Mississippi broke ground last month on a medical facility that could transform the level of cancer treatment for in-state residents while also attracting patients from other states.
The new building will become the cornerstone of the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Cancer Center and Research Institute, a major step toward achieving the coveted federal designation as a National Cancer Institute.
People in Mississippi are familiar with the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center in Birmingham, Alabama, both NCI-designated facilities. UMMC aspires to provide the same level of care and research at its expanding complex in Jackson.
This could be a godsend for many in Mississippi, for whom traveling out of state to be evaluated and treated by the nation’s leading cancer specialists is either unaffordable or impractical. The current geographic obstacles, along with the impoverished and rural nature of the state, are why Mississippi has some of the highest cancer mortality rates in the nation. For too many, cancer goes undetected until it’s in the advanced stages, making treatment less likely to be successful.
UMMC has pooled together state and federal support as well as private donations to further its goal of becoming the 75th NCI-designated center in the country. Earlier this year, the Mississippi Legislature appropriated $100 million to build the new cancer center building. UMMC has raised another $100 million through private philanthropy. And tens of millions of dollars are coming or are expected to come from Washington.
Not only should Mississippians be rooting for the success of this initiative. So should those who live in Louisiana and Arkansas, which have no NCI-designated center of their own. Giving their cancer patients another, closer option for cutting-edge cancer care, including the latest clinical trials, would improve the region’s health while also giving a boost to the economy of Mississippi’s capital city.
Health care is one of the biggest economic drivers going today. If UMMC can develop into a major regional hub for medical care, it’s going to benefit Mississippi’s well-being in many ways. The vision of those who are pursuing this is commendable.
