IMPORTANT: Keep Your Provider Directory Information Current to Protect Your Network Status. Learn more
Efforts to provide specialized cancer care and conduct innovative research got a significant lift this past spring when Highmark Health announced a $25 million grant to Penn State Cancer Institute.
The grant will help the institute develop new cancer treatment drugs and establish clinical trials to test promising new therapies, making them accessible to all patients. The funding also will boost recruitment of leading researchers with expertise in specific cancer disciplines.
The funding is the latest component of a larger, long-term collaboration 
that Highmark Health and Penn State Health announced in December 2017. That collaboration includes a $1 billion joint investment that will enable Penn State Health to develop a high-value, community-based health care network designed to expand local access to primary and specialty care and enhance cooperation with community physicians.
Highmark Health's support for Penn State Cancer Institute further demonstrates its commitment to central Pennsylvania residents and communities and its belief that patients should have access to exceptional care close to home.
“As we said last year, we believe very strongly in the team at Penn State and the clinical expertise at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center,” said David Holmberg, president and chief executive officer of Highmark Health. “Today, through this $25 million investment in Penn State Cancer Institute, we are affirming our commitment to a collaboration between the two strongest health care brands in Pennsylvania who share a passion for providing our members and patients with unsurpassed service and quality.”
Based on the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus, Penn State Cancer Institute is the region’s leading cancer care provider.
Penn State Cancer Institute's clinical services are offered in Hershey; in State College, PA, through an alliance with Mount Nittany Health; and in Reading, PA, at Penn State Health St. Joseph. With a research presence in Hershey and at the University Park campus, the institute is the centerpiece of Penn State’s efforts to prevent, treat, and find cures for cancer.
In April, Penn State Health announced other service enhancements to provide comprehensive cancer care in central Pennsylvania. These include:
to incorporate a new linear accelerator to treat solid tumor cancers at Penn State College of Medicine to enhance recruitment of cancer treatment and research experts and train tomorrow’s cancer care leadersThe grant will enable Penn State Cancer Institute to invest immediately in research operations and science to transform cancer care.
One area of focus will be growing research lab services through new shared scientific resources, which will be available to all institute staff. Examples include an Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion Laboratory — where the effects of potential new cancer drugs can be studied. A developmental therapeutics laboratory also will be developed to manage Phase 1 clinical trials.
“Penn State College of Medicine has a rich history in cancer research, from our work decades ago that contributed to the development of the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine to the many vital studies underway today that are helping us to understand how different cancers form, spread, and can be effectively prevented and treated,” said Dr. A. Craig Hillemeier, dean, Penn State College of Medicine; chief executive officer, Penn State Health; and senior vice president for health affairs, Penn State. “This grant is a demonstration of Highmark’s confidence in our ability to continue to advance discoveries that improve the lives of people with cancer.”
One of Penn State Cancer Institute’s greatest needs is recruiting highly trained personnel to help manage projects and develop protocols for research and clinical trials.
“This grant will help us continue to pursue the best scientists in the world to be part of the Penn State Cancer Institute team,” said Dr. Raymond J. Hohl, director of Penn State Cancer Institute. “This means we improve our knowledge about the disease, and that ultimately benefits our patients.”
The grant also will support clinical researchers developing investigator-initiated trials, enabling “Highmark Scholars” to bring their research ideas into the clinic. That will enable cancer patients in central Pennsylvania, including Highmark members, to participate in original clinical trials without traveling far from home.
“I am so pleased that Highmark is part of this innovative provider-payor collaboration, which is going to change and improve lives,” said Deborah Rice-Johnson, president of Highmark Inc. “This type of financial commitment also provides significant stability for Penn State Cancer Institute and helps ensure that our members and everyone in the community will continue to have access to high-quality, affordable care.”
Keeping cancer care close to patients’ homes, families, and support systems is extremely important, Rice-Johnson noted. She added that it is one of the great benefits of these types of provider collaborations that have resulted from the Highmark and Penn State alliance.
