$50 million donation to clinic from Stephen M. and Barbara J. Slaggie will expand access to cancer care for patients

A $50 million new donation from a couple will enhance and expand access to cancer care and clinical trials for patients, Mayo Clinic announced Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Stephen M. and Barbara J. Slaggie of Marco Island, Florida, and Winona, respectively, gave $50 million to accelerate Mayo Clinic’s “Bold. Forward. strategy to Cure, Connect and Transform” to enhance cancer care.

Mayo Clinic looks to find the “optimal blend of in-facility, digital and home-based care to reach more patients beyond traditional care delivery methods,” the announcement said. That includes delivering chemotherapy and clinical trials to patients in their homes and community environments, the release added.

“Through our platform-based strategies, Mayo Clinic is enabling the delivery of cancer care and clinical trials broadly to patients and communities across the United States and around the world, overcoming geographic barriers to assure access to quality cancer care and clinical trials to patients anywhere, at any time,” says Dr. Cheryl Willman, the Stephen and Barbara Slaggie executive director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Programs, and director of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Slaggies’ donation means more patients will be able to access cancer care through Mayo Clinic, no matter where they live, Mayo Clinic said.

“Being a cancer survivor, I know firsthand the anxiety of seeking prompt, exceptional care,” Stephen Slaggie said in the release. “We’re honored to help people with cancer by providing treatment in their home without the time, expense and travel involved in accessing a clinic or hospital.”

Through its Cancer Care Beyond Walls program, Mayo Clinic has delivered more than 140 chemotherapy infusions in patients’ homes and has “opened three national clinical trials testing “the safety, efficacy and patient satisfaction of this approach,” the release said.

“Think of what this means for patients who are going through a cancer diagnosis,” Willman said. “Access to cutting-edge therapies from the most trusted name in health care, all in the healing environment of your home.”

Mayo Clinic says the gift will help expand its “Cancer Beyond Walls” program, which started in Florida, to the Mayo Clinic Health System in Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as its site in Arizona and beyond. The donation will also help Mayo Clinic “decentralize clinical trials assures access for patients and communities by overcoming these barriers.”

Cancer Care Beyond Walls is using virtual and digital platforms and allied health teams to deliver cancer treatment, cancer chemotherapy and cancer clinical trials in the home environment, reducing the financial and emotional burden for patients with cancer who may otherwise have to travel long distances for care.