University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences officials announced Wednesday that they are one step closer to a National Cancer Institute designation after receiving a $1 million donation that puts UAMS past the halfway mark toward its $30 million goal.
It could take the hospital three to four more years to reach the designation, UAMS Cancer Institute Director Michael J. Birrer said Wednesday. He said the status would show patients that the hospital has some of the best practices in the nation, while also opening the institute up for higher-level drug trials.
The $1 million gift increases the hospital's total to more than $15 million raised. The donation comes from Kim and Chris Fowler of Jonesboro. Chris Fowler, president of Fowler Foods Inc., is a first-generation Taco Bell franchisee and a second-generation KFC franchise owner.
UAMS started raising funds for the institute in 2019 after Senate Bill 151 created an annual funding mechanism for the project. To date UAMS has received $50 million in funding from the legislative measure.
There are 71 NCI-designated cancer centers in 36 states, according to a UAMS news release. The closest such cancer center to Arkansas is a pediatric center in Memphis. Other centers are located in Dallas and Oklahoma City.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the amount that UAMS received after Senate Bill 151 created an annual funding mechanism for the institute. To date UAMS has received $50 million in funding from the legislative measure.