Public Health

A new day for cancer treatment in NC

September 22, 2009

New NC Cancer Hospital dedicated

On last week’s very hot Wednesday, I attended the opening ceremony for the new NC Cancer Hospital. It’s a beautiful, light-filled, human scale building. The new hospital represents an amazing transformation from the early 20th century TB sanitarium that was the Gravely Building. The setting for cancer care at UNC now matches the quality of the health care providers, procedures and science.

Shelley Earp, III, MD, Lineberger Professor of Cancer Research, and director, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, received a standing ovation even before he spoke. Everyone in that audience understood how much the new hospital bears the imprint of Shelley’s dedication and passion for our patients, this state and UNC.

I was especially moved by Carolyn Sartor, MD, associate professor and chair, clinical research radiation oncology, who spoke movingly, with hope and positivity, about her roles as healer, scientist and patient. She talked about living well with cancer and about all the people in the future who will live well with cancer, because of North Carolina’s investment in cancer care. She said, “We bring the best of the past and the hope for the future.”

The latest issue of our School’s magazine, Carolina Public Health, focuses on the impressive efforts of our faculty to defeat cancer. With the generosity of the University Cancer Research funds, we all can have great hope for the future.

Happy Monday. Barbara


Want to leave a comment or contact us?
The views expressed in this blog are Barbara Rimer’s alone and do not represent the views and policies of The University of North Carolina or the Gillings School.