Sign in Subscribe
Banks (Finance)

TD Bank Awards $100,000 to MUSC Hollings Cancer Center to Combat Cancer Disparities

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A $100,000 grant from TD Bank has been awarded to the Medical University of South Carolina's Hollings Cancer Center to expand two initiatives aimed at reducing cancer disparities in South Carolina. The programs, led by Marvella Ford, Ph.D., associate director of the Hollings Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, will focus on education and screening needs and training the next generation of cancer researchers. The grant will directly impact lives across the state, particularly in the I-95 corridor, which has a greater need for health care investment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The grant of $100,000 from TD Bank will be used to expand two initiatives at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center: SC AMEN, a prostate cancer education program for African American men, and SC CHEER YES, a summer research program for high school students in Charleston County.
  • SC AMEN has been funded by TD Bank since 2021 and has successfully increased prostate cancer screening rates in South Carolina - 77% of participants to date have been screened or are scheduled to be screened, compared with a national average of 38%.
  • The program will establish a partnership with HopeHealth, a federally qualified health center with locations in the I-95 corridor and the Pee Dee area, to expand its reach and connect more participants to cancer screening and follow-up care.
  • SC CHEER YES offers a seven-week summer program that includes lectures on cancer biology, 'how-to' workshops on conducting research, and career exploration with staff from various MUSC departments.
  • The program aims to build a pipeline of cancer researchers from right here in South Carolina who will be invested in solving the state's most pressing cancer needs.

Statistics:

  • 77% of SC AMEN participants have been screened or are scheduled to be screened, compared with a national average of 38%.
  • SC AMEN program has been funded by TD Bank since 2021.
  • The grant from TD Bank will provide $85,000 to expand SC AMEN and $15,000 to support SC CHEER YES.
  • The seven-week summer program SC CHEER YES will provide opportunities for 15 to 20 students from four Charleston County schools to conduct hands-on research under the mentorship of Hollings faculty and postdoctoral fellows.
  • MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in South Carolina with the largest academic-based cancer research program in the state, with an annual research funding portfolio of more than $50 million.

Sources:

  • The Medical University of South Carolina's Hollings Cancer Center news release (no date listed)
  • TD Bank's website (no date listed)
  • MUSC Hollings Cancer Center's website (no date listed)

Read more