MCW Applauds Joint Finance Committee’s Vote for a Cancer Research Facility

Milwaukee, June 12, 2019 – The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) thanks and applauds the members of the state’s budget-writing committee, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), for their vote approving a State Building Commission grant for the development and construction of a cancer research facility at MCW.

“We are deeply grateful for the support and partnership with the State of Wisconsin on this exciting endeavor to transform the lives of children and adults affected by cancer,” said John R. Raymond, Sr., M.D., president and CEO of MCW. “Creating a dedicated facility focused on cancer research will transform the future of cancer research in Wisconsin and beyond.”

The JFC voted on June 11^th, 2019 to include a $10 million State Building Commission grant for the facility, to be located on the MCW Milwaukee campus. The state’s investment will help support the development, construction, and equipping of the physical infrastructure of the project, dedicated to providing adequate research space and high-tech facilities to expand cancer research at MCW. MCW anticipates initially recruiting 20, and eventually up to 40-50 world-class cancer researchers developing new discoveries in this facility.

“The MCW community could not be more excited and humbled by the JFC’s confidence in MCW’s ability to create this visionary opportunity to accelerate discovery toward cancer treatments and cures, not only in Wisconsin, but everywhere,” said Joseph E. Kerschner, MD, MCW Dean of the School of Medicine, Provost and Executive Vice President. “MCW has a long-standing commitment to bringing new knowledge, and with this new hope, to patients and families affected by cancer and takes very seriously the opportunity and responsibility to steward the state’s investment.”

The JFC’s action on Tuesday follows on the heels of Governor Tony Evers’ original 2019-2021 Capital Budget proposal, which proposed a $15 million grant toward this project. MCW applauds both the Governor, as well as the Legislature, for both their trust in MCW, as well as their vision in understanding that strategic investments in research are critical to ensuring kids and adults diagnosed with cancer have access to the best possible treatments and care.

Before being formally enumerated in state law, this appropriation, along with the overall biennial state budget, must now be approved by both houses of the legislature and signed into law by Governor Evers.  MCW looks forward to working with policy-makers to continue to advance this critical project through the remaining legislative steps of the budget process.

About the Medical College of Wisconsin

With a history dating back to 1893, The Medical College of Wisconsin is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and community engagement. More than 1,400 students are enrolled in MCW’s medical school and graduate school programs in Milwaukee, MCW-Green Bay, and MCW-Central Wisconsin. MCW’s School of Pharmacy opened in 2017. A major national research center, MCW is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In FY2016, faculty received more than $184 million in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 3,100 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,500 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 525,000 patients annually.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.