Roswell Park Cancer Institute Plans Spring 1998 Move to its New Campus

BUFFALO, NY—In 1998, the year of its 100th anniversary celebration, Roswell Park Cancer Institute will move into its new $241 million campus, including a new hospital building (see photograph) and major renovations.

Founded in 1898, Roswell Park was the first cancer research, treatment, and education center in the United States, according to a spokesperson for the center. The new construction has been overseen by David C. Hohn, MD, president and CEO of the Institute since January 1997.

Another important landmark for the NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center is the implementation of legislation passed into law by the New York State Legislature last summer that will begin Roswell Park’s transition from a public institution to a public benefit corporation. The new designation is aimed at allowing Roswell Park greater flexibility to respond to changes in the health care marketplace and thus compete more effectively with private cancer centers.

Specifically, the legislation creates the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corporation with a 15-member board of directors, appointed by the governor and various New York State Senate and Assembly leaders. The new corporation may negotiate contracts with managed care networks and participate in other joint and cooperative arrangements for the provision of comprehensive and specialty health care services.

The legislation also allows the corporation to establish new subsidiary corporations and other entities to meet the demands of the changing health care market and to develop and market products or services that result from its clinical and research activities.

A spokesperson for the Institute said that with its new status, Roswell Park will begin producing many of the cancer therapies discovered by its researchers rather than selling the rights to these products to pharmaceutical companies.

The transition from a state facility operated by the New York State Department of Health to a public benefit corporation is expected to be completed in about a year.