Baptist Health Foundation Receives $2 Million Gift from Trish and Dan Bell to Benefit Miami Cancer Institute
MIAMI, FL – June 29, 2022 – Baptist Health Foundation announced today that prominent Miami philanthropists Trish and Dan Bell have made a $2 million gift to Baptist Health Foundation in support of the Cancer Health Equity Research Center (CHERC) at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute. The gift will assist the CHERC in increasing the enrollment of medically underserved populations in clinical cancer trials in order to address disparities in health outcomes among minority groups.
“We are immensely grateful to Trish and Dan Bell for their generous gift,” said Alex Villoch, CEO of Baptist Health Foundation. “The Bells are passionate advocates for the well-being of our community, and their support will help Miami Cancer Institute improve treatment for South Florida’s ethnically and racially diverse populations.”
In honor of the gift, the welcome desk on the fourth floor of Miami Cancer Institute will be named the Trish and Dan Bell Welcome Desk, with plans for an unveiling in the fall. The organization will also recognize the couple with naming of the Trish and Dan Bell Welcome Desk at the Institute’s future Women’s Cancer Center, slated to open in 2025.
Baptist Health is committed to provide outstanding, compassionate care to patients in the communities it serves. Because South Florida is one of the most diverse regions in the U.S., it is essential that Blacks, Hispanics and other groups are equitably represented in research studies and clinical trials. To this end, Baptist Health’s community-academic partnership with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University has recently led to the establishment of the Cancer Health Equity Research Center at Miami Cancer Institute. The CHERC will address cancer health disparities, increasing the enrollment of medically underserved minority populations in clinical trials and implementing new strategies to target social determinants of health – including access to health insurance, preventive services, nutritious foods and transportation. It will also work to expand the existing biorepository to identify biomarkers unique to minority patients, and conduct novel research on the effect of ethnicity, economic status and education on these biomarkers.
“For us, this gift reflects a perfect combination of our gratitude to the Baptist Health system for its outstanding contributions to the overall health of the South Florida community and the furtherance of our personal primary philanthropic mission of helping to support the underserved of our community,” said Trish and Dan Bell.
Miami Cancer Institute, which opened in 2017, cares for an average of 1,200 patients each day. The Institute provides unparalleled expertise in individual cancers, and access to the world’s latest cancer discoveries, most effective treatments and best outcomes – all right here in South Florida.
“We are thrilled that the Bells have invested in our efforts to level the playing field for our diverse patient populations,” said Michael J. Zinner, M.D., CEO and executive medical director, Miami Cancer Institute. “This gift is truly the spark that lights the bonfire as we launch our ambitious collaboration to increase access to life-saving and life-changing clinical trials for cancer patients from all walks of life.”
About Baptist Health Foundation
The mission of Baptist Health Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and build extraordinary donor relationships in support of excellence, innovation, community wellness and global leadership in healthcare at Baptist Health South Florida. Through philanthropy, the Foundation supports and expands Baptist Health’s ability to provide outstanding patient care and bring the latest treatments to patients and families affected by a serious illness. Donor contributions also allow the Foundation to assist Baptist Health facilities in keeping pace with technology and equipment advances, perform cutting-edge research and offer continuing education opportunities to medical staff. Learn more at BaptistHealth.net/Foundation.
About Miami Cancer Institute
Miami Cancer Institute brings to South Florida access to personalized clinical treatments and comprehensive support services delivered with unparalleled compassion. No other cancer program in the region has the combination of cancer-fighting expertise and advanced technology—including the first proton therapy center in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean, and one of the only radiation oncology programs in the world with each of the newest radiation therapies in one place—to diagnose and deliver precise cancer treatments that achieve the best outcomes and improve the lives of cancer patients. The Institute offers an impressive roster of established community oncologists and renowned experts, clinical researchers and genomic scientists recruited from the nation’s top cancer centers. Selected as Florida’s only member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer (MSK) Alliance, Miami Cancer Institute is part of a meaningful clinical collaboration that affords patients in South Florida access to innovative treatments and ensures that the standards of care developed by their multidisciplinary disease management teams match those at MSK.
Miami Cancer Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 24,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.
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