time and in the right place. Already, our work has extended lifesaving treatments like chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy and blood and bone marrow transplants to more people in their local communities.
All these factors make City of Hope unlike any other cancer center in America. But there is one more reason: YOU.
Our donors and volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization. Everything that makes us unique is made possible because of you. Here, philanthropy is not a “nice to have.” It is an essential driver of innovation. It enables us to be bold and agile, to blaze new trails. Your partnership has made us who we are today, and it will be critical to our future.
The stories in this newsletter are a testament to your ongoing impact and the exciting work ahead. So, thank you.
Defeating cancer and diabetes takes all of us. It is a big effort, but our patients and families are worth it.
In gratitude,
Kristin J. Bertell
Chief Philanthropy Officer