For Immediate Release

For more information, contact:
Gloria O'Connell, 612-863-4801

Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation announces successful completion of Virginia Piper Cancer Institute's Vision Campaign

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. 07/27/2009--The Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation today announced the successful completion of the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute's Vision Campaign. More than 12,000 donors contributed to the campaign, which raised $37.4 million for the benefit of patients and families seeking the collaborative, compassionate cancer diagnosis, treatment and care available at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

Through the leadership of three co-chairs, Kathy Farley, Terry Saario, PhD, and Chris Morrison, the campaign has been critical to expanding the proven, multidisciplinary care model, pioneered at the Piper Breast Center, to each cancer discipline within the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute.

"The community support has been humbling and provides the margin of excellence for our patients," said Timothy Sielaff, MD, PhD, FACS, MBA, president and medical director of the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute. "These 12,000 gifts are from people who have put their trust and support in us and we will work extremely hard to use these resources wisely for the benefit of our cancer patients, their families and the communities we serve."

Launched in Feb. 2005, the Vision Campaign had five goals: opening a central cancer clinic site facilitating collaboration among many disciplines, adding nurse coordinators and other key elements of the integrated care model, acquiring state-of-the-art technology and equipment to advance care, building upon the strong clinical research infrastructure at the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute and establishing an endowed chair in medical oncology for the Piper Breast Center.

Along with the Piper Breast Center, the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute offers comprehensive cancer care programs in esophageal and gastric, gynecologic, liver, pancreas and bile duct, lung, neurological, hematology/lymphoma, autologous stem cell transplant, head and neck, colorectal and prostate cancers.

"Abbott Northwestern's Virginia Piper Cancer Institute provides the highest quality of care in a supportive environment," said Chris Morrison, co-chair of the Vision Campaign. "More than 12,000 people, many of them grateful patients and family members, wanted to contribute to this campaign to ensure that each cancer patient has access to the best care possible. These philanthropic dollars are hard at work to ease the journey for patients and families who come to the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute for care."

Since the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute formally opened its doors in 1993, community support has played a key role in patient care and clinical research for the benefit of patients and families.

"We're proud to have contributed to the success of the Vision Campaign," said Tad Piper. "We are also very proud of the extraordinary staff, led by Dr. Sielaff, and the great care they provide for people in our community."

The Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation's mission is to raise, steward and disburse funds for the benefit of Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the communities it serves. Abbott Northwestern Hospital is part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, a not-for-profit health care system of hospitals, clinics and other patient care services that provides exceptional care to communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin and employs more than 22,000 people.