Former U.S. Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman and his wife, Jenny have donated $25 million towards a new building and expanded cancer program at Carilion Clinic.
The donation marks the largest in the organization’s history. The building will be named the “Carilion Taubman Cancer Center.”
“We are deeply grateful to the Taubmans’ for their extraordinary gift that will transform cancer care in our region for the growing number of patients who need it,” Carilion’s CEO Nancy Agee said. “A building bearing their name is a fitting tribute and reflects the Taubmans’ deep commitment in southwest Virginia.”
According to Carilion, the current facility on South Jefferson Street was built in 1980, and is operating beyond capacity.
Carilion said the new cancer center will bring together personalized care, advanced technology and treatment options, sophisticated clinical trials and cutting-edge research in a single location.
The expanded facility is being designed to accommodate more patients as well as support the healing process, including natural light, outdoor spaces, and expanded amenities.
The building will be located on the Riverside Campus in Roanoke that Carilion shares with the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
“Cancer care has advanced dramatically in recent years. We believe patients here deserve access to the latest therapies, delivered in a supportive, healing environment,” Nicholas Taubman, Roanoke native and former CEO and chairman of Advance Auto Parts said.
Taubmans’ father, Arthur founded the auto parts chain locally in 1932. Nicholas Taubman led the company from 1969 to 2000, then was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Romania by George Bush from 2005 to 2008.
Agee said she is thrilled to see the impact this is going to have on people in the region. She knows how hard a cancer diagnosis can be and how important access to care is for southwest Virginia.
“We had the personal experience of my husband where we had to go out of state for care,” Agee said. “We know firsthand how difficult that is.”
Agee said Carilion will break ground on the center this fall, with a goal of being finished in two and a half years.
She said Carilion has raised more than $70 million for the project so far.
Carilion held a press conference on the announcement of the new cancer center Thursday. If you missed it, you can watch below.