Hillman Cancer Center: Economic Impact
The Hillman Cancer Center, the flagship facility for the clinical services of UPMC Cancer Centers and the research activities for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), serves as a critical resource in the region as the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in western Pennsylvania.
The Hillman Cancer Center brings together 400 full-time researchers and clinicians and 185 physicians practicing in more than 50 office-based oncology practices that currently exist as part of the UPMC Cancer Centers network - one of the largest integrated cancer care delivery networks in the country that treat more than 25,000 new cancer patients annually.
The opening of the new center will improve patient access to innovative clinical trials in cancer prevention and treatment and advanced life-saving technology; continue to spur the growth of new biotech companies and attract new talent to the region. In conjunction with the other UPMC Cancer Centers being planned at several sites throughout western Pennsylvania, the Hillman Cancer Center is expected to make a significant impact on the regional economy.
Impact on Job Creation:
- The Hillman Cancer Center currently employs a staff of 600 including researchers, clinicians and support staff and will continue to recruit renowned physicians and scientists.
- Over the past three years, the Hillman Cancer Center has created more than 2000 construction-related jobs, with workers logging more than 1 million hours.
- In the same amount of time, UPCI has recruited 51 major investigators who are internationally respected physicians and scientists in several fields including molecular oncology, molecular virology, cancer imaging, surgical oncology and immunology.
- The Hillman Cancer Center also has created more than 50 full-time and part-time jobs in clinical areas (nurses, medical assistants and phlebotomists) and support areas (maintenance, parking and housekeeping.)
- The Hillman Cancer Center has served as a catalyst for the development of two new hotels, a four-acre office development and a new chain grocery store in the surrounding neighborhood.
- A patient care and research hub, the Hillman Cancer Center is expected to attract an estimated 100,000 patient visits each year. Thirty percent of those patients will come from outside the region and will demand a range of basic services - from restaurants to dry cleaners.
Impact on Research and Development:
- With $120 million in research grants, UPCI is ranked 11th in the nation in funding from the National Cancer Institute.
- UPCI is collaborating with several local biotech companies for University-Industry Collaboration funds from the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse.
- To spur the growth of industry in the tri-state area through technology transfer and other corporate endeavors, UPCI has established the highly innovative Limbach Entrepreneurial Center to educate cancer researchers about technology transfer and potential commercialization of their outstanding research initiatives, and to facilitate the licensing of their intellectual property and the development of spinout companies. Already, approximately 90 patent disclosures related to cancer research have been filed with the University of Pittsburgh during the past few years. UPCI faculty have created three new startup companies in the past year, D3 Advanced Radiation Planning Services, MRK Molecular Innovations and ImmunoSite. ImmunoSite has been recently incorporated and has hired six people.
- UPCI, in conjunction with Pittsburgh Clinical Research Network, has formed collaborations with three major pharmaceutical companies to design and initiate clinical trials of novel cancer drugs, resulting in improved patient access to potentially better treatments and bringing in several million dollars to the cancer institute annually.
- UPCI also has collaborated with corporate partners, such as Varian Medical Systems, to bring the latest and most promising radiation technologies to the region.
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