The Following Generosity for Generations and Physician Spotlight articles were featured in the Spring 2019 edition of GenerousLiving, a quarterly publication from Sun Health Foundation.
Patients will soon have even more power in the fight against cancer thanks to community support for the Cancer-Fighting Treatment and Care Advancement initiative. The initiative is one of six in Sun Health Foundation’s $48 million Generosity for Generations Campaign, which is a community investment to ensure superior health and wellness – not just for today but for future generations.
Philanthropic support for the oncology departments at Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers will fund renovation of key facilities and acquisition of state-of-the-art technology to better serve cancer patients. And, it will help patients fight back.
According to Elbert Kuo, M.D., M.P.H., M.M.S., F.A.C.S., Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center and Associate Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, surgical robots are revolutionizing the ways doctors perform surgery. “There are two main robots we’re looking to add to our suite of medical technology,” he says. “One is a surgical robot that gives us better 3D vision and allows us to move our instruments with finer detail. The second is a bronchoscopy robot for pulmonologists that lets us reach nodules that have never been accessible before.” Our community has the power to ensure these life-giving technologies– and the best in cancer care – are available when we need them.
Campaign initiatives include:
Cancer-Fighting Treatment and Care Advancement is one of several high-impact initiatives of the Generosity for Generations Campaign, which strives to bring superior health care to communities in the West Valley. You can learn more about each iterative using the links below.
- Cancer-Fighting Treatment and Care Advancement ($2m)
- Emergency Department and Patient Care Transformation at Banner Boswell Medical Center ($34m)
- Community Health and Wellness at Sun Health ($2m)
- Spine Health and Orthopedics at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center ($2m)
- Service Enhancements for Women and Infants at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center ($2m)
- Future Cardiac Initiatives and Cancer- Fighting Treatment and Care Advancement at Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers ($6m)
Together, we can ensure our loved ones and neighbors have among the best life-giving health care options close to home.
Physician Spotlight: Elbert Kuo, M.D.
I’m impressed by the tight-knit nature of this community and how the people root for one another; it’s inspiring.”
That’s what Elbert Kuo, M.D., M.P.H., M.M.S., F.A.C.S., Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center and Associate Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, says distinguishes the communities surrounding Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers.
“They have a giving spirit, and they see value in investing in health care,” he adds.
As a physician who wants to change the way lung cancer is diagnosed and treated and how thoracic surgery is performed, Dr. Kuo says philanthropic support is paramount – the primary driver in advancing care and treatment.
In the last few years, lung cancer care and thoracic surgery has been redesigned in the Northwest Valley with the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at Banner Boswell Thoracic Surgery Clinic. According to Dr. Kuo, the average time from diagnosis to treatment for lung cancer in the U.S. is six months. “That’s unacceptable,” he says. “With support from the community through Sun Health Foundation, we’ve started programs that have taken the time from diagnosis to treatment down to four weeks.”
“Someone in this country is diagnosed with lung cancer every three minutes; someone dies of it every four minutes, Dr. Kuo says. “These patients aren’t advocated for, and that’s my goal – to make sure they get the attention and care they deserve. We can make lung cancer a survivable disease.”
Reaching this ambitious goal requires having the right medical training, tools and technologies. Sun Health Foundation’s Generosity for Generations Campaign includes a $2 million Cancer-Fighting Treatment and Care Advancement Initiative to further lung cancer and thoracic services at Banner Boswell Medical Center and breast cancer care and treatment at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center.
However, this is only possible with support from a passionate and philanthropic community. Equal to the passion of the generations of donors who helped make Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers the exceptional institutions they are today is Dr. Kuo’s passion to change the landscape of lung cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. That passion was ignited during medical school when he became the first student to work under his mentor, Douglas Mathisen, M.D. then Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“I spent three summers working for him, and I was inspired by how he blended his technical ability and doctor-patient skills to make a profound difference and really help people,” Dr. Kuo shares. “I thought about other service lines, but that experience is really what motivated me to pursue thoracic surgery.” Fast forward to today and Dr. Kuo is now the one making a profound difference in the lives of patients.
If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this article, consider subscribing to GenerousLiving. Brought to you by Sun Health Foundation, GenerousLiving is a quarterly publication that celebrates generosity and those who are inspired to give. In each issue, you’ll find important health and financial topics, along with stories of people in your community who are impacted by the generosity of others. You’ll also stay up-to-date on the latest developments of the Generosity for Generations Campaign and its initiatives that will enhance the health and wellbeing of West Valley residents.
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