On Friday, Aug. 23, 2013, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center celebrated the public grand opening of the renovated Lurleen B. Wallace Tumor Institute (WTI). Gov. Robert Bentley, state Rep. Paul DeMarco, and Birmingham Mayor William Bell joined UAB leaders in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the WTI.
Gov. Bentley, a dermatologist, recounted how difficult it is for a physician to tell a patient of a diagnosis of cancer. He stressed that the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center provides patients with a measure of hope and pledged his support.
“We are going to continue to work with you at the state level, and I will work with you as a physician,” said Bentley. “I want to do what is best for the people of our state and of our community. God bless you for what you do.”
Mayor Bell and Rep. DeMarco praised the physicians, scientists and staff of the UAB Cancer Center.
“Today is your day to be recognized for the outstanding work you’ve done since 1974,” Bell said. “Today is your day to know that this great institution is willing to invest in you to continue the work you do to bring honor to the research and developments that come out of this institution.”
“As someone who has lived here his entire life, I am so humbled to be here,” said DeMarco. “Humbled because of the history of this place, and of the innovation and research that has taken place here.”
The ceremony drew a standing room only crowd of more than 400 people that included faculty, employees, patients, benefactors and community members.
“Our goal is to create an interactive, multi-disciplinary environment that ultimately brings premium cancer care to our patients quickly and safely, and we’ve done that with these renovations,” said Edward Partridge, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center. “The UAB Cancer Center is distinguished by the breadth and depth of our research and our disease-specific approach to cancer care, and this brings our scientists together in one location to increase collaboration and foster scientific breakthroughs.”
Read more about this new modernized facility.