UChicago Medicine receives $75 million donation for new cancer pavilion at Hyde Park campus
University of Chicago Medicine received a $75 million donation to help build a new cancer pavilion, officials announced.
The donation came from the AbbVie Foundation, a nonprofit that addresses health inequities. The pavilion — an $815 million, 575,000-square-foot building set to open in 2027 — will be named after the nonprofit.
“We are deeply honored by this generous donation, as it strengthens our commitment to advancing the health and vitality of the community — a core priority of our South Side-based institution,” said Paul Alivisatos, president of the University of Chicago, in a statement. “This significant contribution speaks to the confidence that the AbbVie Foundation has in UChicago as a pioneering medical institution dedicated to pursuing globally meaningful solutions to yet-unsolved challenges.”
Health system officials said the new center will streamline the process for patients receiving care, consolidating services that are currently spread across at least five buildings on the Hyde Park campus. The new cancer facility envisions 200,000 outpatient visits and 5,000 inpatient admissions a year to help free space at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Plans for the center include a ground-floor space that would serve as a community hub for cancer prevention, screening and diagnoses, private infusion bays and a dedicated breast center, officials said in the statement.
The facility will also feature 80 inpatient beds, including 64 medical-surgical beds and a 16-bed intensive care unit, infusion therapy with private rooms grouped by cancer type, cancer imaging suite, multidisciplinary breast center and dedicated clinical trial spaces.
Plans for the center were first announced in 2022 with an estimated price tag of $633 million. Officials said the updated price tag includes patient-focused enhancements that reflect their needs.
"This facility is not just about advancing scientific discovery, though that is certainly a key part of our mission," Mark Anderson, executive vice president for medical affairs at UChicago, said in the statement. "It’s about transforming how we deliver care, addressing the inequities that exist in cancer outcomes, and ensuring that everyone — no matter their background — has access to the most advanced treatments.”
The foundation and UChicago Medicine have maintained a working partnership to advance health equity on the city's South Side. In 2020, the foundation committed $8 million over five years to UChicago Medicine to support the establishment of the Liaisons in Care program.
"The AbbVie Foundation is honored to deepen our longstanding partnership with UChicago Medicine, which is rooted in our shared mission to advance health equity,” said Claudia Carravetta, president of the foundation, in the statement.
“We are proud to contribute to this state-of-the-art facility, which will support UChicago Medicine’s efforts to accelerate access and innovations in cancer care, addressing inequities and creating a remarkable impact for patients in Chicago’s South Side community and around the world.”
Contributing: Emmanuel Camarillo