City of Hope National Medical Center

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[edit] Description

City of Hope is one of 39 NCI-designated Cancer Centers and is located in the city of Duarte, California. City of Hope comprises an ambulatory and in-patient cancer treatment center as well as a biomedical research facility known as the Beckman Research Institute and the City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences.

A major non-profit organization, City of Hope was originally founded in 1913 as a haven for those stricken with tuberculosis due to the dry, desert-like climate of the San Gabriel Valley and its ability to help ease the pain of those with the illness. Since then, the institution has grown to more than 300 physicians and scientists and over 2,500 employees, all of whom are part of City of Hope's work to find the causes of - and cures for - various forms of cancer as well as other life-threatening diseases, including diabetes and HIV/AIDS. The City of Hope campus is located on over 112 acres, and as of 2006, has 158 licensed beds, 84 of which are devoted to bone marrow transplantation patients.

City of Hope is a leader in translational research, and at any given time is conducting more than 300 clinical trials involving 30 to 40 percent of its eligible patients (compared to a national average of less than 5 percent). Some of the medical and scientific treatments based on research conducted at City of Hope include the drugs Herceptin, Rituxan, and Avastin. Additionally, a group of scientists at City of Hope lead by Arthur Riggs and Keiichi Itakura pioneered the research that led to the ability to produce synthetic human insulin. City of Hope is also an early pioneer in bone marrow transplantation, and has performed over 7900 bone marrow and stem cell transplants, making it one of the largest and most successful programs of its kinds in the world.

It's primary medical center is the Helford Clinical Research Hospital, built in 2005. This 347,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility provides immune-compromised patients high levels of attention and comfort, and is designed to enhance collaboration between physicians, caregivers, and clinical researchers. The hospital offers one of the largest units in the United States for performing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), including stem cell and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The facility’s 144 patient rooms are equipped to accommodate all but the most critical patients, making possible a high level of daily care.

The work performed at City of Hope is supported by public and private grants, fundraising events, as well as gifts from private donors. Its fundraising efforts are directed by its Development headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, as well as satellite offices in Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Chicago, Philadelphia and Ft. Lauderdale. More than 290,000 volunteers and donors worldwide support City of Hope and nearly 20 percent of its funding comes from private support through charitable contributions.