Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro pledge $27 million for state-of-the-art facilities and services

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Once again demonstrating their commitment to improve healthcare and the fight against cancer, Carl J. and Ruth G. Shapiro have pledged $27 million to Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center in Boston to substantially upgrade and expand its facilities for cancer care services.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital jointly operate the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, a national leader in cancer care. The Shapiro gift will make possible the renovation of several patient floors into a state of the art facility for cancer care and surgical services offering "comfort to our patients as well as resources and support to their families." One floor of the patient tower will feature a new cancer-care pavilion bearing the Shapiro name. A portion of the gift also will underwrite a floor in the new Yawkey Center for Cancer Care and establish a new Shapiro Center for Patients and Families, both at Dana-Farber.

"Carl and Ruth Shapiro's foresight and generosity will help us meet the challenges of cancer in the 21st century," said Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA, president of Brigham and Women's Hospital. "As the Baby Boom generation ages, cancer will become more prevalent. And people are living longer with cancer now, which also increases the demand for sophisticated cancer treatment and services. This gift will help us meet this growing responsibility."

Supported by the Shapiro gift, the eighth floor of the 275,000 square foot Yawkey Center for Cancer Care at Dana-Farber, which is slated to open in 2011, will house chemotherapy infusion, medical examination, and other essential medical services. In addition, the Shapiro Center for Patient and Family Services will serve as a gateway to a wide range of specialized resources available at Dana-Farber, some of which will be located or delivered throughout the Institute.

"This is a crucial commitment that will help enable us to provide our patients the most advanced cancer care possible in the most comfortable, modern facilities possible," said Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, president of Dana-Farber. "It will have a very significant impact on the lives of thousands of people with cancer in the coming decades."

Carl J. Shapiro is the founder and former chairman of Kay Windsor Inc., a New Bedford, MA-based manufacturer and importer of women's apparel. He founded Kay Windsor in 1939 and built it into one of the largest companies of its kind in the country before it was acquired by VF Corporation in 1971. The Shapiros, who live in Palm Beach and Boston, are widely known for their extensive support of the regions' major medical, cultural and educational institutions. Along with their longstanding support of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, they have given to Brandeis University, Beth Israel Deaconess, Wellesley College, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Museum of Fine Arts and several other Boston-area organizations. The Foundation also supports a wide range of community based non-profits focused on improving the lives of the disabled, disadvantaged and disenfranchised. In Florida, they are active with the Norton Art Museum in West Palm Beach, the Kravis Center for Performing Arts, and the Palm Beach Opera. In 2005, they made a gift of $25 million to establish the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital, scheduled to open this spring.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org) is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.

Brigham and Women's Hospital (www.brighamandwomens.org) is a 747-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery network. BWH is committed to excellence in patient care with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery. BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, involving more than 860 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by more than $416 M in funding. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative.


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