The West Virginia University (WVU) Foundation has announced a $50m funding boost for the development of the Hazel Ruby McQuain Comprehensive Cancer Hospital.  

This substantial contribution, from the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust to the West Virginia University (WVU) Cancer Institute, will support the development of the cancer facility, which is set to be part of the new WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital complex in Morgantown in the US. 

Once open, the new comprehensive cancer hospital is expected to provide advanced cancer surgical procedures, therapies, clinical trials and other treatments for both inpatient and outpatient care.  

The multi-storey facility is planned to include outpatient clinics, procedural rooms, inpatient surgical suites, inpatient rooms for extended stays, and various patient amenities, such as an outpatient pharmacy and a cafeteria. 

However, the WVU Foundation said that the development of the cancer hospital is currently subject to approvals from the WVU Health System and WVU Hospitals' governing boards, and several other regulatory authorities.  

The project is expected to unfold over the next few years, coinciding with the health system's campus plan updates. 

WVU Cancer Institute's care teams, which cover a wide range of cancer specialties, including blood cancers, spine, breast, brain, gastrointestinal, among others, will be able to collaborate more effectively in this integrated setting, the WVU Foundation noted.  

Additionally, the hospital is poised to enhance the Institute’s research programmes and support its growth in research, which is vital for improving cancer outcomes. 

The hospital will also integrate various specialty teams and services, such as cardio-oncology, CAR T-cell therapy, integrative medicine, clinical research, pain management, reconstructive surgery, genetics, and rehabilitation.  

WVU Health System president and CEO Albert Wright, Jr. said: “We are deeply grateful to the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust for making this amazing gift to the WVU Cancer Institute. This continues Hazel Ruby McQuain’s desire and vision to develop a full-service medical campus and complex in Morgantown that serves as the state’s flagship academic medical center.  

“On one end, we now have a full-service Children’s Hospital; on the opposite end, we will have a full-service Cancer Hospital – two bookends that will be roughly the same size, scale, and scope.”